G20..I predict a riot.

[bullshit detector]

One more comment from me and that'll be it......
In exactly the same way that loads of Albion fans who had never before been involved in protest actions came together to save the club, thousands of ordinary people whose lives have been wrecked by the insanity and unfairness of the capitalist system will be protesting on Wednesday. People on here may not have experienced it yet - but there is a huge and rising anger among the general public at the way a a small group of financial operatives have, 'perfectly legally', been able to destroy the livelihoods and wreck the futures of others. The same kind of anger we felt about the Albion - only more so, 'cos this is about your whole life, not 'just' your footie club.

I want to make one other point. When i refer to 'City scum' I did most certainly not mean the ordinary clerks and workers earning money to support their families. I meant the few at the top.

Now - three points today PLEASE!!!!!!!

 

[coventrygull]

One more comment from me and that'll be it......
In exactly the same way that loads of Albion fans who had never before been involved in protest actions came together to save the club, thousands of ordinary people whose lives have been wrecked by the insanity and unfairness of the capitalist system will be protesting on Wednesday. People on here may not have experienced it yet - but there is a huge and rising anger among the general public at the way a a small group of financial operatives have, 'perfectly legally', been able to destroy the livelihoods and wreck the futures of others. The same kind of anger we felt about the Albion - only more so, 'cos this is about your whole life, not 'just' your footie club.

I want to make one other point. When i refer to 'City scum' I did most certainly not mean the ordinary clerks and workers earning money to support their families. I meant the few at the top.

Now - three points today PLEASE!!!!!!!

I wouldn't argue with that. Just the solution to the problem

 

[butchy]

You almost make mutlinationals sound like charities. Well at least we get cheap clothes and food and are safe in the knowledge that they are very happy being exploited

Where am i making them sound like charities? Multinationals invest in poor countries yes, in order to exploit their systems which allow low wages to be paid and long hours to be worked. But at the same time improves infrastructure, provides a secondary manufacturing economy as opposed to subsistence living or raw material extraction. It employs millions of people and allows them to achieve a higher standard of living that would be possible otherwise. Of course wages are low by our standards but allows an Indonesian family to get a roof over their heads, put food on the table, put their kids through education.

Its the holier than though hand-wringers like you who dont think these things through and by boycotting, say Primark, helps close a factory in Vietnam and plunge a few hundred people into abject poverty.

 

[coventrygull]

Where am i making them sound like charities? Multinationals invest in poor countries yes, in order to exploit their systems which allow low wages to be paid and long hours to be worked. But at the same time improves infrastructure, provides a secondary manufacturing economy as opposed to subsistence living or raw material extraction. It employs millions of people and allows them to achieve a higher standard of living that would be possible otherwise. Of course wages are low by our standards but allows an Indonesian family to get a roof over their heads, put food on the table, put their kids through education.

Its the holier than though hand-wringers like you who dont think these things through and by boycotting, say Primark, helps close a factory in Vietnam and plunge a few hundred people into abject poverty.

"The World Development Movement (WDM) tackles the underlying causes of poverty. We lobby decision makers to change the policies that keep people poor. We research and promote positive alternatives. We work alongside people in the developing world who are standing up to injustice.

The world has the wealth and means to end poverty. Yet nearly half of the world's population live on less than £1.40 a day. And over 11 million children will die from poverty-related illness this year alone.

Policies of governments and companies are keeping people poor. Policies that ensure global trade benefits the rich, not the poor.The three richest men in the world are wealthier than the 48 poorest countries combined. Policies that give increasing power to multinational companies. For every £1 of aid going into poor countries, multinationals take £1.50 of profits out.

The powerful are exploiting the poor to make bigger and bigger profits. Unless we challenge them, we are allowing this injustice to continue. In rich countries like Britain, decisions are made which can make or break the lives of the poor. We can influence those decisions. That's why our action matters so much."

Just a little something I found

 

[butchy]

"The World Development Movement (WDM) tackles the underlying causes of poverty. We lobby decision makers to change the policies that keep people poor. We research and promote positive alternatives. We work alongside people in the developing world who are standing up to injustice.

The world has the wealth and means to end poverty. Yet nearly half of the world's population live on less than £1.40 a day. And over 11 million children will die from poverty-related illness this year alone.

Policies of governments and companies are keeping people poor. Policies that ensure global trade benefits the rich, not the poor.The three richest men in the world are wealthier than the 48 poorest countries combined. Policies that give increasing power to multinational companies. For every £1 of aid going into poor countries, multinationals take £1.50 of profits out.

The powerful are exploiting the poor to make bigger and bigger profits. Unless we challenge them, we are allowing this injustice to continue. In rich countries like Britain, decisions are made which can make or break the lives of the poor. We can influence those decisions. That's why our action matters so much."

Just a little something I found

I could post my 9000 word disseration on this topic if you would like

 

[coventrygull]

I could post my 9000 word disseration on this topic if you would like

Please do. I am interested in Economics from a laymans point of view. El pres has sent me some interesting stuff. I am always willing to learn.

