Lib-Dem turncoats ?

[Papaumau]

Since the CONDEM coalition was formed we have seen many of the Liberal Democrat "ministers" being made to give bad news to the electorate against their own manifesto promises, in fact it is beginning to look as if the Liberal Democrats have been swallowed up in the big Tory machine.

The latest one to shock many of us was when Vince Cable - The coalition government Business Secretary - announced yesterday that the coalition government were going to finally privatise the Royal Mail. Thatcher tried this one on many moons ago and Blair's government organised by Mandelson even tried to do it too and were slapped down by public opinion.

It looks as if the CONDEM coalition now seem to think that they have the strength and the support to carry out a job that many governments of the past failed to do.

Now we will almost certainly see a lot more job-losses, an unavoidable rise in the cost of posting a letter and an even-greater shrinking of this essential service once the private sector get this into their grubby and greedy hands.

The unions are flaming about this one and we may see more industrial action before this policy idea is finally settled.

Anybody......

[Ivanhoe]

We havent seen anything yet.  The Unions have been dumbed down, the Tories dont care what they do, the BBC are not challenging.

The only light at the end of this tunnel is in five years if not before, when Nick Clegg will be removed because of the obvious.

[Papaumau]

There is potential here for a massive union blow-out and while nobody on the streets would welcome this I think that the unions taking a stand will be the best way to send a message to this unholy CONDEM alliance.

If any of you are interested I predict that in the Scottish elections next year the Liberal Democrats are going to be destroyed just like we destroyed the Tories.

Watch this space !

[Ivanhoe]

There is potential here for a massive union blow-out and while nobody on the streets would welcome this I think that the unions taking a stand will be the best way to send a message to this unholy CONDEM alliance.

If any of you are interested I predict that in the Scottish elections next year the Liberal Democrats are going to be destroyed just like we destroyed the Tories.

Watch this space !

I bloody well hope so.

[Papaumau]

On the main BBC News last night  it was reported that many of the big unions are about to get their heads together as they plan for strikes and civil unrest because of the way that the CONDEM coalition are cutting too deeply and too quickly. They fear that such draconian and across the board cuts are going to hit the poorest people in Britain the hardest and they are going to generate a massive unemployment list.

At the Trades Union Congress conference it was discussed that if the government are allowed to slash services and jobs as they plan to, the fragile recovery after the crash will be damaged. Their economics experts believe that this slash-and-burn exercise is going to take us right back into recession again.

I ask, can this country stand another "winter of discontent" as people get out onto the streets and protest as hard as they did during the poll-tax riots. This too is predicted.

Anybody ?

[Ivanhoe]

/////Anybody ?////

The British dont have the balls, we are neither nationalistic, or consolidated, the TUC will do what they plan to do, and the radio phone ins will be democratically allowing the usual balance between the people who bother to ring up.

This has been on the cards since the 80's, Britain has not learned from it's industrial past, we are still stiff upper lip, and we will remain as such.

In short we are finished.

[Papaumau]

Ivanhoe, that is a sad, cynical and pitiful position to take !

With an opinion like that in your mind I am not surprised that you have given up the fight and now just like to snipe from the sidelines.

It would appear that you are not aware of the activists out there that are doing their best to encourage the ones like yourself - that have lost interest in the British stoicism that has kept us going during many more and worse situations - to redouble your efforts and keep fighting the good fight.

If the Brits had held a defeatist stance like that during the years between 1939 and 1945 we would now all be eating sourkraut for breakfast. 

[Ivanhoe]

Papaumau, Where I live ive bombarded my local papers for 20 years on pensions, and housing for example, hoping that somebody, or persons would come forward and help me build up a group, but nobody ever has.

Also I dont snipe at the sidelines, I go for the juggular when necessary, and sometimes it's really hard holding back.

Im afraid in my opinion, the "stoicism" you refere to, began and enbd with our war veterans, today's generation are without doubt a sad bunch, self interested up to their eyeballs, and agai in my opinion they also take for granted mercillessly, virtues like the welfare state, NHS ect.

Papaumau, I say again to you that ive been battling for over 20 years on behalf of the elderly, but how ive kept going is beyond me.

[Papaumau]

Have you ever considered that maybe you are going about it the wrong way ?

Don Quixote was famous for "tilting at windmills" with his spear and that analogy can apply to anybody that attempts to take on the big guys like governments and corporations and greedy and carenought individuals without getting a few supporters to rally to the cause first.

That is what unions and political party memberships and memberships of local and community authorities are for.

As I keep saying...."No man is an island !"

[Ivanhoe]

//////Have you ever considered that maybe you are going about it the wrong way ?/////

Of course, what "other" way would you suggest ?.

[avalonmpk]

''Royal'' mail should have been privatized in 1840 - The inland revenue in 1951 and the BBC in 1996!
The BBC is nearer to Radio Moscow The inland revenue needs at least one person that understands simple arithmetic, and the mail service is a fiasco! What I suggest that all the lefties let the TUC run their services and the rest of us and let the rest of us get on and do the job in a business like manner WITHOUT BEING A BURDEN ON THE TAX PAYER.

[Ivanhoe]

If the tax payer wishes to use these services, then the tax payer should grow up and learn that he and she needs to pay for these services.

The British have always been the same, they want their services but they dont want to pay for them.

[Papaumau]

''Royal'' mail should have been privatized in 1840 - The inland revenue in 1951 and the BBC in 1996!
The BBC is nearer to Radio Moscow The inland revenue needs at least one person that understands simple arithmetic, and the mail service is a fiasco! What I suggest that all the lefties let the TUC run their services and the rest of us and let the rest of us get on and do the job in a business like manner WITHOUT BEING A BURDEN ON THE TAX PAYER.

I am not surprised at that stance as we have been shown that you are a Tory supporter right from day one. I admire a person who sticks to his guns.

The thing is that just like the fact that nationalisation does not suit every industry or entity out there, blind privatisation does not suit everything either.

The privaterers are often good at making money as that is their drive but they ARE NOT good at providing services simply because every essential service that we need in Britain does not necesssarily make money/profits.

If the profit motive is allowed into ANY of the essential services we always find that the service suffers simply because of the fact that profit can NOT be made.

Services should be the same to ALL of the British people no matter where they live or what their standing in life is but the profitability of services is driven by what areas the most money can be made. In rural areas and areas of low population the drive for profits kills off any service provided by  private entities and this means that if you do not live in high conurbations like London or any of the other cities these essential services just do not reach you.

That is why I have always said that the privateers should do what they do best and the government should do the rest.

Avalon......Do you not understand this premise ?

[Ivanhoe]

 ///////WITHOUT BEING A BURDEN ON THE TAX PAYER//////

This is the misnomer of the late 70s, the 80's, and the 90's, and we British fell for it everytime.

Factually privatisation costs much more of tax payers money than nationlisation ever did.

Because Privatisation is upheld by tax payers subsidy

Privatisation is all about making profits on the backs of sacking workers.

Did you know any of this ?

[Hells Granny]

Unfortunately, the Lib Dems are the minority in the Coalition, they won't get much chance to get their projects through.

Cheers, HG