Weather Warning from Devon?

[Hivemaker.]

when i was in the civil defence we had maps of likley survival areas to park vehicles in the event of a possible central london was atom bombed

That's all very well, MM - but when the tsunami strikes.......

Hence they were more interested in saving the vehicles, Dusty, to drive to higher ground...clever that civil defence lot.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I lived through the war years, when we were truly on our arses ,I didn't have a pot to piss in, yet libraries stayed open ,every high street had is branches of banks various , swimming pools ,schools had playing fields . Just what have we been suckered into ?
VM

One reason is - not that long ago - county councillors did the job as a public service (i.e. no remuneration) but to cussion the blow they got a very good expenses package - motor mileage allowance to travel to county hall - meals allowance when they got there. Now they get a salary (nice chunk as well) and they still claim all the expenses even though really speaking you should not be allowed to claim travel and subsitence as an employee when you are in your 'usual place of work' - Thus the money that should be spent on services goes towards councillor's 'salaries' the clown in charge of Carmarthenshire (sorry, my colleague Kevin) rakes in nearly a hundred grand a year - and he doesn't really run the county - he just does what he's told by the chief exec (on nearly 200 grand a year - but don't make a fuss or he'll use ratepayers money to take you to the high court!!)don't start me please!!

 

[fincaazul]

I'm a post war baby-boomer but I often ask the same question. I think the answer is complicated. In terms of public amenities a lot of it is about cost ... and it is easy to be persuaded that some of these institutions are no longer used to the extent that they were when we were young - as such they become an easy target for Local Authorities looking to cut budgets. In our neck of the woods we only get our dustbins collected once a fortnight ! What aggrieves me is when I see what Councils and County Councils seem to see as their 'Priorities' ... I'm sure we've all got examples of 'why do we need that's ?' ....

Sadly, it's the apathy of the greater silent majority that have let them get away with these things ... in France .... they would be rioting in the streets if they even got a sniff that the French government intended doing to them what the UK Government is doing to our retirement age - and what do we do ? Roll over and accept it .... the same as we always do !

The move from Birmingham Central Library to the new Library of Birmingham necessitates the throwing away ( literally ) of 20% of reference stock, paid for by local taxpayers. With a stock of over one million books this means 200,000 books that the improved new building cannot house.

 

[REDWOOD]

I'm a post war baby-boomer but I often ask the same question. I think the answer is complicated. In terms of public amenities a lot of it is about cost ... and it is easy to be persuaded that some of these institutions are no longer used to the extent that they were when we were young - as such they become an easy target for Local Authorities looking to cut budgets. In our neck of the woods we only get our dustbins collected once a fortnight ! What aggrieves me is when I see what Councils and County Councils seem to see as their 'Priorities' ... I'm sure we've all got examples of 'why do we need that's ?' ....

Sadly, it's the apathy of the greater silent majority that have let them get away with these things ... in France .... they would be rioting in the streets if they even got a sniff that the French government intended doing to them what the UK Government is doing to our retirement age - and what do we do ? Roll over and accept it .... the same as we always do !

When the council makes cuts it's usually public services, they don't look at the costs of running a service and how costs can be reduced work on good business practices. The trouble with councils they are good at spending rate payers money but totally useless at running a business, I wouldn't trust them with a tuc shop. the old saying too many chiefs and not enough Indians and their way of reducing spending is cutting wages from the lower payed workers, just my experience over the last 36 years working for them and now I have learnt to keep my head down and keep my mouth shut otherwise you become the awkward employee as bosses always know best

 

[Haughton Honey]

I lived through the war years, when we were truly on our arses ,I didn't have a pot to piss in, yet libraries stayed open ,every high street had is branches of banks various , swimming pools ,schools had playing fields . Just what have we been suckered into ?
VM

Liberal Socialism.....to answer your question Victor

 

[Haughton Honey]

I lived through the war years, when we were truly on our arses ,I didn't have a pot to piss in, yet libraries stayed open ,every high street had is branches of banks various , swimming pools ,schools had playing fields . Just what have we been suckered into ?
VM

Or if you want a more in-depth answer......

I think you'll find that, by and large, it's been a debt-fuelled illusion since about the end of WW2.

The core problem is quite simple, fiat currency and fractional reserve lending as practised are a con, a ponzi scheme dependent on ever increasing credit, funded by the interest paid on the credit.

Once credit hits the limit there are insufficient returns to keep the thing going, the position since 2009. Once this point is reached things start to fall apart, hence Zero Interest Rate Policy and QE which provide a temporary illusion that the system still works, but this only has a short lifespan and that end is happening now.

Because fiat(paper) currencies have no enforceable foundation of tangible assets they cannot provide a fail-safe, a level playing field where the failure of credit can be absorbed. Sensible governments like Germany and China (and the elites) are repatriating and stockpiling gold in order to provide some sort of foundation, unlike the stupid countries preferring to hoard paper rather than gold collapse, for when the real 'econogeddon' hits. I leave it to you to decide which camp the UK sits in.

You are also correct that it is the developed world’s post WW2 infatuation with social democracy (big state, big regulation, big welfare) that is the main driver of this madness.




Apologies...should have put this on the 'unrelated to beekeeping' thread!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sensible governments like Germany and China (and the elites) are repatriating and stockpiling gold in order to provide some sort of foundation, unlike the stupid countries preferring to hoard paper rather than gold collapse, for when the real 'econogeddon' hits. I leave it to you to decide which camp the UK sits in.

