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Mellins wood

David Gauntlett said:
All you are saying Damian is that politicians are a corrupt, self serving bunch of toe rags, which I agree is the absolute truth, but not the answer to my question at all. I probably mislead you by the misuse of the word 'decent'....what I really should have said was 'competent' or 'effective'. Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher for instance were as human as any, probably with all those faults and more (and in my view Thatcher was the fount of all evil)....BUT...they were strong, effective and respected (feared?) by foreign counterparts.

While I deplore the unscrupulous nature of most such individuals, I believe that at this moment in time it is imperative that we gain a strong hand at the top. I fear that if we do not assert ourselves as a nation soon, sort out all the dithering and politically correct nonsense that we are tying ourselves in knots with at every turn, then the future looks bleak indeed.

Cheers, Dave.
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They're not just unscrupulous, Dave. They forget all of their integrity, what they truly believe, in order to get where they want to - it's all just a game! When they get there they cannot see the truth because they've had to forget it to get there!

I think, to be honest, it's evident in the general public too!
Just think about how little the public berate that idiot Miliband, and his sidekick Balls.
To paraphrase from Blackadder; ALL FOR ONE, AND EACH MAN FOR HIMSELF!!!

On top of that, I think that until we are forced to see a common goal it will only continue.

Regards

Damian
 
David Craine said:
Agree with you there Neil, we hear about families living in poverty in the UK, well, sorry, but I just dont believe it, those of us that have travelled a bit , know and have seen what poverty really is, Africa , Thailand, the Indian continent all have people, communities,even nations that really do not know where the next mouthfull of food is coming from, the individuals personal wealth is not measurable, no roofs over their head, life in a plastic bag I suppose.
Here you are poor if you dont have a flat screen TV ( to paraphrase Rich Hall )
The price of fuel here has been mentioned as well, I came back from Germany 8 days ago, the pump prices for diesel there is €1.75, about the same as here, but the cost of road tax for a diesel car is about double what we pay, my daughter in law pays 50% of her wages in tax and medical insurance, no insurance paid, no or at least the bare minimum medical treatment.
The cost of houses in Germany is very variable though,I can take you now this minute to a 6 bed detatched in its own grounds, it has a double garage, swimming pool, and a
summer house bigger than many residences in the UK...... how much, and it cant sell because it is over priced...





€165000.00


I am very tempted to buy it, it is in very good condition, just needs a kitchen as they take theirs with them when they move.

So, stop whingeing about how badly off we are, I know I am a misery guts, but some others, well, open your eyes.

Dave
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Again Dave, I am not disagreeing with you, or Neil, or Damian....in that I also feel that in many ways, this IS still the best country in the world to live in. What I am saying is that it is not quite as good now as it was a few years ago....and that decline is accelerating at an ever faster pace, and will continue to do so until someone gets a grip and stops it! The problem is that this present lot seem to think that if they bury their heads for a while, things might be better when they emerge....someone else may have solved the problem for them while they were gone.

At the moment they are obviously hoping the German government will shortly be forced into making a meaningful decision for them on the economic front. However, the decision on how to produce enough affordable housing to contain the burgeoning population in Britain is not likely to be one that someone else will make for them. And those are only two of the massive problems that need to be resolved sooner rather than later. It just seems to me that running around like headless chickens and backtracking on virtually every decision they manage to make, which is all this lot seem capable of....is quite possibly not the best way forward :rolleyes:

I have no idea where the leader/s we require are going to come from, because so far I see neither hint nor hope from either side of the house....or anywhere else. The whole lot of them are equally clueless....I doubt a coalition of all three major parties could produce a decent government if they tried.

So, yes...I suppose I am a miserable git. It's just that I can't help feeling that the height of the pile of poo that is hovering over us at this very moment, like the sword of Damocles, is reasonable justification to be at least a teeny bit concerned.......

Cheers, Dave.
 
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Bangs head on wall in disbelief... I find myself agreeing totally with Damian,and Dave G in their last posts,maybe a bringing together of BFW minds would produce a workable and honest Government ?
Not Sure on this one,maybe Boris Johnson has the answer. Not as daft as he makes out I think.

