OT - the current crisis

[Andy_Faber]

Hmmm...perplexing. You seem to have been doing a particularly good impression of one of the ‘thems’ for the last few years, AF.

Not sure why it’s perplexing rA, if you understand it just take it as intended, an observation. If you dont, as GP doesn’t, fair enough.

Re the second comment, don’t understand but please DON’T expand

[ramAnag]

Not sure why it’s perplexing rA, if you understand it just take it as intended, an observation. If you dont, as GP doesn’t, fair enough.

Re the second comment, don’t understand but please DON’T expand

Lol...well there’s a nicely created ‘Catch 22’, AF...well done. Can hardly explain why it’s ‘perplexing’ if you don’t want me to expand on my original explanatory comment can I?

Let’s just say it all fits in with your regular recent strategy of issuing vaguely controversial edicts and then backing off at great speed. Personally I just don’t get it but if you won’t or can’t justify what you write that’s your problem. Not sure what’s happened to you.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I suspect the "big answer" is "what can we do?"

[Geoff Parkstone]

Nope, read it four times and still dont understand it

[swaledale]

Personally I think its the "good German" syndrome, most think it will affect "the other person" not them. Its one of the amazing achievements of the Conservatives, to persuade people whose interests they do not care about to vote for them and against their self interest.

I put it down to what I would describe as "lottery syndrome" everybody knows that the likelihood of their hard work resulting in them becoming rich is not very high, just as they know that spending £2 or whatever it is on a lottery ticket is unlikely to win them a huge amount of money, but they would rather live in hope and than live in relative comfort.

Now what you need is some serious rabble rousing like the French, and if things get sticky come the Autumn we might just see that happen.

[MadAmster]

Revolution. It really might be time for one. Civil Rights eroded. Human Rights idem ditto. Worker's Rights also. A Home Secretary that proposes draconian immigration rules that would have seen her parents refused entry (if only.... ) . A Chancellor who "hits" companies with a windfall tax and immediately gives them some tax breaks down the road which will see them claw back, in a few years' time, more than he's just taken off them and also admits to having diverted cash away from poor areas and giving it to Tory voting wealthy areas. An outgoing PM who wouldn't know the truth if it hit him squarely on the jaw. Two PM candidates who are doing their level best to "out right wing" each other totally ignoring people's wishes. Lining the pockets of friends, family, donors and local pub landlords with contracts despite those people knowing nothing of the subject matter.

If there wasn't a "them and us" before, there, IMO, most certainly is now. It's not going to get any better, whichever of the incompetents ends up in #10.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Of course the beauty for you is that you are neither an us nor a them, but rather a Cloggie. Can we all come and live in your windmill until the heat dies down.

[MadAmster]

Of course the beauty for you is that you are neither an us nor a them, but rather a Cloggie. Can we all come and live in your windmill until the heat dies down.

Earlier this year my energy contract expired. It was €118 a month. Whilst exploring the market we were temporarily on the variable tariff which was €148. It started to look like prices were going to spike so we signed a new deal with our supplier for €162 for the coming 3 years. Then the government reduced the VAT on it and it went down to €147. Just had the annual settlement through.... we got 500 back and for the next 12 months our monthly bill is 110. Pure luck allied to good timing.

[Andy_Faber]

The last thing any of us need at the moment is a return to civil disobedience via the ridiculous riots of the 80’s which achieved little if anything at all. Having said that I suspect there will be a far batter orchestrated and more productive campaign of civil disobedience before too long as the educated middle classes feel the pinch in a way they haven’t since the ‘80’s while being far more aware of the inequalities and examples of hypocrisy that are increasingly in evidence all around us.

Sorry, in and out again, so if you want a response it'll be bit by bit

re this bit, have you got any evidence to back that up? And is it a balanced suspicion or is there an element of 'hope' in it? I could say I 'suspect' that HMG will (eventually) come up with a scheme which will alleviate the energy 'hit', the non-entrenched populace will accept that the world has been 'slipped a crippler' and we'll move on (albeit poorer) - but I won't say that, because, like you, I don't have a clue what will happen next.

Just as an anecdote though, I've done a morning of errands and odd jobs in and around my village and Burton today, and there's no evidence of unrest amongst the 'educated' (or for that matter what might be called 'less educated' (Jeez I have to be so careful about such categorizations with Swale around and that's not flippancy, that's serious)) middle classes, there's a queue at the chippy, the pub yard is chock-full, I've been struggling to find anyone to do a job on my car because everywhere is full up for weeks - yes such people are having a moan but they are 'getting on with it' - now, whether doing so in the same manner as the dinosaurs did before the comet hit only time will tell, but out in the actual world, no sign of unrest yet

[Trickytreesreds]

Sorry, in and out again, so if you want a response it'll be bit by bit

re this bit, have you got any evidence to back that up? And is it a balanced suspicion or is there an element of 'hope' in it? I could say I 'suspect' that HMG will (eventually) come up with a scheme which will alleviate the energy 'hit', the non-entrenched populace will accept that the world has been 'slipped a crippler' and we'll move on (albeit poorer) - but I won't say that, because, like you, I don't have a clue what will happen next.

Just as an anecdote though, I've done a morning of errands and odd jobs in and around my village and Burton today, and there's no evidence of unrest amongst the 'educated' (or for that matter what might be called 'less educated' (Jeez I have to be so careful about such categorizations with Swale around and that's not flippancy, that's serious)) middle classes, there's a queue at the chippy, the pub yard is chock-full, I've been struggling to find anyone to do a job on my car because everywhere is full up for weeks - yes such people are having a moan but they are 'getting on with it' - now, whether doing so in the same manner as the dinosaurs did before the comet hit only time will tell, but out in the actual world, no sign of unrest yet

I concur, I just had a fence contractor round.
Had a quote for 6 K for a new fence. It added up reasonably with my sums and thought lets get it done.

"when can I have it"?

" about mid November mate. Got work coming out of our ears, worlds gone mad"