Zen10

I also consider Iraq to be an error as well. It's hard for us mere mortals to know what's going on, but unless a strong argument can be made for stopping Chinese and Russian intervention and investment in the ME, I cannot see the strategic value to the war at all. Worse, its financial consequences have been dire, as you point out. It's a counterfactual, but what is the price of oil in a world where the ME is no controlled by the US? What is the impact on US influence with no petrodollar? (Which is what would be the case if Saddam, Gaddafi et al had been permitted to sell their resources in euros as they wished).

chris955

I thought so, most are intelligent enough to just click on them and have a look. They are very relevant as you say, you could be mistaken for thinking it was all doom and gloom otherwise

chris955

Dont worry, there is history which I think is more relevant than the fact I posted some relevant links.

chris955

No, it isnt that bad. As someone actually living here I can say that hand on heart. When we lived here in the 80's people would carry on about how the country was a sinking ship, its gone to the dogs, finished, blah blah blah. Well its got a bloody slow leak I grew up in Australia but it has become a country I dont want to live in, that doesnt mean it isnt a great country for others to live in and the same applies to this country. It suits some who have left to put across the view that the country is finished, just as many did back in the 80's or even back in 1962 when I arrived in Australia. It is no more true now than it was back then but it does make people feel better about their decision.

TheEmperorIsNaked

First lot.

Well, it's to be expected isn't it?



I was beginning to wonder.

Thank-you. Bookmarked-and I will be reading it!

I think you might find that the poster has done just the teeniest weensiest bit of discussing.

TheEmperorIsNaked

Yup.

I bet the OP does...........

(I left some posts here unanswered because they speak for themselves..)

.........I wanted to put up five links (I love links!) but then I thought to myself, nah! don't want no trouble.

zansuffolk

The media have had a field day on our current economic situation - things are not bad, in fact there has been a significant turnaround in the property market and the retailers have had a bumper summer due to the great weather. I have not noticed any difference - just people are being a little more careful with their money.... Living in Suffolk - things are just the same as they have been for decades!!

chris955

Thats exactly as we are seeing it, lots of positive news and talk of manufacturing investing, taking on more workers, orders up, as you say retail looking healthy etc etc. The problem is when you say anything like this someone comes along as says well it isnt great for everyone. Well of course it bloody isnt, it has never been great for everyone. I can only comment on what I see with my own eyes as someone actually living here. Show me a country where everyone is doing well and has no worries and, well quite frankly I wont believe you.

bigglesworth

The population of the UK rose by over 400, 000 from June 2011 to June 2012 according to the ONS to a total of just under 64 million. According to Migrationwatch it is in excess of 65 million, and the supermarket surveys suggest it is already approaching 70 million. Whichever is right that represents enormous annual increases. (When I was at school in the late 60s, UK population was predicted to be around 45 million by the Millennium, and dropping)

However, not only does total employment continue to rise, and make new records, but unemployment is gradually reducing too. IMO that is a pretty astonishing achievement and the exact opposite of what all the doomsayers have said would result from the slowing of Government expenditure.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/la...-bulletin.html

Personally, I think that is probably the most conclusive answer possible to the OP's question.

Zen10

One of Britain's biggest issues is overpopulation. How to you maintain an economic system that demands constant population growth when you live in one of the world's smallest countries?

chris955

Exactly right and exactly what the OP wants to hear.

bigglesworth

Sorry Zen I do not want to get into an argument but those are merely suppositions and very much depend on your POV.

I would suggest that the only real issue is that of Governments of all hues until very recently failing to be upfront about population increases, and thereby failing to adequately provide resources.

roaringmouse

Interesting you should say that, as according to this recent article, the improved retail figures are fuelled by debt and will prove to be unsustainable with people taking out payday loans and raiding their savings to go on shopping sprees.

Also refers to people's incomes falling in real terms, and have been for 5 years. The governments Help to Buy scheme is also helping to fuel (or further fuel) a property bubble.

Mentioned recently by someone on a post on this forums (can't remember which forum or thread now - might even be this one), the government schemes propping up the ability to get mortgages effectively makes the government (and therefore the tax payer) a subprime lender.

roaringmouse

According to those figures, for the quarter Apr-Jun 2013, unemployment was down 4,000 making 2,510,000 people still unemployed. I don't think that figure is astonishing in a good way, rather it's really quite a bleak picture. In addition there are 8,990,000 people economically inactive - many of those will be people who have stopped bothering to look for work after being unemployed for so long.

roaringmouse

As someone who is living in the UK, yes the situation in the UK is not good. There are people, like Chris who are in a very good position financially (in his case off the back of a property boom in Australia), however the figures show a whole load of people where the situation is quite bleak - and in certain parts of the country probably quite unbearably so.

No one has a crystal ball, we can only go on what's happening, and how it's been going in recent times. So far the UK is about 5 years into a period of economical "flatness" or recession (depending what periods within that time you look at), which to me indicates the possibility of the "depression" word that no one seems to like to think about.

As previously mentioned, it could be 2-3 years before unemployment gets down to 7% (which is still high), which will mean possibly 8+ years of a flat job market. During the last 4 years there have been reports here and there indicating that things are picking up in various areas of the economy, but as of now this has not led anywhere.

It should eventually be sorted out, the UK has had relatively more debt in the past - a lot more at certain points in history. However I fear there are a number of years of pain ahead for many people. Those who are doing fine will not feel that of course, but you never know which side of the fence you're going to land.