The Political Thread

[The Legendary Shark]

Jim, it would take one signature and the man in the street would hardly even notice the difference. This crackpot idea that it's either this way or Mad Max has really had its day. It's not like what I suggest hasn't been done before with great success.
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Also, the very fundament of law in this country is the contract - without them there is just 'might is right', and That's the world I don't want.

[Steve Green]

Nice to see the establishment moaning about this new Euro tax bill. I think I'll threaten not to pay my tax and see how far that gets me.

Seems a bit odd that we're in the same boat as Greece.

Also including drugs and prostitution in GDP (I'm pretty sure my accountant would question that as legitimate expenses)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29753529

[Banners]

TBH, I think if HMRC did what the EU has done — changed the rules, reviewed your tax returns back to 1995, and then presented you with a bill for 19 years back tax — I think you'd have an excellent case for not paying...

In 2013, I paid more Corporation Tax than Facebook. There's an excellent case right there ;-)

[Professor Bear]

TBH, I think if HMRC did what the EU has done — changed the rules, reviewed your tax returns back to 1995, and then presented you with a bill for 19 years back tax — I think you'd have an excellent case for not paying.

To be fair, retroactively changing existing laws so that what was done in the past is somehow wiped out Back To The Future Part 2 style is exactly what the Tories did with the workfare laws so that IDS couldn't be charged with crimes against humanity - since the old wording and legislature was technically slavery as defined by human rights laws similar to the one that the Tories for some reason now want to opt out of.

SOSS FOR TEH GOOS

[The Legendary Shark]

This feels like an attempt to fracture the EU, maybe even to form a breakaway union with rules of its own. Mind you, it is hilarious to watch the PM thumping the lectern and being all outraged like me in the pub with a gas bill. It's due just before Christmas too, Dave - not feckin' nice, is it?
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What happens if Dave doesn't pay? Will the EU send in the bailiffs to repossess Sheffield? The whole thing is nothing more than a mockery of a farce of a sham - but highly amusing!
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[Frank]

What is it about the sudden appearance of this entirely made-up controversy - which allows Dave Cameron to thump his lectern for the cameras and insist he won't be handing over the hard earned cash of the folk who pay his wages to EU mandarins (at a time when he needs to out-Farage Farage) - which makes me think it's been cooked up by Dave and a Brussels establishment who see him as their best chance of keeping the UK and its cash inside the EU?

I suppose a phony press war with Herman Van Rompuy is preferable to engineering an actual war with a third world nation when you have an election to win.

[ZenArcade]

Costs less money as well only 2.1 billion for a petulant promenade before the serried ranks of the worlds press. Cheaper than eradicating poor people any day. Z

[TordelBack]

What is it about the sudden appearance of this entirely made-up controversy - which allows Dave Cameron to thump his lectern for the cameras and insist he won't be handing over the hard earned cash of the folk who pay his wages to EU mandarins (at a time when he needs to out-Farage Farage) - which makes me think it's been cooked up by Dave and a Brussels establishment who see him as their best chance of keeping the UK and its cash inside the EU?

I suppose a phony press war with Herman Van Rompuy is preferable to engineering an actual war with a third world nation when you have an election to win.

We are of one mind on this matter.  Engineered controversy to a mutual aim, exactly like the various ones we in Ireland have endured over the past few years.  How stupid do they think we are?   Well, exactly that stupid, I suppose.

[Frank]

Scottish Labour party 'leader', Johann Lamont finally realises what was clear to everyone during the Referendum - Labour are finished in Scotland. I know we'll all miss her cheery smile and winning personality:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/exclusive-scottish-labour-leader-johann-4502273

[Professor Bear]

Costs less money as well only 2.1 billion for a petulant promenade before the serried ranks of the worlds press. Cheaper than eradicating poor people any day. Z

I think we're being unduly harsh and should consider that maybe Dave genuinely hasn't got that cash to spare after Universal Credit alone costing the better part of 13 billion pounds.  I suppose you could also count the huge increase in national debt since the Tories took power, but as Sharky points out, that's just imaginary money anyway.

[ZenArcade]

I am again aghast at the absolute ineptitude demonstrated by western leaders over the past 20 years or so. They are bought and paid for by shadowy interest groups and evidently care nothing for their respective electorates. This is what we get when we pander to politicians and  policies formulated by focus group and lobbying  and not by conviction. I absolutely despair of it and am becoming increasingly apprehensive about where we are going with this bullshit...Z

[Professor Bear]

"Ineptitude"?  Hardly.
They know very well what they're doing, it's just that they have to be crafty about it these days and not move too far, too fast, in case opposition forms, as they don't want to build pressure too quickly on people and cause them to openly rebel and organise.
Remember the Poll Tax riots?  That was things moving too fast, but slowly does it and twenty years later they get to have the Bedroom Tax, which is even better than the Poll Tax because the Poll Tax can only tax people that actually exist, while the Bedroom Tax can not only tax people that don't exist, but also the theoretical space that they might inhabit.  Dead mums in the news, starved and/or worried to death by the tax and not a single riot... they know what they're doing, all right.  It's not ineptitude that pisses 13 billion up a wall, because their mates still get paid and there's still a cushy job waiting for them after they get out of public office.

[ZenArcade]

Dunno Phil,  Cameron, Kenny et al appear to be no more than messenger boys for the real rulers. Z

[The Legendary Shark]

Heh, I just misheard the news; "Ebola has spread to Narnia."  Better quarantine those wardrobes, folks!
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[The Legendary Shark]

Max Keiser reports that UK government borrowing has risen by 10% due to the people not earning enough to pay the level of income tax needed to keep up debt repayments.
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If wages were raised to ease this situation it would require further public and private borrowing of interest bearing imaginary money, thus increasing interest charges and requiring higher repayment levels. So the wage raises would make things worse.
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If wages were cut to ease this situation it would require less public and private borrowing of interest bearing imaginary money, thus increasing interest charges (interest charges always increase, plus cutting wages would result in further public borrowing to finance benefits, the NHS and so on) and requiring higher repayment levels. So wage cuts would make things worse.
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Gee, if only the high I.q. boys down there in Westminster could figure out a way to fix this without using privately created, interest bearing imaginary money. But no. They're too busy faffing about with the engine to realise they've got the wrong fuel in the tank.