F**k me! No! My world falls apart! Whatever shall we do?
I read the news today oh boy! Page 1,612
Quote: keewik @ 9th June 2014, 11:25 PM BSTYou know me for speaking my mind - I can't believe you believe such crap. I doubt anybody gives a thought to the war when planning a visit to Paris. As for Monaco - it's on another planet from Paris ... Who gives Monaco a thought when planning to visit Paris? Their royal family is probably about as interesting to people as my window cleaner.
Agreed. The royals do have a certain pull for the yanks but to my mind its the injustice of being born to automatically sponge off the tax payer and the privilege that comes with it. Hereditary peers sitting in the House of Lords also gets on my wick.
If you're a president its only for 4-8 years. But spending your whole life in camera sounds awful, like a real life Truman show. I think the royals work, I doubt they all enjoy it that much.
I think ending the royal family would be more of a help to them than us and they cost us a lot less than other things.
Quote: roscoff @ 10th June 2014, 10:18 AM BST.. born to automatically sponge off the tax payer..
We've got people like that round here.
And they don't wear crowns, I can tell you.
Quote: keewik @ 9th June 2014, 11:25 PM BSTI doubt anybody gives a thought to the war when planning a visit to Paris.
Why do people go there? For the warm and loving French people? No, they go there for the same reason people go to Venice or Rome - because it's an old city full of beautiful buildings.
London was extensively bombed during World War 2 and unlike the French who put their concrete tower blocks on the edges of Paris, we dropped horrible modernist eyesores all over the place.
The Royal Family in the UK have a 68% approval rating, they do a good job and earn this country a lot of money - not just from tourism but behind the scenes business deals.
Besides, do you think crowds would line the streets of New Zealand to see President Clegg?
Quote: Lazzard @ 10th June 2014, 11:51 AM BSTWe've got people like that round here.
And they don't wear crowns, I can tell you.
Are there that many retired elderly people on here? After all, they're the ones sucking up two thirds of the welfare budget.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th June 2014, 1:07 PM BSTAre there that many retired elderly people on here? After all, they're the ones sucking up two thirds of the welfare budget.
Not round here 'digitally'.
Round here, locally.
People get in such a tizzy about these things.
It's never that simple.
For instance, 60% of households get out from the state more than they put in.
Is that sponging??
Or only when the Queen does it?
And the top 1% pay for more than a quarter of the schools, hospitals, roads etc etc. the rest of us rely on.
Sp perhaps we should hate the rich - but not that much...
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th June 2014, 1:07 PM BSTAre there that many retired elderly people on here? After all, they're the ones sucking up two thirds of the welfare budget.
Oi !
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th June 2014, 1:07 PM BSTAre there that many retired elderly people on here? After all, they're the ones sucking up two thirds of the welfare budget.
Having paid for the old-age benefits of the previous generation of course.
Yeah, I don't buy this "I have paid in now its my turn" argument. I am paying in - but I bet I will never get a Winter Fuel Allowance. Today's OAPs have benefited from schooling/hospitals/roads/police etc their whole lives.
If they get ill now, they are treated by a youngster who was educated courtesy of their taxes. Pensioners have benefited because of the welfare state and continue to benefit.
Universal pensioner benefits get my goat.
Universal benefits are the most pointless expense its not a freebie
Money should be targeted at need
I see in a somewhat revisionist move, Stylee's posts have been 'disappeared'.
Ho hum.
The Ministry of Truth would have loved the delete function.
Quote: Lazzard @ 11th June 2014, 9:34 AM BSTI see in a somewhat revisionist move, Stylee's posts have been 'disappeared'.
Ho hum.
I always wonder how Stylee can exist in a world where all statistics are false.
'73% chance of rain tomorrow? Nice try weather mongers, I'm going out in just a t-shirt!'
'I want you to lower my car insurance payments because I personally haven't witnessed the number of automobile crimes in the area.'
'I know I'm sick Doc, but what are my chances of pulling through? And please don't use any kind of statistical evidence or percentage chances as we both know they're just numbers made up by the pharmaceutical cartels.'
Quote: Jennie @ 10th June 2014, 5:46 PM BSTYeah, I don't buy this "I have paid in now its my turn" argument. I am paying in - but I bet I will never get a Winter Fuel Allowance. Today's OAPs have benefited from schooling/hospitals/roads/police etc their whole lives.
I've mentioned previously that the last generation started work at 20, retired at 50 and lived to 90 - so they actually spent most of their lives not working and on benefits.
However the biggest problem is that the pension creators of 40 years ago had no idea just how long people would live or the sheer numerical scale of the elderly.
It's a bit like a young couple budgeting for their first baby and quads come out.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 11th June 2014, 1:17 PM BSTthe last generation started work at 20, retired at 50 and lived to 90
They probably started at 14, retired at 63-65, and lived till 80.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 11th June 2014, 1:17 PM BSTso they actually spent most of their lives working and not on benefits.
Correct.
Who retired at 50?
Well coppers, firemen and soldiers but even they only claim part of their pension before 65?
You're exageratting a true point though. Pensions are a relatively new thing coming infor most in the early twentieth century. But when they came in there were few effective treatments let alone an NHS. SO if you were lucky you retired for 5 years then died.
A good start would be doing away with universal benefits other than pension.