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Dorset_wurzel

Listed below are comments made by Dorset_wurzel between Monday, 24th August 2009 and Thursday, 3rd September 2009.

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What the PM did and did not say 08:28am on 03 Sep 2009 Whether you think it was right or wrong to release this man is a matter of person conscience. However, he has been released on a matter of law. Mr Salmond has gone up in my estimation over this. To have courage in your convictions is admirable and something our PM appears to lack.

We do have asymmetric devolution in the UK and we have got here thanks to Labour. Looking at the 2005 election results does not paint a picture of a Labour majority in England. In England more people voted Con than Lab (8116005 vs 8043461) Ironically Lab have a clear majority in both Scotland and Wales. I think Scottish independence is inevitable and I think the SNP right to get Scotland to decide which way to go. As you may guess I do not live in Scotland but wish them all the best whatever they decide.

I think that England, Wales and NI should also be invited on a referendum on the Union. It is feeling like a marriage break-up when one person walks out. It may be the case that all sides would be happy with a mutual split.
Causation or correlation? 4:38pm on 02 Sep 2009 Well you could not make it up....
Justice in the Straw House
Causation or correlation? 1:54pm on 02 Sep 2009 Good Afternoon Andrew, Good Afternoon All

Just looking at all the blog entries from ourself and NR this is clearly a fascinating news item for Westminster Village and journalists. Looking at the volume of replies I would say this is not reflected in the wider public. Whether you think the decision was right or wrong is one of personal conscience. Was the decision made influenced or did it influence UK/Libya relations? I think the former. Has it shown the absurdity of UK devolution? Oh yes.

Something that seems to have not got any press is the fiasco that is Student Finance England who administer the loans and grants for UK higher education. The system is a farce, not helped by a ramping up of student numbers hoping to go to university. Assessments are being rushed through as non-means tested, hoping to correct at a later stage. Huge amounts of forms and personal ID are being lost or unopened, not helped by redirection of the post from Darlington. And, here is the link. Tens of thousands of English students and parents will wonder why the English HE system, different to that in Scotland, is being administered in Glasgow! One-sided devolution - oh yes.
Very murky waters indeed 10:33am on 28 Aug 2009 #50

There is no justice for those that have died. Say you know the culprit and you execute them. This does not bring back those that died. Ok, you do not believe in killing them. Let them rot in jail for the rest of their lives. Still does not bring them back. What about the loved ones of the victims? They have been wronged and deserve some justice. But again you will not bring them back. Revenge does not heal the suffering but perpetuates it.
I support our current system. Penalise wrong doing with jail and allow for rehabilitation. In some cases of mental illness this may mean a life time of jail. Be tough but show compassion. After all it is what we expected of them.
Very murky waters indeed 09:44am on 28 Aug 2009 menin

The problem with profit/loss as an indicator of performance is when it is short-term in nature. I remember in my old job that there was always a clamour to "front-load" projects so that this "profit" appeared sooner thus making the short term look good. Fine when new projects came on stream but if this did not happen then it just meant that the mid-term was rubbish.

I do not know why our govn have just poured money in. The first bail out came with "strings attached". I remember them saying it. However, the only strings were to rebalance their balance sheets which they should have been doing anyway. I have seen no change as a result. No change to the regulatory system, no change to banking operations, no change to bonuses. Oh, the only change is to squeeze more money out of business and savers to pay for their mistakes. It is an insult.
Very murky waters indeed 08:34am on 28 Aug 2009 Morning all

I still believe that the decision to release on compassionate grounds was the correct one. Do we want a system whereby compassion is shown if you have killed X number of people but not if you have killed X + 1? How many can you kill before compassion is removed? No, sometimes the right decision is the hardest to make and the hardest to swallow.
What is worrying though is the aspect of possible background deal-making over this? To me this is morally unacceptable. This cheapens those lives lost.
I see we have business as usual with the banks. Anything that disrupts their cosy palace is met with the threat of moving abroad. Just exactly what "strings" were attached to the bail out that saved all their sorry bottoms? Nothing to do with bonuses despite the govn promising to act tough.
I had a quiet chuckle yesterday when it was revealed by a teenager on BBC24 that the exams were not easier but that they put more effort in now.
PS. Susan - all the best with your move.
Counting the 'workless households' 1:44pm on 27 Aug 2009 #66

Mr Knight clearly hasn't looked at the figures because they certainly do not show real progress. There was a time when the govn would be selective with the figures to show progress. Now they do not even bother to do this.
Counting the 'workless households' 09:28am on 27 Aug 2009 <RICHPOST> Morning All It is worth getting down to the "raw data" for these figures. <a href = "[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]"> Raw Data It is quite a complicated picture. For example, they have working, workless and mixed household categories. A working household is where all individuals of working age (16-64 for men, and 16-59 for women!) are working. Workless is where all individuals are working. Then we have the mixed, where some are working, some not. This mixed category has increased by 600 thousand people, or around 300 thousand households for the last 2 years. Closer inspection shows that the increase in mixed households is due to unemployment (Table 1 & 2). This suggests a declining job market from 2008. Lone parent households account for 40% of the total workless households or 35% of the total of workless people in workless households. Understandable, and the evidence does show an increasing in the employment rate for this group since 1997. I think you can make what you will of the figures. Yes there is an increase on 1997 but then there is an increase in the total number. My best conclusion is that whatever has been done since 1997 has made little difference on getting fewer households out of the workless category. These figures alone are not detailed enough to pass judgment on whether there are stubborn workless households or whether incapacity benefits are to blame. </RICHPOST>
Political donations 3:39pm on 26 Aug 2009 Laura

Sorry I do not see the link between the expenses that are paid out of the public pot and donations from individuals that go to party coffers. These donations are supposedly philanthropic but are more likely to try and ensure that an advantageous political landscape is in place for the donator. Why do they care that MPs have been "enjoying" public money? The only possible reason would be if it damaged a political party so much that they would not get voted in again. With our 2 party system this is rarely the case and clearly not in this instance looking at by-election results.
Prospective MPs' selection 10:06am on 24 Aug 2009 #217 saga

I am brave/mad enough! The question and both scenarios are based on sexism. An organisation does not work because it is all male or all female. The dynamic is due to the blend of personalities working. You hire the person with the best personality to fit the blend not to fit some numbers game. Matters not if it is state or private. Sexism is discrimination based on gender. The only "positive" action is to meet some arbitrary number.

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