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MingMong

Listed below are comments made by MingMong between Tuesday, 22nd April 2008 and Friday, 16th October 2009.

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...gone 09:47am on 16 Oct 2009 What's pretty clear now is that there needs to be a general election before Christmas. This country does not have a functioning government, senior ministers have been shown to be engaged in highly dubious practices, and all that MPs can do is obsess about where the next expenses scandal is going to come from. Brown cannot even fire his ministers and get new ones who haven't been up to no good (believe it or not there are some), because it appears he has been at it too.

As a constitutional monarch, does the Queen not have the right to step in and dismiss the government when she sees that it is no longer functioning? She did it in Australia in the 1970's, why can't she do it here? Queen Elizabeth should immediately dismiss parliament, and a general election should be held at the earliest possible date. Why wait? I think the overwhelming majority of people in this country would support such a move.

I am surprised the media are not pushing for the general election to be held before Christmas, one way or another.
42 and 44? 10:06am on 31 Oct 2008 It's a straight choice. Do you want someone with fresh ideas, who can be an inspirational leader, who builds confidence and enthusiasm in everyone he meets, who happens to be black (as if that makes a difference), and who will bring America out of the funk it is currently in (both domestically and internationally)? Or do you want someone who is tired, can't seem to keep up, is visibly wilting on the campaign trail, makes blunders, bizzarely described the American economy as being strong, is forgetful, desperate, deceitful, vivious, and above all utterly resistant to change?

Right-wing Americans resent that Obama is the overwhelming choice outside America. They say that foreigners have no right to opine on who Amercans should pick as their president, and the argument goes that Obama's foreign tour, speaking in front of rapturous crowds in Berlin and other cities, hirt his campaign. This is absurd. People in other countries or not inherently more left wing or right wing than Americans, they can just see what is self-evident: America urgently needs a drains-up change in the way it goes about its business - in terms of its foreign policy, its economic choices, the way it treats its own citizens, especially those who are poor. Only Obama can provide this change.

For America's sake, and for the sake of us all, I sincerely hope they vote in Barack Obama next Tuesday.
No wiggle room 09:59am on 31 Oct 2008 It's a straight choice. Do you want someone with fresh ideas, who can be an inspirational leader, who builds confidence and enthusiasm in everyone he meets, who happens to be black (as if that makes a difference), and who will bring America out of the funk it is currently in (both domestically and internationally)? Or do you want someone who is tired, can't seem to keep up, is visibly wilting on the campaign trail, makes blunders, bizzarely described the American economy as being strong, is forgetful, desperate, deceitful, vivious, and above all utterly resistant to change?

Right-wing Americans resent that Obama is the overwhelming choice outside America. They say that foreigners have no right to opine on who Amercans should pick as their president, and the argument goes that Obama's foreign tour, speaking in front of rapturous crowds in Berlin and other cities, hirt his campaign. This is absurd. People in other countries or not inherently more left wing or right wing than Americans, they can just see what is self-evident: America urgently needs a drains-up change in the way it goes about its business - in terms of its foreign policy, its economic choices, the way it treats its own citizens, especially those who are poor. Only Obama can provide this change.

For America's sake, and for the sake of us all, I sincerely hope they vote in Barack Obama next Tuesday.
Rescue plan due in hours 7:29pm on 07 Oct 2008 I sincerely hope that any rescue capital made available to banks will involve an equity transfer to the government. It is outrageous that Taxpayers are funding this bail out without any access to future upside when the economy gets back to normal. Exisiting shareholders in these banks should see their ownership diluted in consequence of this.
Not the economy, stupid 1:36pm on 18 Jun 2008 I actually think that George Osborne is a very thoughtful, intelligent and capable politician, and an impressive strategic thinker. He was the mastermind behind Cameron's campaign to get elected as leader of the Conservatives. It was George Osborne who was the reason that the Tories shot ahead in the polls late last year - remember inheritance tax? Arguably he was one of the main reasons that Brown bottled it and did not call the general election as a result. He is happy to sit back and watch Labour floundering in the economic mess they have created, and he is right to do so.

Another thing - all this rubbish about economic problems being down to external causes like the credit crunch, oil prices and food prices - what rot. Our economy has not been set up to be resilient to these problems, and we are too dependent on and aligned to the American economy. Why is it that our German and other counterparts in Europe are doing so well now, and we are doing so badly? It is because they addressed the structural weaknesses in their economies, and are now well positioned to survive the economic downturn relatively unscathed, while Labour spent money during the boom years like a drunk on payday, racked up huge public debt (both on and off-balance sheet), allowed property prices to increase unsustainably, allowed private debt levels to spiral out of control, sucked out all the money that should have been available in the economy for investment and wealth creation through stealth taxes, and overall created an economic trough that the Tories would be mad to try and help them out of. Sadly, we'll all suffer through Labour's complacent stupidity, and like Mr Micawber, Gordon Brown will keep hoping that 'something will turn up', waiting out the full period of his office before allowing us the chance to throw him out. I notice he never says anything about 'Tory boom and bust' anymore.

The really sad thing is that when the Tories do finally win (and they will), it will be with such a huge majority that they'll be just as unaccountable and unchecked as Labour were since 1997 - and our pendulum political system will continue swinging from one extreme to another. We need PR to stop the first past the post system where a government with a large majority can do what it likes. Australia has PR, and is one of the most sensibly governed countries there is, no matter which party is in charge.
Agony for the PM 1:56pm on 30 Apr 2008 "The real problem is that because there was a lack of disclosure, because there was all these off-balance-sheet activities nobody quite knew what was happening.

"It was wrong to have off-balance sheet activities and it's right that all these losses be declared. The quicker that is done the better for the financial system."

Eh? All PFI / PPP arrangements are 'off balance-sheet'. Gordon Brown's preferred funding mechanism has allowed him to spend billions on tick for schoolsn'ospitals that we'll all be paying through the nose for, for generations. He is an economic criminal, and history will judge him as the one of the most fiscally runinous leaders in this country's modern history.
Banks' self-fulfilling fears 2:22pm on 23 Apr 2008 Robert Peston, I think that your analysis of the economic situation and the various associated drivers is spot on, and that you are a fine journalist. But why do you have to deliver your spoken commentary in such an annoying, clearly affected manner of speaking? It is almost a parody of the type. You never used to speak that way, why do you do it now? It completely detracts from the message that you are trying to convey. Please speak normally, or at least as close to normally as television will allow!
RBS rebuilds 2:19pm on 23 Apr 2008 To all those saying that I shouldn't criticise Robert Peston (post 3 above), let me remind you that I have no problem with the content of what he saying, and that I have stated that he is a fine journalist. My issue is with the way he speaks... a style that is clearly affected (i.e. "put-on"). Someone above said they were more interested in lack of bias and accuracy than having Peston learn a particular speaking style - I agree. I want him to speak naturally, not in the way he seems to believe he should, in the sing-song, high pitched, hyper-inflected and fake manner that he has adopted. As I have said, I think the content of what he says is fine, I just think that the style with which he says it is annoying. I pointed it out to my wife, and now that I have, she can't listen to him.
RBS rebuilds 08:46am on 22 Apr 2008 Robert Peston, I think that your analysis of the economic situation and the various associated drivers is spot on, and that you are a fine journalist. But why do you have to deliver your spoken commentary in such an annoying, clearly affected manner of speaking? It is almost a parody of the type. You never used to speak that way, why do you do it now? It completely detracts from the message that you are trying to convey. Please speak normally, or at least as close to normally as television will allow!

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