Beeny's back

[Andy Hall]

in some places, possibly, but not this one.

[Doctor Drivel]

...LVT works....FULL STOP!!! You don't understand it.

[Stuart Noble]

Financial. The older generation are all millionaires and the next generation need 2 salaries to buy anywhere to live, and then can't afford kids till they're 40. It's mad.

Society is human beings living in groups for mutual benefit like they've always done. Nothing respectable about it. The self sufficient single cell human is a long way off in evolutionary terms. Got your IPhone yet?

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, you are totally barking mad! And you have a mussie too.

[Andy Hall]

On the contrary. Whether or not it is a good idea or works is irrelevant. You have never been able to come up with a way to get from where we are today to an implementation that would be acceptable to the majority of the electorate. Arm waving about making property more affordable because prices would drop is not what the 70% of households who are using it in part as an investment, want to hear. Where would the money come from to compensate them for their loss? This would be a rather more visible issue than Brown's rape of pension funds.

[Andy Hall]

There's nothing wrong with being a millionaire. In fact it becomes necessary considering the rip off from pension schemes.

That's a crock of nonsense.

There's a big difference between self sufficiency and a misguided sense of altruism. As soon as the concepts of "society" or its breakdown are mentioned, there is the assumption that somehow human beings operate or have operated on a higher plane than the rest of the animal kingdom. On a superficial level that is true, in that people are motivated in a minor way to help their neightbours as long as the going is good.

As soon as the going isn't good, the veneer falls rapidly away and the chipboard core is revealed.

It's like trade or anything else that's negotiated (be it for money, services or anything else where party A agrees to do something for party B in exchange for something. In good times there may be generosity, in bad times not, and when A falls out with B completely there is nothing at all or worse than that, some form of warfare.

If we are really honest with ourselves, we are all selfish in the final analysis. It's what happens or is likely to happen in a bad situation that actually counts because with the knowledge of that one knows what one is dealing with or may have to deal with. Accordingly, we can be more dependent upon ourselves rather than expecting to lean on others as a crutch. If we do that, then we have more because we create more - and I mean in all ways, not just materially. That is a far more useful premise than "society".

Not yet. I would have done, had Apple not done an exclusive deal with O2. Roaming coverage is not as good as with Vodafone and affiliates.

[Doctor Drivel]

"compensate them for their loss?" TYPICAL Little Middle England!!!! So the government must compensate me for the devaluation of my car each year as well?

This plantpot wants the state to subsidise his investments. What a laugh!!! What about your BT shares? Do you want Gordon to subsidise them as well?

[Doctor Drivel]

Too true. Many of my relatives are "millionaires" if they sell they property assets. It is out of control now. Housing should be taken out of the guaranteed investment ruingfencing. It is a disgrace.

It creates a two tier of wealth society. The property owner and the rest.

[Andy Hall]

I'll tell you what, let's cut to the chase.

Let's pretend that you are prime minister (a dreadful thought I know). Let's further pretend that you get a chairman's vote on one bill a year to enact into law unopposed by the due processes of Parliament.

Two questions:

1) Would you choose to implement LVT? That's a yes/no question - no shillyshallying. 2) If you did, would you be willing to walk down Whitehall in the sure knowledge that you would be greeted with oranges, nosegays and bunches of flowers from an adoring public; or do you think it more likely that you would need to have some heavies for protection?

[Andy Hall]

We have a multi-tier environment - always have, always will.

[Stuart Noble]

You seem to think freeloading is the driving force

[Andy Hall]

I don't know how you come to that conclusion.

It is far more difficult to carve out a place as an individual, to make one's own decisions and to swim against the current. Much easier to go with the flow, rely on others and not take responsibility for oneself.

"The safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

That describes "society" to a tee.

[The Medway Handyman]

At least thats DIY related - the back kept falling off his wardrobe.

[Andy Hall]

He probably felt a bit of a narnia.

[The Medway Handyman]

That was chronic (le)

[Doctor Drivel]

[Doctor Drivel]

..and supported by the government. A disgrace!

[Doctor Drivel]

Not seem, he does.

[Doctor Drivel]

Because you are a freeloader.

[Mark]

The market place is already doing that in some parts of the country. Personally I cant see any solution to the problem on a national level that would not hurt the general economy in the short term.

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