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rob295

Listed below are comments made by rob295 between Tuesday, 9th December 2008 and Monday, 2nd March 2009.

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Will China be strengthened by adversity? 2:45pm on 02 Mar 2009 China could not have picked a worse period in time to turn it's back on socialism and embrace capitalism and globalisation. Had China still been socialist they could be riding high right now. As it is, having used socialism to increase their stance in the word, they have left behind their state of partial self-sufficiency and taken the risks that are there with capitalism and globalisation. Had they waited till after the recession they could have pulled off something quite brilliant. As it is they timed it all wrong and they have the same risks that we face. They wanted to become a global superpower too much and forgot to do the risk analysis of the situation. Living conditions will drop like the rest of the world and you can now truely say that all the superpowers are in this mess together.

Right now, all we can do is tighten our belts and hope for the best. As for leading by example, I am pleased to see that the MPs are critisising bankers pensions whilst still enjoying ridiculous expenses that have made them no longer in touch with or even able to understand the conditions of the working class. It also cheered me greatly as I hear that services will be cut due to lack of funds shortly after a plan to redevelop council buildings was abandonded after incurring planning costs of 6 digits. Alas for the political classes of the world and may they soon change their ways.

I would like to finish by congratulating Robert Peston on his honesty and for his reporting. Between Robert Peston and Peter Oborne we have 2 people who we really need to start listening to. If only we were not being gently rocked to ignorance by the sweet lullaby of the political world.
Faith in banks 4:49pm on 28 Jan 2009 Praise should go to Aston Martin for their 3 day week, good to see something that reduces work but benefits workers. Better to have everyone on 3 days than to lay of 2/5ths of the staff.

Mortgages should become less common as people start to be sensisble.

And I've notice sensible spending at supermarkets.

The people are the only ones who can save this and the majority are doing well.

Some are still being foolish and I would like to see more adice on how big the risks are to these people. Need some worst case senario sessions with public on TV.
Star guests witness Chelsea struggle 5:23pm on 14 Jan 2009 Mourinho is good enough for it. Muntari, Mancini and Queresma should be good buys, and he shows he can do it on a budget and inter are doing really well in italy. Lets look at what he did:

Porto - record points, league, portuguese cup, uefa cup, portugese super cup, league (secured 5 weeks early), champions league

Chelsea - league cup, first league title in 50 years, manager of the year, community shield, league, manager of the year, league cup, fa cup plus an unbelievable home record

Inter - italian supercup

That is an unbelievable record. If Chelsea were so good when he took over, why did the previous manager not win all these titles. Why could Grant not. 2 premier league titles and a 2nd place in 3 years was not bad considering the competition. And at 45 he has many years to go.

Martin O'Neil is fabulous at managing, just look at Villa, no longer mid table are they? But he is 56 and any job after Villa would be for an international team.

Don't forget how good he is at getting the spotlight off players, and that would really help ronaldo, rooney and co.
Alternative Christmas song 1:54pm on 10 Jan 2009 I heard there was a secret outboard
The helped Bolt break the record
But you don't really care for cheating, Do ya?
It goes like this from fourth to fifth
By Timo's fall, almost a gift
The baffled King composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah,Hallelujah,Hallelujah,Hallelujah

Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof
But Eduardo became no use
His injury and a lost of form overthrew you
To Ronaldo, none could compare
He broke Chelsea's throne to Terry's dispair
And in Russia they sang the Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well baby I've been here before
It wasnt the first time I'd seen England fall
You only won anything before I knew ya
I've seen your flag on BBC
And though cycling means little to be
When you won I sang your Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well maybe there's a God above
Who gave Derby an almight shove
Or maybe everyone was too good for ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It was just Fulham singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
The New Capitalism - in video 1:02pm on 10 Jan 2009 Re comment [4] and re Peston.

It isn't about a new capitalism, it's just about keeping this one pointing in the right direction. Tinkering isn't that bad, look how far we've come since the 1850s.

