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sashaclarkson

Listed below are comments made by sashaclarkson between Sunday, 2nd August 2009 and Friday, 7th August 2009.

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Charging for online news 09:38am on 07 Aug 2009 #78

You are entitled to your opinion of course, but I doubt very much that Pesto is in any way responsible for this recession, or even for the pricking of the bubble.

However, the longer the bubble was allowed to expand unpricked, the worse the eventual economic carnage would have been. If Pesto DID have a role in pricking it, then he has helped the long term economy, not damaged it.

The journalists you should really be angry with are those self-confessed "experts" who sounded no warnings at all, and still crtiically worship risng markets as a good thing. One who comes to mind has an NI accent and looks like Penfold from Danger Mouse.

The "property porn" TV programme makers also have a lot to answer for, in that they conned at least some of the public into believing that the housing market was a sure fire get rich quick scheme.
Charging for online news 00:22am on 07 Aug 2009 Thank you for this article Robert!

Whatever the faults of the BBC, and of individual flawed human being reporters, it will always be better than NewsCorp, and its biased agenda plugging Murdoch's political and commercial interests.

For example, would we have had proper reporting of Tienanmen Square with Murdoch? The way his Chinese Star TV group has been run demonstrates that although he may bully in a democracy, he toadies to autocracy. As the late Mao Zedong might have said: this imperialist is a paper tiger.

The truth is, he doesn't want "fair" competition: he wants his own monopoly, just as with football.

The BBC is an important public service, and that should always come before commercial interest. So far as I am concerned, Murdoch can foxtrot oscar to the kingdom of Hades: He has swapped nationality once already, I'm sure he would try to become a citizen there too if he thought it suited him.
What was HBOS doing? 11:02am on 06 Aug 2009 Hey Robert - stir the Hornet's nest- I dare you! How about a comment on Rupert Murdoch's News Corp posting a $3.4 billion annual loss.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8186701.stm

If Mandy is the Prince of Darkness, then this man is the Emperor.

I needed something to make me smile today!
What was HBOS doing? 09:30am on 06 Aug 2009 #238 Moncur

Well said! Without society, we have the law of the jungle, and you only "own" what you are strong enough to fight for. In fact, better keep an eye on the bodyguards, because they might decide they are better off without you!

To be slightly more realistic, humans are social creatures, and if the "state" fails, you get rule by militias, and/or organised crime. Look at Somalia, Colombia and Afghanistan for examples. (Not to speak of the odd inner city area of the UK).

The truth is: it is not the private sector which supports the public sector, but the surpluses in the productive sector which support everyone else. Of course, without social infrastructure like transport, health and security, there wouldn't be the productive surpluses we all rely on. This public private "debate" which some are instigating is intellectually Onanistic ideological claptrap!
What was HBOS doing? 3:40pm on 05 Aug 2009 115 Wee-Scamp

"Being Scottish has nothing to do with it..... I agree that Brown and Darling are utterly useless but to turn that into an anti Scottish rant is just plain daft especially as I would cheerfully bet that the vast majority of the bonus recipients in the City aren't Scots either.

I totally agree!!!! The British half of my ancestry is totally English by the way, (though I'm a North-Easterner.)

Historically, any ruling party has tended to pander to its power base. The ruling classes are doing a good job of dividing us again, whilst continuing to rob the country blind.

#118 mene mene tekel

"I agree there is much free money about - which is why it's becoming worth-less day by day (we're just waiting for the currency markets to catch up)

I am in great sympathy for the general tone of your remarks, but I think you're wrong on this one. The value of money is not so much related to the absolute quantity, but rather the rate at which it's being spent. (as a proportion of the goods available).

Mathematically, if M is the amount of money in existence, then I would postulate that value is inversely proportional to dM/dt rather than to M. This is why value tends to diminish near Christmas for example.

Also bear in mind that M has itself been reduced by the Krunch. QE has increased M again, but had far less effect upon dM/dt, as people are understandably being rather cautious.
What was HBOS doing? 12:21pm on 05 Aug 2009 When people speak of a "healthy return", whey should pause to consider what this really means.

If the productive side of the economy, that is agriculture, industry, raw materials, remains stagnant, then a "healthy return" for the financial sector can only come from $crewing cheap foreign labour somewhere, or from doing the same to the productive side. Looking at the British economy as a whole, this would be rather like a dragon eating its own tail.

Actually though, this is exactly what has been happening to the British economy since finance defeated industry in Churchill's disastrous budget of 1925.

As Robert has suggested so often before, FINANCE SHOULD BE BORING!

The present banking and financial system is like a cancerous growth feeding off the British and global economies. I am still a shareholder in LBG, but I would happily lose the lot if we could find the courage and political will to organise our economy on more rational lines.
What was HBOS doing? 10:56am on 05 Aug 2009 #4 archoptimist

"Astonishing indeed Robert. Shouldn't the question be 'Why aren't the former HBOS directors in prison?"

It seems that in the City of London/Edinburgh versions of the game of MONOPOLY, the GO TO JAIL square has been omitted.

The executive LUCKY DIP square which replaces it has cards such as COLLECT A PEERAGE, or GET A NEW TOP JOB, or RETIRE TO YOUR COUNTRY ESTATE.

EXPLETIVE DELETEDING EXPLETIVE DELETEDS!!!!
Rock: Crumbling less 12:41pm on 04 Aug 2009 #40 mene mene tekel...

"We have the corruption on the left of you and corruption onthe right of you..."

I agree, but I regret to say, that I would use a stronger term (moderation permitting). The privatisations of the eighties resulted in grateful political donations and directorships for those involved.

This political "innovation" showed the way: ever since, governing politicians have pro$tituted themselves and pimped the rest of us without our consent.
A final thought before a summer break 8:08pm on 02 Aug 2009 I can remember some excellent women politicians, but as I concluded before the present Labour women are not in the class of, say, Barbara Castle. She had two of the most difficult jobs in Harold Wilson's cabinet. As minister of transport she introduced the breathalyzer and was vilified for it by MPs, press and many of the public, but she relished and won the fight. Does anyone want to turn the clock back now? As employment Secretary she was very brave in pursuing the "In Place Of Strife" white paper, and it was certainly not her fault that Harold Wilson bottled out.

However, in New Labour, women only shortlists were used to subvert local democracy and parachute compliant yes-women into parliament, like the unlamented mediocrities Mss Smith and Blears.

The truth is, if someone is in say, the deputy leader's post because of a quota and not because of merit, then the de-facto deputy leader will be someone else: someone who can command the loyalty and repect of MPs. A modern day Barbara Castle would not need a quota system. Nor, to be fair, did Mrs T.
Who'll be shot when banks misbehave? 5:37pm on 02 Aug 2009 #106 Yes AC is banned, and he believes it's for accusing Nick R of bias. I've had a few emails from him.

I certainly don't think Pesto would be so petty: I get the impression that he is more in sympathy with the spirit of the game. But not only does NR often cut a blog short when it suits him, if you look a few weeks later at the archive, you find that half of it has disappeared.

PS Sir Azazello: are you a Bulgakov fan? (Azazello is the name of a demon in "The Master and Margarita")

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