Anti-Cuts Demo, London, Saturday 26th March

[raggatwin]

Yes! Workers of the world unite.

As for the peelers being undermanned this is nonsense. There were loads protecting the fundamental basis of capitalism - property. The march was very good natured in my opinion.

[raggatwin]

If u mean middle class types when you say guardianistas then yeah there were some. There was Also alot of what appeared to be ordinairy working class people there. You are right though it was largely a waste of time. Oppostion is built into the system, breaking the prevailing bourgeois hegemony is the first battle, thesis anti thesis synthesis as someone wrote. Violent struggle will eventuLly be part of this.interesting how violence in lybiA is termed a cry for freedom but in this country is completely condemned by sky BBC etc. Hypocrites

[gregf]

The riddle is only meant to be amusing for it's recursive logic and that only
political people "get" it. It is also having a dig at people who are too lazy to
understand or participate in politics, but there is no classism intended on my part.
If I did say something classist, it would more likely be in the opposite direction.

[Danny C]

That's right, the global downturn is all the fault of the previous government isn't it?

Not specifically, but the lack of preparation for it can definitely be laid at their door. The idea of Keynesian economics is that you build up reserves in the good years so that when things go tits up, you can stimulate the economy. However, Labour were coining in record tax receipts and STILL running a deficit. Indeed, not only were Labour growing a debt rather than a reserve, they were also flogging off what gold reserves we had at rock bottom prices.

The bursting of the housing bubble was inevitable, no matter how many times Gordon Brown claimed to have abolished boom and bust. Couple that with their willingness to overlook dodgy practices in the city so long as the record taxes were still rolling in, and you can only conclude that they set us up for a major fall. Incompetence rather than malice, but definitely their fault that we have debts exceeding £1tn.

The idea that cuts are necessary is an opinion not a fact.

The UK's annual deficit is £140bn. That is, our goverment is spending £140bn more than it takes in every year.

So do you want to explain to me how it's possible to spend £140bn less without cutting anything?

[Patrick Bateman]

The bursting of the housing bubble was inevitable, no matter how many times Gordon Brown claimed to have abolished boom and bust.

It hasn't burst though because the coalition are still ensuring that interest rates stay low.

It is amazing how Gordon Brown is now less conspicuous than Lord Lucan.

I see that the Lib Dems are now fully embracing Reaganomics.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011 ... p-tax-rate

[Danny C]

The relatively high price of housing has little to do with whether interest rates are 0.5% or 2.5% and much more to do with the chronic shortage of housing stock, something Labour did precious little to alleviate during its time in power.

I think it's only a few flat earthers who think that the 50% tax rate should be permanent.

[Patrick Bateman]

I think it's only a few flat earthers who think that the 50% tax rate should be permanent.

Nah, only those who believe in a fairer society.

They're not Lib Dems obviously.

[raggatwin]

That's right, the global downturn is all the fault of the previous government isn't it?

Not specifically, but the lack of preparation for it can definitely be laid at their door. The idea of Keynesian economics is that you build up reserves in the good years so that when things go tits up, you can stimulate the economy. However, Labour were coining in record tax receipts and STILL running a deficit. Indeed, not only were Labour growing a debt rather than a reserve, they were also flogging off what gold reserves we had at rock bottom prices.

The bursting of the housing bubble was inevitable, no matter how many times Gordon Brown claimed to have abolished boom and bust. Couple that with their willingness to overlook dodgy practices in the city so long as the record taxes were still rolling in, and you can only conclude that they set us up for a major fall. Incompetence rather than malice, but definitely their fault that we have debts exceeding £1tn.

The idea that cuts are necessary is an opinion not a fact.

The UK's annual deficit is £140bn. That is, our goverment is spending £140bn more than it takes in every year.

So do you want to explain to me how it's possible to spend £140bn less without cutting anything?

Okay admittedly I was sloppy in wording. There is a deficit and the country is in trouble. Howver the clear difference between a socialist answer and one provided by orange book liberals is in the role of the state. I feel its the govt 's role to sort it out rather than private business who nine times out of ten are out for themselves. You cannot create wealth by slashing hundreds of thousands of jobs.

[daveid]

I went to this. Three or four hours after I set off there were still people at the beginning of the march when I walked back. The numbers were estimated at about 500,000 people, not the 250,000 the media claimed. Ed came across quite well now that he has almost learned to talk. Baldrick was surprisingly good as well as angry. Good atmosphere all round. Several branches of Santander bank had been smashed up in Piccadilly which no one cried about.