It's no ones fault but our own. As the public we shouldn't borrow more than we can afford and then buy several big TVs for our house so we can live like that bloke of the telly. We only care about status and whether our house looks bigger than everyone elses. Just be content with what you can afford.

We voted for parties who told us that they would privatise and reduce taxes, so any government deficit is our fault. I see protesters complaining about British Gas having big profits, but don't blame the governments who sold it when you voted them in. I think someone said that is better to have a tyrant dictator than a tryant democracy as a democracy means he was voted in by popular consent. After Thatcher, along came Major who was increasing equality whilst keeping economic sense and all could have gone well, but no you wanted low taxes and everything. Still its the banks fault isnt it.

When you don't blame the banks you blame the city workers with big bonuses, but if you can't afford a loan here's a tip: dont take it out. if you want these people regulated, dont vote for people who offer a free market and deregulation. Those that wanted regulation you laughed and and said, "Sorry mate, you can't have my vote."

Next people blame Peston, cause its his fault for not telling us this. He was sitting there going, "Golly, it'll be good when they all lose their money as I'll get a blog. Whey!". Don't really sound likely does it. Perhaps if you'd been like that wise old owl you might have heard about the problems instead of laughing and these pessemistic fear mongerers just trying to get attention.

I'm going on a bit here so I'm going to get to the point. It isn't Blair's fault, Brown's fault, goverment's fault, Peston's fault or the bank's fault solely. It's very ones fault. Though by that account I conceed it must also be the previous listed's fault. If you want it to be a good world its gunna cost you alot to make it a good world and it'll take 50 years or so. You'll work for it yet only your children will see the benefits. It may work, but perhaps it doesn't seem right to you. I may not know much about these things, but in the country we have a saying, if you want good crops you've got to put in the work. We were lazy and now all we have in our fields are some very fat rabbits. I'm sure I don't need to explain the rabbit metaphor.
Intriguing politics 3:05pm on 15 Dec 2008 I'd be happier if David Cameron was offering some solutions. Imagine what the media would do if he started offering advice to Gordon and that advice was seen to be good and implimented. The papers would have a field day and Cameron would take the high ground in this school ground fight. The problem for Cameron here is that the problem is due to Thatcherism and how Labour took on her policies to defeat the more liberal Major. Now I don't really understand what each party stands for and they are defiant on not explaining it to me.

Seriously though, rather than just point and say "Oh Gordon's got it wrong, we'll all lose our jobs" I'd like to see some solutions from Mr Cameron. Ideas such as moving towards a 4 day week would be very welcome to those about to be made redundant or already made redundant. If companies are laying off 1/5 of thier staff in some cases, just move them all to 4 day weeks spread over the 5 days. Workers get an extra day off and no one gets made redundant. Sure, everyone gets paid a bit less, but its better than 1/5 not getting paid at all. 4 days pay just needs the belt to be tightened on or two notches. No days pay and you'll have to sell that belt and maybe the trousers too.
Another Black Friday 12:18pm on 12 Dec 2008 Look at GM from an investment opportunity. It isnt good. Low quality cars. No good future with oil running out - they abandoned their future fuel strategy when if they had kept it, it would currently be one of the best. They sold many cars but didnt make enough money to stay afloat. Too many new cars have been bought and we wont need new ones for years, when we really need to move to new fuels. Let them go and pay the money into new fuel companies with a future. Look at Tesla vs GM vs Honda or Toyota and you'll undertand. One is electric only and could give a good solution to our problems if lithium batteries are a good solution, one has lots of cheap cars that are struggling financially, one has high quality cars at the moment and strategy for the future. GM's future looks as bright as British Leylands. VW group and Japan are the future.
Taxpayers to subsidise wage costs? 3:36pm on 11 Dec 2008 If we had money I'd say yes, but the government is broke. Can't pay anymore money. If it keeps spending the whole country collapses. Its redundancies or company collapse.

