Maybe Thatcher didn’t physically close down manufacturing, but she was certainly behind the switch from a producing economy to a banking economy, she advocated buying in the cheapest option from wherever, with no concern for the results of that. Yet we know that buying in the cheapest option may well save short term, but will definitely cost long term, the growth and generosity of the mobility allowances were no more nor less than a ploy to reduce unemployment figures, yet when that policy comes back to bite government on the bum these same people are the scum of the Earth.

Even sadder was Blair and Brown being dazzled by the easy money and continuing many of the same policies.

Back to the current situation, work must pay better than benefits and working must permit workers a living wage, if anyone is working full time yet in need of benefit top ups, then that wage is too low, I have no doubt that we will get all those bleating that increased wages will destroy jobs, simply it won’t. Frankly if any business is reliant on paying poverty wages to stay in business, then it might as well close because quite simply that business is contributing nothing.

Efficiency and productivity are keys in much of manufacturing, sadly for too many employers this translates as sack a few workers, cut wages and expect the same or more output, yet I have seen, in fact was part of the transformation of one company in a particular industry, investment and training, improvements in equipment and working practises, co-operation between management and unions, result massive increase in both quality and productivity, increases in numbers of shop floor workers and earnings, amazingly during the 9 years I worked there (late 60s early 70s) not one hour lost to industrial action, can’t imagine why.

The argument that a minimum wage would destroy jobs and business’ was used when the minimum wage was first introduced, didn’t happen, in fact the reverse employment rose, paying below a living wage then having the taxpayer pick up the short fall merely subsidises poor employers.

Giving a direct subsidy to an industry or to preserve any branch of a business is a no no from either side of the political spectrum, instead subsidies are paid via the back door in such way that workers become trapped in a cycle of low income, for instance no point in working harder, longer or trying to improve your work situation, when all that happens is that increased pay simply comes off the benefit portion and the worker is no better off financially and in fact can be worse off.

Then of course we have the inflation argument, increased pay equals inflation, wrong !!!!!!!!, increased prices equals inflation, paying a living wage would not increase the total sum of money in circulation by much at all, it would make workers independent of the benefit system, it would encourage those who wish to move on or improve their earnings and it would reduce the load on taxpayers.

Well, at the risk of standing on thinner ice than you, looking at his family…

…he was as much white as he was black!

Very true, but no mileage in that side of the story.

Much is being made of the fact that this guy is black, (OK ,I can feel the ice creaking under my feet) but for me this guy got shot because he was a known criminal and the police had information that he was armed, his colour had nothing to do with it.

When everyone has finished slagging off all those featured, I see reported in one paper the “50P” man (the guy doing the rounds selling small quantities of supplies) has been offered three jobs, one a full time appointment to a temp job he did before Christmas, which he has taken on.

Sure some dross shown, but let none of us forget we are all no more than a heartbeat from being in need of help, then see how we would react.

I’ve heard all those railing about the idle unemployed, how THEY would never behave in that manner no matter the circumstances, then I came across a guy who had been a leading local business man, pillar of the community and all that, extremely strident in his opinions of working to keep the idle ba@@@@@s in fags, got involved in some fraud, business collapsed, next saw him looking at taking on a motability car due to his “disability”, his disability was actually “sticky back”, couldn’t get it off the bed. This guy had no intention of working for some one else and certainly couldn’t start another business after the previous episode, his answer was simply work the system under any pretext.

Any Spitfires down there yet?

There are “holy” books attached to assorted religions, within ostensibly the same religion (take Christians and Moslems as a clear exanmple) there are those who follow a different interpretation of the same book or teachings and are often violently opposed to their fellow followers of the “same” faith, yet every holy book is merely a collection of stories subject to differing interpretations and doctrines, in short not one of the so called holy books is a complete story nor even a modicum of true record.

The only thing that mystifies me, is that in this day with information at our fingertips there are still people prepared to kill anyone insulting “their” book, there are born again idiots who will deliberately set to provoke other idiots all in the name of their God.

Iis there anywhere one religion which is one of peace, conciliation, compromise and totally non-confrontational?

All religions and variants thereof are the handy work of mankind, just where does any God fit with that?

Moggy

Frankly I would imagine the indigenous workers could not care less about the viability of some poor employer who can only survive if the workers accept a pittance for pay.

The argument that employers will have to go under if forced to pay a living wage is typical Tory propaganda, no more than an excuse to perpetuate the exploitation of unskilled labour.

The only thing uttered by any Tory that I agree with is “work must pay better than benefits” sadly in Tory double speak what this really means is starve benefit claimants into any job at any price, not that workers should be able to earn a living wage.

We are seeing the biggest and fastest rise in homelessness and people applying for food bank tokens, I suppose all those people are bone idle and happily living on benefits.