Dave

Amazing how a thread can go so off topic but remain interesting. Btw,it is actually Mellings wood, so far as I know.

Dave
 
Of course as we all get older then cynicism become more of a burden I suppose, I should know, sometimes I have to stop myself doing a 'Meldrew' virtually every day over certain issues.
However there is a real justification in what some of the less than 'Happy Clappers' feel, for me the biggest problem we face as a society I feel is unemployment of the young, especially the young. Just how we get out of this cycle that 'permits' youngsters to feel no guilt or shame with being on the 'Dole' I don't know, of course for some it is not thier fault, but for many it is now a way of life, so it is OK to rob and steal, as in this case, and last Summers riots, it's OK because we are the 'victims' and those that work and have wealth are the enemy.
So unless the Government tackle youth unemplyment, and no tackling it does not mean sending everyone on to Universities on concocted diploma's to massage the figures, it means creating real jobs, and if it means subsiding buisiness then fair enough. This country has lost work to countries that do subsidise, China, India, and many more, it is not a level playing field, time we looked after our own.
It would be a start.
 
Neil Smart said:
Of course as we all get older then cynicism become more of a burden I suppose, I should know, sometimes I have to stop myself doing a 'Meldrew' virtually every day over certain issues.
However there is a real justification in what some of the less than 'Happy Clappers' feel, for me the biggest problem we face as a society I feel is unemployment of the young, especially the young. Just how we get out of this cycle that 'permits' youngsters to feel no guilt or shame with being on the 'Dole' I don't know, of course for some it is not thier fault, but for many it is now a way of life, so it is OK to rob and steal, as in this case, and last Summers riots, it's OK because we are the 'victims' and those that work and have wealth are the enemy.
So unless the Government tackle youth unemplyment, and no tackling it does not mean sending everyone on to Universities on concocted diploma's to massage the figures, it means creating real jobs, and if it means subsiding buisiness then fair enough. This country has lost work to countries that do subsidise, China, India, and many more, it is not a level playing field, time we looked after our own.
It would be a start.
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Quite right Neil. The absurd topics you can now get a degree in beggar belief. The last governments idea that 40% of the population should get a degree illustrates the intent to massage figures and give the impression we are doing well as a country. So little is now put into funding proper apprenticeships and trying to con people that a one year course is producing a trained, competent workforce that many people leave further education colleges little better equipped to work than when they started.

The spin governments rely on mean we now live in a situation reminiscent of "the Emeperors new clothes"
 
Everyone needs a purpose to their lives, sitting around all day with nothing to do is no good for anyone. Carrying on from previous posts. This country should be building factories to produce goods, making biscuits if need be. Rather than paying benefits for nothing there would be an end product to sell. The chavs would be occupied, knackered in the evening - good all round and they just might get back some self-esteem. They may even aspire to working up the chain of command with the extra responsibilities that might entail both at work and at home. One day, we might even emulate the French with home made cars on the streets. Why is it that the bulk of the cars on French roads are Citroen, Renault, Peugeot? And in Britain ....! Some will say we don't need another BL, I agree, but it doesn't have to be that way. I have never understood the philosophy of handing out money for nothing.

As an example, apart from price, which fishing kit would you rather buy Far Eastern or UK? The price could be competitive if the unemployed kept the bulk of their benefits topped up by the UK manufacturer. Result, less crime, less expense and more structure to society. And with less foreign workers required, the EEs can go home and consequently, less poaching of fish.
 
Jim, sounds easy, you should be prime minister, by the way, Peugeot's were made in the UK until they moved to, er, guess where.
 
Hi Guy's,
Tony Blair war criminal anybody?
Regards,
Graham

Off topic or not, Spot On with respect to Blair, might even allow Hague to share a cell him. Worth being a fly on the wall. What a debate, Blair eulogising Gaddafi, harking back to shaking his hand and then Hague justifying bombing him. I'm sure that upright statesman, Bush would attend as a character witness for Blair. As for Iraq and Afghanistan, Cherie Blair who is very keen on Human Rights could be the prosecuter against Bush and Tony Blair could be the defence barrister. That way the Blairs would make a pile of money between them and give an undisclosed % to the Blair Charity for doing good things, like providing a bench in the hospital grounds for injured servicemen and women. You could quite comfortably add those Israelis responsible for the abominations in Palestine. No need to scour Brazil or the Amazon for war criminals, there's loads much closer to home.
 
