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  • Post edited by Whickwithy at 2017-05-12 13:12:58
  • Absolutely....Grrr. I am in total favour of all of Corbyn's policies but I can't stand the bloke himself. When he first became leader of Labour and appeared on TV, he was aggressive, defiant, rude, a typical Protest leader ( but at least honest). Now it's so obvious the Labour PR people have given him a total personality make over- he speaks slowly, softly and with a creepy smile. It's cringeworthy and condescending.
    No wonder the public don't trust politicians. All Labour voters want is someone with the same passion and conviction but with a genuine warm personality that doesn't need witch-doctoring.
    Who's that nice MP for Birmingham, I've forgotten her name...She'd be perfect.
  • Leanne Wood is a gem. Radical and feisty (remember she was the only leader to call Farage out on his disgusting comments on HIV tourism at the last Leaders' TV debate). I follow her Facebook page, and she writes all her own posts and replies to people (including UKIP trolls) and clearly works her socks off. Slight crush tbh.

    Corbyn-wise, there's no way I can know what he is really like. Every photo, every quote, every TV clip is edited and cast in a way that aims to portray him as an incompetent extremist. He might be, but anyone who challenges entrenched power is going to be villified. The only thing that counts is what they do.
  • So, did Corbyn do good things or bad?

  • So, did Corbyn do good things or bad?



    Like most people, I guess the answer is, "both".

    There are no end of stories in the media telling us how evil he is, but just to point out a few things on the "good" side

     -  prior to becoming Party leader, he has a record of voting against his Party line in parliament more often than any other LP MP. This is a good sign, imho.
    - going way back, he got himself arrested in protests against apartheid
    - he's got an allotment
    - as Labour leader he voted against another revamping of Britain's nuclear weapons.

    I'm not a huge fan, and will vote for Plaid Cymru. But on the last count alone, Corbyn belongs on the side of the angels. How any human being could be willing to blow up the world is beyond me.
  • Now I know he's got an allotment I'm warming to him.
    ( looks for emoticon of carrot etc)
  • What I can't understand is how a large section of the British public are sitting back and allowing the NHS; the jewel in the crown of the British way of life, to be chronically underfunded and dismantled in the way it has been since 2012.
    The facts are plain. No Government (since 2012) has invested less in the NHS in real terms since its inception in 1948. I've worked in the NHS 7/8ths of my working life and I have never seen it so low. Morale is non existent. Nurses, and other NHS staff, have had a pay freeze imposed on them by the Government ( pay capped at 1%) for over 5 years. In the same period, inflation, although low, has not been running at 1%, and, in real terms over this period, Nurses have actually seen their pay reduced by 14%. These are not the fat cat high flyers, the CEO's and the Chief Finance Officers, this is the rank and file at the coal face, the people on who all the services depend. They are leaving the service at a record rate and recruitment is so difficult, my trust resorted to offering a free lease car to nurses who joined us. In 2012, 85% of NHS trusts were keeping in the black. Now, 90% are in chronic dept. Trusts are being forced to merge into Super Trusts, which are so large they lose all concept of local services and accountability, which is exactly what they were set up for in 1991 to replace the then massive regional and district health authorities.
    And while Rome burns, emperor May fiddles while the flames are stoked by her chief lap dog Jeremy Hunt, who is a halfwit and totally incompetent as Minister for Health. I am surprised he has not suggested to make ends meet that we all eat cake! Meanwhile, more and more services end up in the clutches of mega rich moguls like Richard Branson whose only interest is not the health of the nation but the pursuit of profit and even greater riches. If he says not, he is a fucking liar!
    And while this debacle continues to unfold, the British public march lemming like to the cliff edge, seemingly oblivious to the threat that this essential service that has cared for them, free at the point of use from the cradle and will be there for them to the grave. Vote May! Vote May! they scream. Vote for a safer Britain, free of foriegners! Really? If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny, except it isn't. It is evidence of the political myopia infecting the world at the moment, driven primarily by a fear of immigrants engendered by interested parties to exercise control of the masses. These are the same immigrants who provide the backbone of this once great service.
    It makes me sick! Wake up people! Smell the coffee! The flames licking around your society are closer than you think ! everyone would do well to remember the words of Martin Niemöller when the traipse into the polling booth, or sit at home, not even bothering to go out and vote.

    First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Socialist.

    Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Jew.

    Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me !
    The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ.
    Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit.
    Shall lure it back to cancal half a line,
    Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
  • T
    Post edited by Whickwithy at 2017-05-16 04:37:29
  • What I can't understand is how a large section of the British public are sitting back and allowing the NHS; the jewel in the crown of the British way of life, to be chronically underfunded and dismantled in the way it has been since 2012.
    The facts are plain. No Government (since 2012) has invested less in the NHS in real terms since its inception in 1948. I've worked in the NHS 7/8ths of my working life and I have never seen it so low. Morale is non existent. Nurses, and other NHS staff, have had a pay freeze imposed on them by the Government ( pay capped at 1%) for over 5 years. In the same period, inflation, although low, has not been running at 1%, and, in real terms over this period, Nurses have actually seen their pay reduced by 14%. These are not the fat cat high flyers, the CEO's and the Chief Finance Officers, this is the rank and file at the coal face, the people on who all the services depend. They are leaving the service at a record rate and recruitment is so difficult, my trust resorted to offering a free lease car to nurses who joined us. In 2012, 85% of NHS trusts were keeping in the black. Now, 90% are in chronic dept. Trusts are being forced to merge into Super Trusts, which are so large they lose all concept of local services and accountability, which is exactly what they were set up for in 1991 to replace the then massive regional and district health authorities.
    And while Rome burns, emperor May fiddles while the flames are stoked by her chief lap dog Jeremy Hunt, who is a halfwit and totally incompetent as Minister for Health. I am surprised he has not suggested to make ends meet that we all eat cake! Meanwhile, more and more services end up in the clutches of mega rich moguls like Richard Branson whose only interest is not the health of the nation but the pursuit of profit and even greater riches. If he says not, he is a fucking liar!
    And while this debacle continues to unfold, the British public march lemming like to the cliff edge, seemingly oblivious to the threat that this essential service that has cared for them, free at the point of use from the cradle and will be there for them to the grave. Vote May! Vote May! they scream. Vote for a safer Britain, free of foriegners! Really? If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny, except it isn't. It is evidence of the political myopia infecting the world at the moment, driven primarily by a fear of immigrants engendered by interested parties to exercise control of the masses. These are the same immigrants who provide the backbone of this once great service.
    It makes me sick! Wake up people! Smell the coffee! The flames licking around your society are closer than you think ! everyone would do well to remember the words of Martin Niemöller when the traipse into the polling booth, or sit at home, not even bothering to go out and vote.

    First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Socialist.

    Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a Jew.

    Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me !


    You pretty much asked and answered your own question. Nailed it, too.

    The right wingers won't vote for anyone other than the Tories because they are, at heart, fucking awful people. The undecided voters (which is a ridiculously high amount of people) won't vote for Corbyn because they're too afraid to take a chance and actually be positive for once. Where's this noble British Spirit they go on about? "Keep Calm and Carry On"; yeah, carry on fucking over innocent foreigners and fucking over your own lives because you're too cynical to believe any form of change will work.
    The Conservatives have been there for so long at this point it's basically "Ah they may be shit Tories, but they're our shit Tories". And in this dangerously unstable climate of Brexit (don't pretend it's anything but), it's far easier to look at who's already in power instead of going through the process of electing someone else. That's what it all basically comes down to. Laziness, cynicism, and a total fear of anything that's different. I am beyond sick of it.


  • The sad truth is I don't think anyone has a good solution to the ills going on today. It's a mess and no wonder so many people advocate retrenchment. When there's no good way forward, most people will choose to step back. But, forward or backward isn't really going to cut it. We need to find a way to step sideways. Macron may just be the best bet, right now, for finding that sideways step if he is who I think he is. But that won't help all the countries led by bunglers and ruled by money-obsessed, ruthless businessmen. Interesting thing is that this (corporate rule) has been predicted by some for at least forty years.
  • In the UK you need to invest 5% above inflation in the NHS to keep pace with medical advances and an aging population. Blair/Brown managed 7% and even Thatcher achieved 3% while Cameron/May have managed just 1% increase since 2010, and might not achieve even that in the next parlliament. Of course the wealthy won't worry as they have private health insurance.

    The Tories are coming up with nothing to reverse the decline in the NHS and other areas of infrastructure. May is just spouting on about getting the best deal on brexit, with her idiot team including Fox and Johnson! Nothing about solving our real problems of health/care and housing. I know the opposition have weak leaders but it would be tragic to give the Tories a big majority so they can do what they want for the next 5 years. The only hope is for young people to get out there and vote - some chance of that :-(
    Post edited by NovaLasing at 2017-05-16 15:07:06
  • The sad truth is I don't think anyone has a good solution to the ills going on today.



    image
    If I were dead, could I do this?
  • The youth and the undecided voters hold the power, if only they knew it and had the inclination to get off their lazy arses and get out there and vote. The numbers that cast no vote in the last general election outnumbered any other parties vote, so they definatley hold the power, they are just feckless and kid themselves that it is not important, then endlessly moan about how shit everything is for them.
    If they could only be galvanised and directed, June 8th really could be the end of May. I'm not saying Labour have the answer, but the course we are following now only serves the rich and privileged in our society.
    Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2017-05-16 17:07:26
    The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ.
    Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit.
    Shall lure it back to cancal half a line,
    Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
  • June the 1st is the end of May actually.
    What I can't get my head round is that so many muppets out there have so little awareness of the fact that its policies that count, not personalities, that they can switch their " allegiance" from left to right on the basis ( to quote a typical sound-bite moron) " May is a strong woman who will get us the best deal on Brexit". Have they forgotten Thatcher?! Did they vote Labour in the 80s but nowadays they like the cut of May's dress ? Did Blair and Miliband do so much damage that Working class ( I use the term loosely in many cases) voters are taking vengeance by switching to the right? It shows a complete and utter ignorance of political philosophy and history. I'm beyond sick of it too, sick of the majority of people I come into contact with at present too- the apathy, the negativity, the fickleness, the superficiality...was wah.
    No one is talking about the environment either.
    Crumbling hospital buildings...zoned-off schools too dangerous to enter... Day care centres rotting...

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