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[sohois]

So i've just gone through the last 20 odd pages i missed because of exam revision (i took a more serious approach than Chinner it seems).

At first, i've got to say it was quite enjoyable to see some of the bitter tears having been in the minority of Tory supporters for a while. It was nice to see later that many gaffers are more pragmatic and not crazy political diehards, and as such are willing to give the coalition a chance. I personally am quite there's a conlib coalition; in fact i think i prefer this to a conservative majority. For me, i vote conservative because i'm right wing economically and favour smaller states, otherwise i would probably be liberal or libertarian on most issues. So a government that can take the best policies, the best people from both parties really seems much better than just one party controlling everything. Can't really say i have any problems with the cabinet, though like some i am surprised by Theresa May, and feel she's a token female cabinet appointment. Otherwise, i'm feeling pretty good about the future of Britain right now.

Anyway, it seems like this might be the last post in this thread before Chinner puts the new one up, so i'll just say I'm hopeful the new coalition succeeds and is a good government, and better luck next time to those dissatisfied with this outcome.

 

[Shanadeus]

This is the saddest one- The phonecall from Clegg confirming he has to resign-

His kids thought daddy would stay in office and cooperate with LibDem based on the picture right next to him.

 

[Varion]

Link to the full conference for anyone who hasn't seen it yet - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8678278.stm

I don't know if it was just talk but the way they handled it made it seem like Clegg isn't taking the Deputy Prime Minister role as a ceremonial position, its actually going to be a big job. Kind of like we have two Prime Ministers

Ah thanks, was hoping that would be uploaded.

I couldn't help but wish Clegg had responded to Boulton's question with the old "Well I know you're still sore about me being here..." :lol

 

[dsister44]

UK Poligaf Thread of Lid dems do a Bungie

 

[killer_clank]

The BBC website is being really slow for me tonight

 

[avaya]

I want hung parliaments forever.

The press conference today was awesome. It was just AWESOME.

Did I mention how FUCKING AWESOME IT WAS?

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

LMAO

Is anyone watching this cartoonist on BBC News?!

IN regards to Killa Cam: "His head is shaped like a figure of 8" :lol

 

[Four_Chamber]

There is one refreshing thing about this coalition for me as an American- namely that the whole world isn't as polarized as the United States when it comes to politics. Cameron is probably ticking off some of the old guard but I think this coalition will ensure that the Conservatives will need to operate solidly within the center/center-right.

I hope Clegg is able to exert significant influence- he's a guy who prioritized things that will benefit society. He's a breath of fresh air in this era of divisive politics- to think he's one of the most powerful man in government is a testament to his commitment to his ideals while also showing some great pragmatism.

The Rainbow Coalition would have been a mess of conflicting interests. I think, in the short term, having a stable government is essential to righting the economic ship. The recession is slowly healing but there needs to be strong governments to ensure that recovery continues.

Good luck UK

 

[avaya]

The mere fact that Laws and Cable are in the Treasury means we will have people who understand just how out of fucking control the unregulated CDS market has become.

Goldman Sachs can create more synthetic short positions than any government can print money. Speculators have the financial services equivalent of nuclear weapons. It is fucking madness.

You can't ban CDS, since it will be driven underground. Until everyone gets their shit together internationally and agree new collateral requirements for CDS then it doesn't matter what you cut and when you cut, the speculator wolfpack can attack with complete abandon.

 

[phisheep]

The BBC website is being really slow for me tonight

I think after the last few days every day is going to seem like a slow news day for a while.

 

[mclem]

I am going to risk the ire of UK PoliGaf and say, now that it's no longer a choice and we're stuck with him, I'm actually warming to Cameron a little bit.

This too, although I'm distracted by his remarkably wide face.

 

[Raydeen]

This is the saddest one- The phonecall from Clegg confirming he has to resign-

Perhaps he was just phoning his own kids for comfort after reading about this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8677779.stm

Or the Polish kid who was stabbed over the weekend stopping a guy punching his girlfriend...or the 15 year old a week before....or....sorry Brown, good riddance.

 

[The Friendly Monster]

Perhaps he was just phoning his own kids for comfort after reading about this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8677779.stm

Or the Polish kid who was stabbed over the weekend stopping a guy punching his girlfriend...or the 15 year old a week before....or....sorry Brown, good riddance.