 

[coventrygull]

Its the holier than though hand-wringers like you who dont think these things through and by boycotting, say Primark, helps close a factory in Vietnam and plunge a few hundred people into abject poverty.

Surely thats the way the wonderfull free market works

 

[Buzzer]

You see how much clearer your thinking is when you have not been out the night before drinking and taking drugs.

Touche mon brave.

Bollocks.

The decline in life expectancy in Russia is directly linked to the fact that people were looked after in workplace clinics. Their factories have been closed and livelihoods destroyed since the turncoat traitor Yeltsin and his oligarchs raped the Soviet economy: millions are in despair, and as I am sure you are aware the only way Yeltsin could stop the communists getting back into power with - mass popular support - in the 90s was by attacking the Duma (parliament) with tanks, killing over 150 deputies. I spent a long time in the GDR before the wall came down and the baleful effect of privatisation is well to the fore there as well.

So which bit is bollocks? The BBC report? The Guardian newspaper? The stats about Russian womens life expectancy? The life expectancy of other ex Soviet bloc countries? The fact that the West has the highest life expectancy?

As for Yeltsin being a traitor - jeez. What a bitter old red.

Genuinely, I'm curious as to how you explain away the MASSIVE disparity between male and female life expectancies in Russia. Surely, it should have dropped dramatically too for women if what you say is true (although I'm not sure what your point is, what with the completely irrelevant cod history of Yeltisn's coup.) In fact, all I see from you is ill-concealed Marxist contempt for the Russkis having the temerity to overthrow the communist regime.

You really need to wake up and smell the coffee. Your whole language is just irrelevant in modern British society. There is no "working class" as you perceive it. We're all middle class now. The irony is that all that remains of the leftist notion of working class is, in the main, an underclass that doesn't work, doesn't vote and doesn't have political aspirations of a socialist revolution.

Sorry comrade. For you the war is over. You lost.

 

[franks brother]

It seems that there have been plans drawn up by the Government and various security services in the event of mass civil disobedience this summer.

The Government are apparently well aware that a hot summer could literally blow the lid of the seething discontent that is raging just below the surface in this country.

Any sign of troops being unexpectedly brought home from Iraq/Afghanistan will be a sign that the Government is expecting an eruption of anger and trouble on the streets.

Call me a merchant of doom, but I am convinced that there will be trouble on the streets in the not too distant future.

If we get through this summer without riots, etc, it won't be long before they do happen.

Laugh all you like, but the prudent among us will make as sure as they can that they are ready for possible curfews/martial law etc.

If you can't get out, you can't buy food for your family and animals. You can't buy toiletries. You can't get prescriptions filled.

IMO it would be sensible to make sure you have a source of ligh, cooking and heat, other than that provided by the electricity/gas/oil companies.

Make sure you have some food that can either be opened and eaten without preparation or that can be cooked easily over a small stove.

Bottled water would also be useful.

Older posters can remember the disruption caused by walkouts. If the sewage/water workers come out, there could conceivably be no clean running water.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I agree with you about likely civil unrest in the summer but hope you are wrong about the scale of it.

What you are suggesting is a national emergency situation and I dread to think what would result from that.

Wise advice to make some preparation though, especially if you happen to live in an inner city environment.

 

[beorhthelm]

The decline in life expectancy in Russia is directly linked to the fact that people were looked after in workplace clinics. Their factories have been closed and livelihoods destroyed since the turncoat traitor Yeltsin and his oligarchs raped the Soviet economy

so the Russian state has failed to deliver the promised/expected improvements. it not actually the fault of "capitialism" but of their leaders. in case you didnt notice, the west has had constantly improving life expectancy and has capitialist systems, so capitialism != poor health.

... thousands of ordinary people whose lives have been wrecked by the insanity and unfairness of the capitalist system will be protesting on Wednesday. People on here may not have experienced it yet - but there is a huge and rising anger among the general public at the way a a small group of financial operatives have, 'perfectly legally', been able to destroy the livelihoods and wreck the futures of others.

lives wrecked? its all relative really, no one on those marches this week will ever have known real poverty, like walking a mile to fetch water or going days without food, life expectancy of less than 50. my Gran's generation knew a worse life than you and i do today. Funny how i dont recall any protests last year or the year before over the banks forceing us to take loans. but now its sour and people have a post loan binge hangover they cry. fair enough some will be in dire straights, but i fucks me right off that people like you try to make political capital off their plight - they only could borrow and buy a house, car, holiday twice a year because of the capitalist system. you dont give a shit about their circumstances, you just think it proves some arcane point about the ills of capitalism.

fact is, if it wasn't for capitalism and the underlying desires that drive it, we would literally be in the dark ages. some might like that, im personally quite glad i dont have to eat pottage every day or lost a couple of siblings to diesese. frankly if you use a computer you've lost your argument before starting since it and the technology that delivers the internet to you exists solely due to capitialism.

 

[beorhthelm]

Call me a merchant of doom, but I am convinced that there will be trouble on the streets in the not too distant future.

you're a merchant of doom. never say never, but we are a looooong way from the picture you paint.