There is no question that the standard of living in the UK is going to tank. For decades the only thing that has kept the UK going has been invisible exports. Although Micawber’s analysis of economics is over simplistic for international banking in principle it’s not.
Unless the UK can earn by exports more than the cost of imports the medium term picture is horrible indeed.
It means that without increasing our exports the only option is to cut imports and/or reduce UK domestic spending which means a big drop in living standards.
I think domestic spending could be trimmed down AT - there are a lot of things we don’t really need to buy. Many people have become dependent on thinking we “must have” and could manage with less. However, I think those living on the edge or month to month will find it very painful and many folks would have to get rid of the “entitlement” culture. It won’t matter for me and my old man as we are “past it” and have the leeway to cut down anyway, but I do worry for my children and their children. Mind you there are other countries where folks are far worse off than us.
It’s not just what people pay good things. It’s how much the government can put into the Benefits budget. As for people in other countries? To hell with them. Not our problem.
Yes, on a show of hands? Which is not really democratic, and the
delegates mostly delegate themselves !!
Plus the committee dont publish a manifesto before voting ??And worst of all they try to force workers to become union members by
all manner of coercion?
Having said that l still believe that some form of union will soon
become neccassary again without all the militancy??
If that is the case Todgy, then we must concentrate on what we are
good at, according to you we have been existing on the back the
moneylenders for decades! I that s so then we must keep on with that
But that wont create work for the masses anymore as most of the
“work” is now done by algorythms and all the bank workers have allready been cast off, so your advice to get into services will only
apply to a fewwhat is your answer to this conumbrum??
The masses will just have to accept the new normal. There is no alternative. Life as we have come to accept as normal is over.
Reduced living standards, reduced benefits all round, and concentrate on becoming a tax haven in order to build invisible exports that have been the only thing that has allowed the UK to survive because physical exports certainly haven’t and stand no chance of doing so going into the future.
The Chinese Plague on top of BREXIT is going to be a real game changer. BREXIT would have been really great but covid is screwing economies across the world and so it’s now a case of Faites vos jeux.
It’s a shame that the unions became so powerful that something had to be done.
As I said before, in Germany unions and businesses seem able to work together and, as a consequence, everybody benefits. The businesses are booming and the workers are well paid and happy.
I wouldn’t like to say who - whether our business leaders or union leaders - were most to blame. I don’t know because I was never involved.
Put it this way, though. When I was teaching I joined one of the teaching unions. I was never asked to go on strike, but if I had been I’d have made my own decision as to whether or not to follow the union lead based on my own opinions.
From what I understand, many of the big left-wing unions had (still have?) so much power that if their members refuse to do what they are ordered to do they are in deep shit.
That’s a very narrow way of looking at things AT. I think it is important to be aware of other countries and how they are faring. At the moment it seems most of the world (certainly the European world is struggling) - maybe we shouldn’t be feeling so bad if we have an awareness that we are not the only ones in a mess. Sort of evens things out a bit if you know what I mean.
I couldn’t care less about other countries unless what they are doing is detrimental first to me or secondly something that will adversely affect me. Sod other people and sod other countries.
This.
