Who should you vote for????

Nigela

Spot on!

We can't look at ourselves in isolation - we all live in the big bad world.  China will out perform us in every means of production.  Not only are they very clever, they have an inexhaustable supply of (almost) free labour, no 'elf 'n safety, no democracy.

How else can you buy products from them that a European factory couldn't make at cost?

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Hi Max

But its not just China - there is India coming up as well.  But don't worry we are paying them billions of pounds to overcome climate change!

The trouble is you buy something from China - when it breaks you just bin it because it costs more to repair than buy a new one.  People  moan about climate change but just look at the waste - how much co2 is used to make your DVD player, get in delvered to the UK then when it breaks dispose of it.  Would it not be more sensible to repair it?  No because it is to expensive!  So why pay billions of pounds to these third world countries to encourage them to stop co2 emmisions - all this is doing is ensuring the continued wastage of the worlds resourses. 

Yes you are right in this country you cant sneeze without worrying somerone is going to sue you -  PC and health and safety have gone mad.  But this is what happens when you adopt laws to give disadvantaged people certain rights - it gets out of hand.

Yes Chinese people are paid virtually nothing - there is no minimum wage like there is in the uk.  When the minimum wage was brought it most people said great - unfortunately it has got higher every year and wirh the extra red tape and employment costs British firms can not compete in anything - this is why the service sector is so important in the UK.  Services have to be performed in the country they take place - the Chinese cant undercut us.

Thats my moan for the day.

 

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Nigela,

All agreed.  I haven't been to China, but I have been to India, and they are certainly very industrious and KEEN!  Well educated, polite.  Their railways work.  They do have a couple of problems - state bureaucracy (and I'm typing this in SPAIN!!!), the caste system and the fact that when a cow sits in the middle of the road, all traffic grinds to a halt until it feels like moving on again.  I have seen this many times.  Tends to slow things down a bit!

China always has the risk of another revolution...we will see. 

The more I see of the rest of the world, the more I think that the West doesn't stand a chance.

Regarding CO2 and global warming, I've never subscribed to that hokum. 

Two books to read - "Global Warming and other bollocks" by Stanley Feldman and Vincent Marks and "Bad Science" by Ben Goldacre. 

I have an open mind about anything, but not so open that my brain falls out. 

 

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Well, I'm in the UK now, after a few days of "will we fly or won't we fly?" And although I am not a believer in the nanny state supposedly caring for our every move (as long as they can watch us making our every move....), I was pleased, that in the case of air flights and ash clouds, the safest path was taken....until others forced the issue anyway.

I think the reaction and then almost instant counter-reaction showed the bullying power of big business whoever wins the general election.  But that's another issue....

Watching the election debate on the TV now here in the UK, I am not surprised that people are confused about policies. It appears the politicians are often as confused as their potential voters.

And now with the 'Gordon Brown microphone error', I actually feel sorry for the man. But if I were able to vote, that wouldn't sway me either way, despite the media hype of the whole unfortunate issue.

At this point in time, I would still be undecided and feel unrepresented by any of the main parties.

But I have felt that way since Blair took over the Labour Party, so no change there.

(Oh and Max Kite, the avatar is one I use for a number of forums. My husband (foxbat) said it would look good on here )

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Hi summer70

I assumed from the avatar that you had made the acquaintance of a number of Tory MPs

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I hope that all ex-pats living in Spain are utilising their right to vote in the UK General Election. I am! If you have lived in the UK in the past 15 years then you are eligible to vote. Its too late to register now but you can do it in plenty of time for the next one.