Graham Tremble said:
Hi Guy's,
Tony Blair war criminal anybody?
Regards,
Graham.
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Off topic or not, Spot On with respect to Blair, might even allow Hague to share a cell him. Worth being a fly on the wall. What a debate, Blair eulogising Gaddafi, harking back to shaking his hand and then Hague justifying bombing him. I'm sure that upright statesman, Bush would attend as a character witness for Blair. As for Iraq and Afghanistan, Cherie Blair who is very keen on Human Rights could be the prosecuter against Bush and Tony Blair could be the defence barrister. That way the Blairs would make a pile of money between them and give an undisclosed % to the Blair Charity for doing good things, like providing a bench in the hospital grounds for injured servicemen and women. You could quite comfortably add those Israelis responsible for the abominations in Palestine. No need to scour Brazil or the Amazon for war criminals, there's loads much closer to home.
 
Jim Foxall said:
Off topic or not, Spot On with respect to Blair, might even allow Hague to share a cell him. Worth being a fly on the wall. What a debate, Blair eulogising Gaddafi, harking back to shaking his hand and then Hague justifying bombing him. I'm sure that upright statesman, Bush would attend as a character witness for Blair. As for Iraq and Afghanistan, Cherie Blair who is very keen on Human Rights could be the prosecuter against Bush and Tony Blair could be the defence barrister. That way the Blairs would make a pile of money between them and give an undisclosed % to the Blair Charity for doing good things, like providing a bench in the hospital grounds for injured servicemen and women. You could quite comfortably add those Israelis responsible for the abominations in Palestine. No need to scour Brazil or the Amazon for war criminals, there's loads much closer to home.
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Sorry Jim, I agree with you on most things, but can't go along with your views on the Israel/Palestine thing. However, rather than get involved in something that would be a million miles from the original thread, I will leave it at that.

Cheers, Dave.
 
David Gauntlett said:
Sorry Jim, I agree with you on most things, but can't go along with your views on the Israel/Palestine thing. However, rather than get involved in something that would be a million miles from the original thread, I will leave it at that.

Cheers, Dave.
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Wouldn't mind discussing that one with you at some point, Dave!
 
David Gauntlett said:
Why do we no longer have any decent, strong statesmen, willing to stand up for their country? It seems we are now the laughing stock of Europe, good only for another few billion to prop up the ailing economies of some inept member of the ludicrous system we are slowly being smothered by, or for paying the lions share in terms of money and soldiers lives to fight wars we probably should never have been involved in.

To make it even worse, we all know what the latest couple of wars were REALLY all about...and yet we STILL end up paying more for our petrol than most of the rest of the world...what's that all about :rolleyes:

Mugs mate :mad:

Cheers, Dave.
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I'm coming to this a bit late and wouldn't normally bother, however, I feel I ought to just pick up on this post.

I assume the wars we are talking about are Iraq and Afghanistan.

While Iraq is well known for having plenty of oil reserves the same can't be said of Afghanistan. in fact the only oil which gets sold in connection with Afghanistan is Patchouli oil and that is usually to mask the smell of the hemp oil.
Afghanistan does however have other resources which are not so well known and are essential to modern life, i.e. rare earths. Without them we would not be able to produce most of the electronic gadgets we take for granted, in particular anything with a screen.
They are not called rare for nothing and the worlds supplies were until recently thought to be only found behind the bamboo curtain, However, recent discoveries in southern Afghan are reported to be extensive enough to keep current production going for the next ten years.
They are of course an essential part of modern weapon production and work on the dams to power the hydro electric schemes to run the mines and production plants are well under way.

If only it wasn't for that pesky Taliban lot!!!!!!
 
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