Tanker Drivers Strike

I am a Mod on other forums which have a majority of young members. Many have degrees and they cannot string two words together without spelling mistakes or any punctuation. I left school with no qualifications at all and my English is not perfect but I hope most members here can understand me. I do not use a spell check as thinking about a word often gives you the right spelling.
As a Mod I used to correct things but I gave that up as it became a full time job!

We have a member who is from Iraq and another from Estonia and their English is faultless. I asked them how and the answer was similar,”Because learning to speak and write good Engish is a passport to advancement in this world!”

I wish some of the natives of this Country would take a leaf out of their books!

Now you can pick my English to bits if you so wish!:D

I wasn’t actually having a go at the young ‘average’ UK citizen any more than any other, except perhaps in having slightly less excuse than the older UK citizen, but I have to say I’m still shocked by the average level of knowledge displayed by UK citizens in general.

And I’m not being elitist here, or at least I hope I’m not, I have no real knowledge of literature, foreign languages, poetry, classical music, fine wines or anything of that ‘highbrow’ nature. But I also do not have any knowledge of the ‘lowbrow’ end either; soap-operas, celebrity gossip or the X-Factor.

What I’m talking about is a good general knowledge, a basic understanding of the workings of the world, some general knowledge of history and a reasonable understanding of mathematics.

Going back to the media influence on the fuel-crisis, I think the media perhaps over-state the fuel crisis because it is something that the general public will feel they understand and so it is possible for the media to generate a panic about (and therefore make more of a story than actually really existed). Take the Greek debt-crisis; how is it possible to generate much public interest (and therefore newspaper sales) from something that the general public do not understand and believe doesn’t affect them (although it will influence them more than the fuel-crisis ever will)?

The vast majority of ‘average’ UK citizens, at least the younger ones, are well educated (or rather many have been to university), have access to the internet at home and on smart-phones, and live in a country that has been free of the ravages of war, oppression, famine and pestilence for decades!

And yet the average UK citizen, seemingly, has almost no understanding of the (increasingly complex) world around them or even any basic general-knowledge, can hardly string a sentence together (in their own language) let alone do anything but the most basic mathematics, and can only seem to blame all their woes on the government, the ‘bankers’, the European Union or immigrants…

…so where has it all gone wrong? :confused:

Thanks 😎

I only really use the internet on my phone to check the weather. I shall try to use it for other things in the future though. On the subject of the internet, websites such as Amazon make it much easier (and cheaper) to obtain books, particularly more advanced technical material that would never be available in a non-university library. Access to doctoral+ level research is also much easier.

I think it mostly went wrong in your perceptions. The younger generation do partly blame bankers and the government, but then I think it’s fair to say those are two groups very much responsible for the current mess! I personally am very critical of the EU, and most certainly do blame them, but many of the younger generation aren’t aware of why the EU is to blame, and so don’t blame it. It’s true to say though that UKIP is doing very well in that group, which can only be good. As for immigrants I don’t think they are really to blame, most issues with immigrants are actually the fault of government policy. Does immigration need to see extremely tight controls? Yes. Are the problems of the current immigration policy the fault of Mohammed Ajit Rikmol who works at a corner shop? No.

I have a copy of Matlab and GNU Octave… much easier than doing the mathematics 😀

Oh, and did I mention that I want a right to vote on EU membership? 😀

Re66

Creaking Door

How true ! How un-utterably depressing! And now we have at least two generations. How will it be possible to turn things around ? I wish that I knew the answer.

John Green

We’ve gone through decades of the chattering classes who “Know Best For Us,” so refuse to allow us to develop, and use, common sense, so it’s little wonder that so many have lost the ability to think for themselves.

Whilst I agree that it seems that most of the UK population has lost the ability to think for themselves and use (uncommon) common-sense I hardly think we can lay the blame for that at the doors of the ‘chattering classes’ (whatever the hell they are in the UK today).

The vast majority of ‘average’ UK citizens, at least the younger ones, are well educated (or rather many have been to university), have access to the internet at home and on smart-phones, and live in a country that has been free of the ravages of war, oppression, famine and pestilence for decades!

And yet the average UK citizen, seemingly, has almost no understanding of the (increasingly complex) world around them or even any basic general-knowledge, can hardly string a sentence together (in their own language) let alone do anything but the most basic mathematics, and can only seem to blame all their woes on the government, the ‘bankers’, the European Union or immigrants…

…so where has it all gone wrong? :confused:

I struggled to find fuel yesterday 2 places sold out and a massive queue at sainsburys. Decided to grab a few litres of veggie oil just in case no fuel was to be found en route.

Resorted to stopping and only filling what i needed for the journey at a service station which appeared to have over inflated its already exhorbirant prices.

