2014 The Year Of Hard Truths

[Halibut 12]

The more cuts the better in my book. People need to learn to take responsibility for themselves.

 

Howabout your wages being cut by a third? That OK with you?

[Happ Hazzard 10]

I earn my wage. Benefit claimants get money for free. If my employer tried to cut my wage by 1/3 I would find a job somewhere else.

[Anna B 1,414]

 

Our debt is measured in numbers so large that most people can't grasp them.

 

The general public are like children. They will always try and get out of having to take unpleasant medicine, however necessary it may be.

 

"Why do I have to. It's not fair!"

 

Have you considered stamping your foot as well?

 

 

.

 

The general public are not like children thank you very much. They are justifiably very, very angry.

 

It's a simple question of justice.

 

You seem to have a short memory. This crisis is still bedevilled with the fall out from the financial crisis which was clearly the fault of bankers and the banking industry and has never been resolved.

 

Little was done to punish them, little has been done to regulate them, little has been done to change the system, and their bonuses have grown exponentially and are now into the billions.

 

Similarly, greedy corporations and big business seem to ignore taxes with impunity, although collecting what is fairly due would settle the deficit in one fell stroke.

 

Instead, millions of hard working ordinary people's lives are being ruined by swinging cuts, excessive taxes and penalties, and a much reduced standard of living.

 

The Government - all governments - should be ashamed.

 

I stand by this.

 

The governments (all of them,) are guilty in as much as they did nothing to stop the bankers and continue to do nothing.

 

The debt is too big now to be paid off. It's all posturing.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Anna B

[Mister M 1,624]

I earn my wage. Benefit claimants get money for free. If my employer tried to cut my wage by 1/3 I would find a job somewhere else.

 

Many current benefit claimants have worked many years and contributed to a system of social insurance.

Nevertheless I'm appalled that the Chancellor is thinking of cutting Housing Benefit to the under 25s.

[I1L2T3 10]

The more cuts the better in my book. People need to learn to take responsibility for themselves.

 

Cuts for pensioners?

 

---------- Post added 06-01-2014 at 19:18 ----------

 

Why do the Cons hate the poor so much, we have racism, ageism, why not Poorism and put Cameron and Osborne on a charge for this, it's took weasley Clegg some time before the penny has dropped, or his is he turning into a rat and jumping ship. Get this lot out!.

 

They hate them because they don't vote for the Tories in sufficient numbers any more.

 

Instead of trying to resurrect the old inclusive conservatism they have written off a section of the electorate because they won't deliver votes.

 

It is quite simply that cynical.

 

---------- Post added 06-01-2014 at 19:20 ----------

 

I earn my wage. Benefit claimants get money for free. If my employer tried to cut my wage by 1/3 I would find a job somewhere else.

 

Many benefits claimants are workers.

[Anna B 1,414]

I earn my wage. Benefit claimants get money for free. If my employer tried to cut my wage by 1/3 I would find a job somewhere else.

 

Really?

 

I do hope you find it that easy....

[I1L2T3 10]

One of the great things about the news footage today was Osborne visiting a factory that appeared to make industrial robots.

 

Look youngsters, if the immigrants don't take your jobs the robots will.

 

Nice work George.

[anywebsite 10]

Please, can people not derail this topic with another : "Ooh look how much the MPs earn" discussion? We seem to have those every week at least.

 

Like culling some MPs is going to help?

 

Yeah, because under 25s caused all the problems didn't they, they don't deserve one crappy little flat, never mind two houses funded by the tax payer.

[Happ Hazzard 10]

MPs aren't just given the job, and it isn't a job for life. If under 25s want property, they should have to work for it, not just expect it to be given to them for by right.

[ricgem2002 11]

25 billion more of cuts on the way wow i cant believe labour got us into all this mess

[anywebsite 10]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/01/osborne-puts-housing-benefit-under-25s-first-line-cuts

 

But Osborne's preferred approach of salami slicing the welfare budget, rather than addressing its underlying causes, will not raise significant sums either. For all the human misery they have caused, the household benefit cap is forecast to save just £110m a year by the DWP, while the bedroom tax will raise just £490m (and both, as analysts have warned, may end up costing more than they save by increasing homelessness and other social ills).

 

Another hard truth...

[tinfoilhat 11]

THere was a time when billions was a lot of money. When I was a lad it was "millionaire Bruce Wayne". Now he's a billionaire.

 

Firstly, when the problem is measured in trillions, billions is a very tiny part of that problem.

 

Secondly, despite the so-called "austerity" (LOL!) the government is spending (and borrowing) more than ever.

 

 

 

LINK

 

 

 

 

Billions? Chump change.

 

True level of UK government debt exceeds £5 trillion

 

Or £5000000000000000.

 

To put that into context, if you spent £1 million a day you would have spent a trillion in a mere 2737.85 years.

 

So if you'd started before the birth of Christ, you still wouldn't be finished.

 

Our debt is measured in numbers so large that most people can't grasp them.

 

 

 

 

The general public are like children. They will always try and get out of having to take unpleasant medicine, however necessary it may be.

 

"Why do I have to. It's not fair!"

 

Have you considered stamping your foot as well?

 

 

 

 

That would account for about £35 billion [LINK]. Our problem is measured in trillions.

 

Do try again old chap.

 

 

 

A tiny, tiny part of the overall problem.

 

It's like trying to bail out a sinking lifeboat with an eyedropper. Full marks for effort but you're still gonna drown.

 

Last figures I saw for corporation tax was £34bn at its current with an awful lot of big multinationals paying sweet fanny Adams. Surely by closing the loopholes that has to go up. Lower corporation tax will also help small businesses who can't afford an army of accountants to set up off-shore tax free bolt holes.