Quote: Stylee TingTing @ July 18 2012, 5:24 PM BSTI knew it all along. You are a liberal treehugging kamerad.
Nope, I am libertarian with a heavily meritocratic stance. It's that old British thing of a level playing field, fairness, justice, honesty, etc.
I know, I am a certifiable crackpot. 
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ July 18 2012, 5:33 PM BSTIt's that old British thing of a level playing field, fairness, justice, honesty, etc.
Until someone pushes in the checkout queue ahead of you . . .
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ July 18 2012, 5:33 PM BSTI am a certifiable crackpot.
You don't need to point that fact out to us, RC.
Quote: DaButt @ July 18 2012, 5:27 PM BSTPlease, in plain and simple English, call me a racist or homophobe if you think that's what I am.
I think you are a patriot. What don't you like about the USA though? Serious question.
London Bus drivers to get £500+ bonus just because they are working during the olympics 
This f**ker here is the driver who should be given a bonus, not them smelly whinging bastards.
Quote: Will Cam @ July 18 2012, 10:50 PM BSTLondon Bus drivers to get £500+ bonus just because they are working during the olympics
This kind of thing gives unions a bad name.
They're going to have an utterly shit time of it, so why not stamp their feet and stick their noses in the overfilling olympic trough.
Good luck to them I would if I was in their position.
Better than the Mithals and the F**kles of this world filling their boots.
Quote: Marc P @ July 18 2012, 10:06 PM BSTI think you are a patriot. What don't you like about the USA though? Serious question.
My main concern was that STT was hinting that I'm a racist and homophobe and don't take such insults lightly. It appears that the post has been deleted; if he/she did it him/herself then it's a step in the right direction, but an apology was in order as well.
As for the things I don't like about this country, most are rather minor. The major exception has to do with politics and politicians. A few things that bother me:
Our government spends more money than it brings in. It's unsustainable.
Politicians lie to the citizens with a straight face far too easily.
Our presidential elections last too long. Six months should be plenty.
Our tax code is a mess.
People on welfare or unemployment benefits should do community service or volunteer.
We should have 2 classes of prisons: rehabilitative ones for petty criminals and hell holes with shackles for the violent and predatory criminals.
Our schools are so touchy-feely and standardized test-dependent that kids aren't learning what they need to know.
Our nation has more oil and gas than the middle east. Drill that shit, build a bunch of nuke plants and tell OPEC to f**k off.
Seemingly nobody takes responsibility for their actions anymore. Buy more house than you can afford? Don't ask the government to refinance it. Run your automobile company in the ground? Don't ask the government to bail you out. Can't find a job? Join the military.
That should do it for now. It all boils down to piss-poor politicians.
Quote: sootyj @ July 18 2012, 10:55 PM BSTThey're going to have an utterly shit time of it
How? Their own bus lanes, Olympic lanes. Their job is to drive on crowded streets.
Quote: Will Cam @ July 18 2012, 11:07 PM BSTHow? Their own bus lanes, Olympic lanes. Their job is to drive on crowded streets.
I can't see why they'd deserve a bonus unless they were working overtime, holidays, etc.
Because the road signs haven't been got right. Because theres a log jam from Olympic drivers who can't find the games. Because whole buses are being stopped and searched.
Because London has insufficent road space without cutting off 25%. Because they'll be shouted at abused, late and have to deal with foreign types who probably have oddly shaped penises.
And the tube drivers are getting more.
If 36 billion or so is being pissed up the wall. F**k it I'm just glad somebody with an actual real get out of bed and work all day job is getting enough for a holiday.
Quote: DaButt @ July 18 2012, 11:11 PM BSTI can't see why they'd deserve a bonus unless they were working overtime, holidays, etc.
The people working overtime are getting paid for that, but everyone decided that they deserved £500 because they wanted £500, and if they didn't get it they would strike. When bus drivers have something serious to strike about who is going to pay attention to them?
Quote: DaButt @ July 18 2012, 11:11 PM BSTI can't see why they'd deserve a bonus unless they were working overtime, holidays, etc.
They will be paid already for any extra hours. The bonus is just for having to work during the games (like your average bus driver would be a sports fanatic who wanted to attend every event!)
Quote: DaButt @ July 18 2012, 11:11 PM BSTI can't see why they'd deserve a bonus unless they were working overtime, holidays, etc.
There's no way their overtime will match long hours for delays brought on by the olympics.
Actually I'm sorry they're not going on strike.
I'd love to see the whole bloated mess grind into an embarassing mess. Not least of all because Bozzer explaining it would be hilarious.
Quote: DaButt @ July 18 2012, 11:03 PM BSTPeople on welfare or unemployment benefits should do community service or volunteer.
Can't find a job? Join the military.
They tried to do that over here, but it failed massively. All of the volunteer agencies are overwhelmed with the number of applicants. They just don't have enough open positions for people. They also have limited budgets, so can only take on so many people.
You could go 'rogue' volunteering, but I'd like the guy looking after the playground to have gone through an offical criminal records check then just offering his services.
As for community service, that should really be restricted to people who have harmed the community through criminality. Forcing unemployed people to essentially work for free is also counter-productive to job creation. If you were given a big contract by local government to clean the parks, why hire anyone when you can get unemployed people for free?
The UK military is cutting personnel like nobodies business, not sure about the US. The Cold War has been over for 20 years and the troop numbers can't be justified apparently. Again, sticking the unemployed in the military, especially when they don't want to join isn't the best option. I'd rather have a professional military staffed by people who actually wanted to be there to defend our country.
Instead, why not force the 'wealth creators' to be 'job creators'?