The wonderfull storage containers people of using was some what bewildering particuarly as i get bawled of the the forecourt if im caught with a metal jerry can.

Explaining that in the landrover a 5 ltr can wont get me anywhere falls on deaf ears

No surprise to see the blame game in full flow. “It’s the politicians’ fault” “It’s the media’s fault.” No, it isn’t; it’s entirely the fault of the idiots who panicked, and sat (often with the engine running for fear of someone getting to the pumps first) in a queue for ages, then put minimal amounts into the tank (one woman was seen taking £2.68-worth, and another was caught filling up old paint tins.)
We’ve gone through decades of the chattering classes who “Know Best For Us,” so refuse to allow us to develop, and use, common sense, so it’s little wonder that so many have lost the ability to think for themselves.

@TonyT
Three lanes would be a very bad idea. Two lanes would be acceptable.

Glad to see we dont have the market cornered when it comes to dumb asses for politicians..
But as someone said the other day, ” We may have fools in office but how many fools did it take to put them there?”

When you have pratts like William Haig blurting on its ok, the Government have taken measures and sorted it out this week, the guy is a prime candidate for euthanizing.. I remember the last one and a few hundred Squaddies will no sort squat… The lorry drivers might as well pitch in as they will have no fuel anyway, so the sooner they get it over with the sooner they get back to work… The UK is much more fuel reliant than the last time this happened, a few trucks going slow in three lanes and the motorway system would grind to a halt…

Arthur Pewty is right – this whole thing is the fault of the media, picking up a comment from a minister who for once is speaking without a PR brief.

In blaming PR people (I am one) you are attacking the wrong target – the problem is actually the journalists who are happy to print PR guff without challenging it and a belief that sensationlist stories is what is need to get viewers/readers.

The other problem is a dumbed down populace, more interested in Simon Cowell and Jordan than things which really matter, and that is reluctant to take responsibility for its own actions.

I would love to see the sort of media that Lindermyer advocates – I just doubt that there is a market for it.

Against such a background, you can’t blame politicians for using the soundbites that get them coverage. After all, they all give plenty of speeches – but they never get coverage for them!

Is that THE Gerorge Galloway, the newly elected MP for Blackburn?
What an idiot!

GOOD, then we might get some real changes in the mainstream parties and get rid of the lot we have now…

Is it already happening? George Galloway for PM! :diablo:

I think one of the problems is the media. The continual analysis and picking over of everything and anything a politician says make them frightened to say anything in case it is misinterpreted . They are so concerned about how it might look rather than speak the truth that we end with these mealy-mouthed sound-bite driven politicians. The fact that the current incumbent of No.10 is a PR person by trade speaks volumes about the sort people we now have in politics. Indeed none of the leaders have had what you might call “proper” jobs.

I agree whole heartedly but would like to say also add to this that all to often we do not get factual news in that far to often personal or publication/corporation spin is included, further muddying the waters.

call me old fashioned but i want my news to be cold hard facts and information, a seperate byline with political commen is acceptable.

P.S i also do not consider Jordans breasts, John Terrys lovelife, jordans lastest fling, jordans breasts, Big brother house, what happens next week in eastenders etc, insert hollywood celebrity lovelife or jordans breasts to be news worthy.

Guys…oh guys…

Hot from the hallowed pages of the Heil

truckers support the tanker drivers

The Daily Mail – pandering to the climate of fear. Unite are not interested in the disputes of non-union truck drivers.

I think one of the problems is the media. The continual analysis and picking over of everything and anything a politician says make them frightened to say anything in case it is misinterpreted . They are so concerned about how it might look rather than speak the truth that we end with these mealy-mouthed sound-bite driven politicians. The fact that the current incumbent of No.10 is a PR person by trade speaks volumes about the sort people we now have in politics. Indeed none of the leaders have had what you might call “proper” jobs.

Guys…oh guys…

Hot from the hallowed pages of the Heil

truckers support the tanker drivers

If the main parties continue to make a complete hogwarts of it…….it will allow the loonatic fringe to grab some power…..that really is scary….

GOOD, then we might get some real changes in the mainstream parties and get rid of the lot we have now, I would also make it. A for the PM 2 term and you are out as per the USA

If the main parties continue to make a complete hogwarts of it…….it will allow the loonatic fringe to grab some power…..that really is scary….

Ever noticed when bad news etc Cameron gives it to Clegg to announce it thus keeping himself aloof from it? Unfortunately the way politics are these days none of them have ever worked so have no comprehension of the real world, it should be a requirement they have 10 years in industry or retailing first, very few have military experience either, yet they are supposed to plan war strategies…. Frightening isn’t it to know your life was or is in the hands of the likes of Ed Balls, a man that is not fit to wipe my shoes