What the fuck?

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Oh my god.

I thought I was going to have a politorgasm when I watched the Dick and Dom routine earlier.

Although the focus so far has been on how the Lib Dems have tempered the harder Tory policies, keep in mind that the Lib Dems were against new nuclear power stations, a policy I'm strongly in disagreement with. We seem to be getting them. Truly the best of both worlds.

Holy fuck at that list, fuck you labour, fuck you and may you never return.

 

[Parl]

The BBC website is being really slow for me tonight

It begins...

 

[Varion]

It begins...

;_;

 

[Salazar]

Perhaps he was just phoning his own kids for comfort after reading about this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8677779.stm

Or the Polish kid who was stabbed over the weekend stopping a guy punching his girlfriend...or the 15 year old a week before....or....sorry Brown, good riddance.

Only after personally apologising for a few 19th century naval defeats.

 

[Mad_Ban]

Perhaps he was just phoning his own kids for comfort after reading about this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8677779.stm

Or the Polish kid who was stabbed over the weekend stopping a guy punching his girlfriend...or the 15 year old a week before....or....sorry Brown, good riddance.

I suppose crime never occured under any other governments?

 

[Sage00]

I suppose crime never occured under any other governments?

I think Raydeen was complaining that there was a Polish person in the country.

 

[Mr. Sam]

What the fuck?

He's on the phone when he should be on the streets, using his omniscience to prevent rapes.

Spoiler

:/

 

[travisbickle]

What the fuck?

What's worse is I think he thinks the Tories will bring a more cohesive society!?!?

 

[Dambrosi]

Perhaps he was just phoning his own kids for comfort after reading about this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8677779.stm

Or the Polish kid who was stabbed over the weekend stopping a guy punching his girlfriend...or the 15 year old a week before....or....sorry Brown, good riddance.

You're blaming Brown for something he wasn't even involved in?!

How...tabloid of you.

 

[Koshiro]

I knew it was weird, but it was just.. surreal seeing them side by side and playing for the same team. I'm sure it wont seem so weird when Cameron is taking PM Qs (albeit a bit sickening), but for now it's all a bit.. wtf?

 

[avaya]

I knew it was weird, but it was just.. surreal seeing them side by side and playing for the same team. I'm sure it wont seem so weird when Cameron is taking PM Qs (albeit a bit sickening), but for now it's all a bit.. wtf?

Wait till Clegg has to do PMQ's when Dave isn't there.

Mindfuck total.

 

[Dambrosi]

We'll get used to it, Koshiro. We'll have to get used to it.

Just...not now. Not yet.

 

[Raydeen]

You're blaming Brown for something he wasn't even involved in?!

How...tabloid of you.

Youth crime at record levels
Soldiers dying in Afghanistan daily in the most pointless war we've ever been involved in
Billions in debt
Savage cuts on the way

"Things can only get better" - my fucking arse.

While Gordon no doubt follows the Blair gravy train to a 'retirement' of millions. Sorry if I don't shed a tear for him.

 

[Xavien]

Youth crime at record levels
Soldiers dying in Afghanistan daily in the most pointless war we've ever been involved in
Billions in debt
Savage cuts on the way

"Things can only get better" - my fucking arse.

While Gordon no doubt follows the Blair gravy train to a 'retirement' of millions. Sorry if I don't shed a tear for him.

Wow, just wow. Did Labour shoot your dog too?

 

[Sage00]

Youth crime at record levels
Soldiers dying in Afghanistan daily in the most pointless war we've ever been involved in
Billions in debt
Savage cuts on the way

"Things can only get better" - my fucking arse.

While Gordon no doubt follows the Blair gravy train to a 'retirement' of millions. Sorry if I don't shed a tear for him.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Afghanistan the most pointless war we've ever been involved in? Afghanistan?

 

[Jex]

Billions in debt

You do realise that most countries are in debt, right? And that debt is considered a sign of economic strength, because it means that someone will lend credit to you?

 

[avaya]

And that debt is considered a sign of economic strength, because it means that someone will lend credit to you?

errr.....

 

[Dambrosi]

Youth crime at record levels

And once again, Raydeen makes himself look like a misinformed idiot.

You do realise that most countries are in [massive] debt, right? And that debt is considered a sign [past] of economic strength, because it means that someone [has lent] credit to you?