By the way Robert, could you tell us what would happen if the government declared the country backrupt and said our loans were too big to pay.
The New Capitalism 7:27pm on 09 Dec 2008 Re:335

Can I just say for your plans:
1 Good
2 Very clever
3 Good - enjoyable, better food (veg at sainsburys has been poor this year (is true - i go every week. good fruit there tho).
4 Nice idea. Eggs very good from home
5 Good tip here - go in the evenings (7:30 where I am they have a reduced section. mince 25p, pies 50p etc)
6 Calculate how much you'll save compared to cost of buying the new car. Perhaps wait for electric or hydrogen unless you have a gas guzzler. consider the use of a bicycle
7 Good
8 I like this as you have less hassle about airports packing. You just have the family going round each day somewhere near where you live. I love it.
9 Warning: they may get bored. Teach the value of things. e.g. give them a pound for lunch on day. tell them how much things cost and say they eat what they want within that price (this is young children).
10 Very good

People need to learn the value of food. I am living with others (student) 1 lives off £10 a week for food (pays own rent and works for the money) other splash money everywhere taxis buses (£30 a month) and expensive clothes. One knows what value is, the other has an overdraft and is in the fast lane to becoming a typical british consumer. we need to be more like 335 and stop wasting money for our own sakes not for the economies.
The New Capitalism 7:08pm on 09 Dec 2008 Re 262:

To help you out a bit, I can give you a summary of what it was that Marx was saying (summary may leave bits out so dont just use it) when he wrote down why he thought there would be a series of economic crises followed by a collaspe of capitalism caused by unemployment and resentment. Also, lack of self sufficiency would cause food shortages should trade decrease. Reasons are:

1. Technology is too good. Less employment. Low skill jobs so low pay. Unhappy workers don't like low pay. Unemployed don't like the fact they can't afford food. Unemployment is inevitable. We are still working the same hours as we did in the stone age and the technology is mind blowingly better. We simply don't need enough work.

2. Land owners in the past got rich. They wanted luxuries. Part of factories were used to make luxuries. Luxuries got cheaper to make as more of the factories were used to make luxuries. Richer workers could buy. Increased market. More factories make luxuries as inc financial gains. Trade luxuries with necessaries from other countries. Soon not enough necessaries are made and luxuries are traded for necessaries. Should trade fall apart, it goes bad. NB: 'Luxury industry' is now the financial industrial, which is more volatile as you cant just use it to make something else like when 'manufacturing industry' was main luxury industry.

3. As normal business' do not have the capital to compete with large ones, the amount of people able to earn more money decreases. soon the amount of rich people dec.

4. Exploitation of other countries just replaces exploitation of local people when local people said enough was enough. (Soon China etc will no longer be willing for us to be their masters - as that is what we really are. they work we benefit from it)

5. Marx felt the workers with their low wages and unemployment would unite (only at this point as before self interest would get in the way - communism was not the general view in china or russia when it arrived, came on top due to civil war. Cuba is similar. marx did not expect revolutions like in russia or china but like UK now). After united he felt they would set up a system that suited them better. (Incidently communism did not serve the workers in soviet union or china very well though that may have been due to the capitalist desires of their governments, whihc is highly ironic - they wanted to be superpowers not simply good servers of their people).

If you want a detailed analysis and have plenty of time read 'Capital' by Marx. If you want a quick summary I would recommend 'The Communist Manifesto' by Marx and Engels. The introduction is a very good summary of Marx's view on the fall of capitalism and is very relevant. A quick read, whereas 'Capital' is only for the commited. If you are sceptical about it, you shouldn't be, he was an economist with genuine concern about the workers he saw. One of the finest analyses of capitalism and does teach you the benefits if you read between the lines.

If you read Marx along side Robert Peston's 'Who Runs Britain?' you'll find some amazing similarities between what Marx predicted and what Robert describes which has happened in reality.

Just to be clear, the main problem people have with capitalism is that it's benefits are never fully appreciated. So much technology had advanced and we are working record amounts of hours a week. That is the concern about it. You never see the benefits of capitalism even though the benefits are great. Another warning is that socialism is also flawed and I personally recommend meeting the two in the middle as I have already said in 222.

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