You will find the forms to print at www.dontleaveyourvoteathome.com

Donna

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Thought some of you might be interested in the following received from an organisation called AVAAZ:

Dear friends,

There’s real hope for change this election -- but with just days to go, the Murdoch press is sabotaging democracy -- let’s stop them! Let’s turn the tide and show them -- we, the voters will decide:<>

Have you seen the tabloids all this week? The Murdoch press thinks it has the right to decide the outcome of these crucial UK elections for us. Let’s raise an urgent outcry across the nation to stop this assault on democracy! -- click below to join the campaign and forward this message to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_people_vs_murdoch/?vl

For too long The Sun, the rest of Australian mogul Rupert Murdoch’s empire and fellow-tabloids have mounted vile campaigns to get their chosen politicians elected and destroy any challenger. In 1992 they boasted “IT WAS THE SUN WOT WON IT!” With the tabloids pouring poison into the minds of millions, will we see that headline again next week?

We can’t let that happen. We have only days left to take our country back -- let’s raise a massive outcry to shame The Sun and the Murdoch press into stopping their dirty tricks. Sign the petition at this link and forward this email now, together we can reach just as many as them:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_people_vs_murdoch/?vl

With its daily diet of cynical propaganda and innuendo, the Murdoch press has dragged down our national debate, our politics and our culture for too long. Now, with most voters saying we would favour a balanced parliament in which parties should work together for reform, they’re scaremongering and talking Britain down -- despite no real sign of market jitters, and plenty of evidence that this outcome could work better for the country.

Isn’t it up to us voters to decide the outcome of our own election? Let’s all stand up for what we believe and take action NOW -- sign the petition at the link below, then forward this email widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_people_vs_murdoch/?vl

The tabloid powerbrokers are rattled. Polls show voters may defy them and choose a different Parliament -- so they’re stepping up their attacks. Last week Murdoch’s son and ex-Sun editor Rebekah Wade even marched into rival newspaper The Independent to shout down its editor for daring to challenge their influence.

The only thing the Murdoch press pay attention to is numbers -- only if we take them on directly, with a massive and irresistible challenge from all over the country, will they start to think twice -- because that’ll threaten their bottom line. So let’s forward this message to everyone we know, and let's show the tabloids the British people won’t stand for any more meddling!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_people_vs_murdoch/?vl

With hope and determination,

Paul, Iain, Alice, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team

PS In a poll sent out to all 380,000 members of the Avaaz network in the UK, over 92% of us said we should run a campaign against media scaremongering and in support of a balanced, reforming parliament. Let’s do it!

Sources:
Biographer Michael Wolff -- "Will Murdoch lose Britain?":
http://www.newser.com/off-the-grid/post/448/will-murdoch-lose-britain.html

The Financial Times -- "James Murdoch Ambushes Indy Editor":
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9a4ba886-4e11-11df-b437-00144feab49a.html

The Sun's scaremongering: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/election2010/2942670/Election-2010-The-no-win-nightmare.html

"Forex markets getting comfortable with hung parliament":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2010/apr/22/currencies

Financial Times: Moody's credit rating agency considers hung parliament positive: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/93eeac2c-4e16-11df-b437-00144feab49a.html

YouGov poll - With many people unexcited by the two main parties, a majority would prefer a balanced parliament:
http://charter2010.co.uk/news/yougov-shows-53pc-hoping-hung-parliament

Institute for Government on benefits of coalition government and a balanced parliament:
http://www.charter2010.co.uk/news/who-says-hung-parliaments-cant-be-effective

David Yelland, ex-editor of the Sun, on Murdoch and these elections:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/18/clegg-media-elite-murdoch-lib-dem

Don't forget to take action now! Click here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_people_vs_murdoch/?vl

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I hope that all ex-pats living in Spain are utilising their right to vote in the UK General Election. I am! If you have lived in the UK in the past 15 years then you are eligible to vote. Its too late to register now but you can do it in plenty of time for the next one.

You will find the forms to print at www.dontleaveyourvoteathome.com

Donna

Unless people have registered within the last two years, they will loose their vote as apparently, the register is wiped clean every two years. This info comes from an expat living in Greece, who had hoped to come over to vote ...until she called the local council of where she owns a property.

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