I'm sure that this is what you meant, right?

EDIT: Avaya, obviously, not in Greece's case, since they outright lied to the EU and the world's banks to get into that situation. Unless you mean something else?

 

[avaya]

BROKEN BRITAIN.

 

[Zenith]

Hold your horses, you need to pass this first before entering:

http://www.hiren.info/life-in-the-uk-test/1

Wow, only 5% of the UK live in Wales?

 

[D4Danger]

Youth crime at record levels
Soldiers dying in Afghanistan daily in the most pointless war we've ever been involved in
Billions in debt
Savage cuts on the way

"Things can only get better" - my fucking arse.

While Gordon no doubt follows the Blair gravy train to a 'retirement' of millions. Sorry if I don't shed a tear for him.

this is what happens when The Daily Mail is your main source of information.

 

[Varion]

Youth crime at record levels

I didn't know Chris Grayling posted on this forum.

 

[Koshiro]

And that debt is considered a sign of economic strength, because it means that someone will lend credit to you?

 

[Mad_Ban]

Wow, only 5% of the UK live in Wales?

I'm a minority!

 

[phisheep]

This reminds me. One of the things I would like this 'new way of doing politics' to do is to not make stupid use of dodgy statistics.

Domestic burglary is down mostly not because of government/police activity but because there is less stuff worth nicking owing to the reduced cost and wide availabilty of consumer electronics. There's more stuff overall, but less of it is worth the hassle of breaking in - no point swiping a DVD player these days.

Wow, only 5% of the UK live in Wales?

Ah, but only 40% of the Welsh live in Wales - the rest have invaded England. What sort of PR would I need so that I can vote for Plaid Cymru from here?

 

[Dambrosi]

This reminds me. One of the things I would like this 'new way of doing politics' to do is to not make stupid use of dodgy statistics.

Domestic burglary is down mostly not because of government/police activity but because there is less stuff worth nicking owing to the reduced cost and wide availabilty of consumer electronics. There's more stuff overall, but less of it is worth the hassle of breaking in - no point swiping a DVD player these days.

Then how do you explain the fall in violent crime and car theft? Are those cheaper and more widespread too?

 

[Parl]

Soldiers dying in Afghanistan daily in the most pointless war we've ever been involved in

So less than 300 soldiers since 2001 is "daily"? If you're going to try to make a serious point, hyperbole isn't going to help you. If you genuinely believe the factually incorrect/misguided things you're saying, then it may be useful for you to find a better source for your information.

Billions in debt

Every country is sharing in the huge debts of the aftermath of the global financial crisis (which I guess has simply entered a new phase). We were lucky (and I say lucky because the crisis was not anticipated) that our public debt was among the lowest of developed nations before disaster struck.

Savage cuts on the way

Indeed, unfortunately. Totally necessary... unfortunately.

 

[sohois]

This reminds me. One of the things I would like this 'new way of doing politics' to do is to not make stupid use of dodgy statistics.

Domestic burglary is down mostly not because of government/police activity but because there is less stuff worth nicking owing to the reduced cost and wide availabilty of consumer electronics. There's more stuff overall, but less of it is worth the hassle of breaking in - no point swiping a DVD player these days.

That's quite an assumption to make; if anything, technological developments should have increased the attractiveness of crime. Just look at Tvs, modern LCDs, plasmas,etc. are far easier to transport than old CRTs and more expensive as well. And let's not forget the likes of laptops, mobile phones & mp3 players.

 

[D4Danger]

Then how do you explain the fall in violent crime and car theft? Are those cheaper and more widespread too?

I doubt he can answer this but if he reaches deep enough I'm sure he can pull some more statistics out of his arse.

 

[Parl]

That's quite an assumption to make; if anything, technological developments should have increased the attractiveness of crime. Just look at Tvs, modern LCDs, plasmas,etc. are far easier to transport than old CRTs and more expensive as well. And let's not forget the likes of laptops, mobile phones & mp3 players.

Mobile phones tend to be about their owner, but laptops definitely. MP3 players, very attractive too, if it's also not with the owner.

Then there's game consoles. Considerably bigger gaming market than before with consoles and games collectively of much higher value. PCs is roughly the same, but the monitors will be much lighter and possibly more valuable than the typical 1996 monitor, plus there's many more PCs now than 13 years ago too.