I thought we sold a lot of our gold reserves off, cheap..ish, to Germany.

 

[madasafish]

I lost one friend murdered in the NHS Mid Staffs slaughter house. Another caught MRSA but survived - just.

Look also at the shambles of the West Coast Main line bid
the Border Agency which cannot be trusted to do what it is paid to do
the large scale immigration of the past 10 years with no new house building program
the MPs' expenses scandal
The recurring child abuse scandals
the story of the lies told about WMD to justify the Iraq war and the subsequent promotion of those who lied and the driving to suicide of those who did not
etc etc


and it is clear that the institutions of this country are no longer run for the benefit of those they are supposed to serve but for the benefit of those who run and are employed in them.

As an example.

After abuse at a nursing home:
"11 care workers admitted 38 charges of either neglect or ill-treatment of people with severe learning difficulties between them
Six members of staff jailed for total of seven years and four months and five received suspended sentences at Bristol Crown Court today"
http://tinyurl.com/9ychd6j


But after mass killings - 800 to 1200 people at mid Staffs.. not one person has even been charged with anything..

The reason for the difference..?

One was privately owned so had no political protection. So the full force of the law was applied although no-one died.

Any politician who publicly or privately supports the status quo is effectively supporting a culture of "screw the electors and tax payers - they are not important". i.e ALL mainstream parties.. who of course have vested interests.

Not a rant but facts.

 

[mbc]

Or if you want a more in-depth answer......

I think you'll find that, by and large, it's been a debt-fuelled illusion since about the end of WW2.

The core problem is quite simple, fiat currency and fractional reserve lending as practised are a con, a ponzi scheme dependent on ever increasing credit, funded by the interest paid on the credit.

Once credit hits the limit there are insufficient returns to keep the thing going, the position since 2009. Once this point is reached things start to fall apart, hence Zero Interest Rate Policy and QE which provide a temporary illusion that the system still works, but this only has a short lifespan and that end is happening now.

Because fiat(paper) currencies have no enforceable foundation of tangible assets they cannot provide a fail-safe, a level playing field where the failure of credit can be absorbed. Sensible governments like Germany and China (and the elites) are repatriating and stockpiling gold in order to provide some sort of foundation, unlike the stupid countries preferring to hoard paper rather than gold collapse, for when the real 'econogeddon' hits. I leave it to you to decide which camp the UK sits in.

You are also correct that it is the developed world’s post WW2 infatuation with social democracy (big state, big regulation, big welfare) that is the main driver of this madness.




Apologies...should have put this on the 'unrelated to beekeeping' thread!

Hmmm, fiat's have good engines and i cant see how queen excluders provide a temporary illusion of anything but other than that I think I've got it

 

[pargyle]

When the council makes cuts it's usually public services, they don't look at the costs of running a service and how costs can be reduced work on good business practices. The trouble with councils they are good at spending rate payers money but totally useless at running a business, I wouldn't trust them with a tuc shop. the old saying too many chiefs and not enough Indians and their way of reducing spending is cutting wages from the lower payed workers, just my experience over the last 36 years working for them and now I have learnt to keep my head down and keep my mouth shut otherwise you become the awkward employee as bosses always know best

Totally agree with this and the other (many) examples coming forward ... scratch the surface of any council and all you find is incompetence at the highest level ... in it for their own ends mostly !

 

[pargyle]

One reason is - not that long ago - county councillors did the job as a public service (i.e. no remuneration) but to cussion the blow they got a very good expenses package - motor mileage allowance to travel to county hall - meals allowance when they got there. Now they get a salary (nice chunk as well) and they still claim all the expenses even though really speaking you should not be allowed to claim travel and subsitence as an employee when you are in your 'usual place of work' - Thus the money that should be spent on services goes towards councillor's 'salaries' the clown in charge of Carmarthenshire (sorry, my colleague Kevin) rakes in nearly a hundred grand a year - and he doesn't really run the county - he just does what he's told by the chief exec (on nearly 200 grand a year - but don't make a fuss or he'll use ratepayers money to take you to the high court!!)don't start me please!!

And there was me thinking they did it for the love of the job and some meagre expenses ! I've just looked up the 'packages' for Hampshire County Councillors .... £12003 Basic and up to £25k in 'additional' packages for some of them ... Unbelievable !! Makes very interesting reading and all freely available on the internet ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And there was me thinking they did it for the love of the job and some meagre expenses !

Not anymore!!

A few years ago I was approached and asked to stand for the county - I politely declined stating, as I spent a lot of time away I could not give as much as I would want to, to represent my constituents(or i think is expected of a councillor) I was told to give up my job - in future being a councillor would be a career not a calling so I'd probably earn more and spend less time 'at work'. On top of their basic wage, county councillors get 'extera responsibility allowances' (almost as much as their wage) for being on committees - what else does a councillor do but attend committees! - a few3 years ago the deputy leader of our council got near £50k plus expenses!! (had to pay him cash as he is too stupid to write a cheque for himself!!

 

[Haughton Honey]

I thought we sold a lot of our gold reserves off, cheap..ish, to Germany.

Exactly. At $200 per ounce. It's now $1575 an ounce.

Oddly enough Germany are trying to repatriate their gold back from the US (they have approximately 350-ish tonnes of the stuff). However, the 'septics' have said they can have no more than 50 tonnes a year.