There seems to be a decline in stereos though as entertainment seems to be focusing around the PC and portable devices.

Then how do you explain the fall in violent crime and car theft? Are those cheaper and more widespread too?

Afaik, cars are a good bit more secure and tougher to steal can back in the day. Violence however, I have no explanation that would deny credit to the police service.

 

[phisheep]

Then how do you explain the fall in violent crime and car theft? Are those cheaper and more widespread too?

Careful with the 'car theft'. It is actually vehicle related theft, much - probably most - of which is stealing stuff from cars rather than stealing the car itself (which is often a taking-without-consent rather than a theft). And the reduction appears to largely be down to two things - consumer electronics again (much less stealing of car radios, which was the popular crime way back when, because most cars now have radios in them and nobody needs two) - and increased security on the cars.

EDIT: so I expect vehicle related theft to take a sharp upswing when radio goes digital, as there will then be lots of cars in need of new radios.

The violent crime one may well be real - I'm less familiar with the details on that - but it has had a lot of redefinition over the years and I have got confused over what was in and out of the definition at different times. Plus there are some crimes that just don't show up on the BCS figures because of the way they are collected. They get them by interviewing victims of the crime - so for starters it doesn't include any murder, manslaughter or causing death by dangerous driving because the victims aren't alive any more to answer the survey questions (in absolute numbers this one won't make much of a difference to the graphs, but it does starkly show some of the difficulty in compiling them).

 

[sohois]

Mobile phones tend to be about their owner, but laptops definitely. MP3 players, very attractive too, if it's also not with the owner.

Then there's game consoles. Considerably bigger gaming market than before with consoles and games collectively of much higher value. PCs is roughly the same, but the monitors will be much lighter and possibly more valuable than the typical 1996 monitor, plus there's many more PCs now than 13 years ago too.

There seems to be a decline in stereos though as entertainment seems to be focusing around the PC and portable devices.

Someone seems awfully knowledgeable about the market for stolen goods...

 

[avaya]

Debt is NOT a sign of economic strength.

Most of the time your debt is utterly meaningless as long as you are able to adequately cover it, so permanent structural deficits are a no-no.

The current situation bar the lying Greeks is that Portugal, Spain, Italy and the UK have a lot of debt and an understandable increase in their budget deficits due to a global recession. France and Germany are no spring chickens either.

What is fucking mad is that EVERYONE knows these are temporary deficits bar the nutjob anti-Keynesian ideologues who wish to see the end of the fiat system. These people are nothing short of anarchists.

What makes this an order of magnitude worse is that the anarchists have been given the ability to take on super-massive positions as third parties to the whole event, all on margin. Institutions can write CDS on any sovereign debt they want.

Back in the day if you wanted to play silly buggers with a Central Bank you had to have the money to risk. CDS allows you to risk trillions for mere fractions of or no capital whatsoever. ECB bailout of $950bn can be eliminated by Goldman Sachs in the CDS market right now, they can create $10trillion in synthetic exposures tomorrow.

People outside the sphere have no fucking idea what is going on. Focus is on entirely the wrong place. Blankfein tried to help out during the hearings a week or so ago when he raised the issue of capital requirements for OTC transactions as a focus for new financial reform.

Till you make these bastards put up the CASH to fund their super-massive positions every country on the planet bar none is going to be fucking CRUSHED by this.

This is not a contagion. People using that word are woefully misinformed. The bond vigilantes are playing an altogether new game. This is a carefully coordinated attack by speculators on sovereign debt. The UK is next, some of the shorts have been heavily burned by the ECB bailout but the big boys have started to move into UK CDS. We are NEXT.

Cutting budget deficits will be meaningless. They don't care. They are baying for blood.

Japan and the US are very much on the target list too. The whole thing is so out of control I can scarcely believe it. I can't even look at some of the Bloomberg screens without being consumed with incandescent rage over this. It is absolutely disgraceful.

 

[Raydeen]

Oh please not the graph game, hardly a telling comment from the government with more massaging to figures then a Thai brothel. Given most youth crime is gang related where even the most savage victims won't talk, that's hardly accurate and bears no resemblance to local London newspapers stories of brutality. I would look for the figures, but they don't seem to be there any more. Of course overall crime had fallen, it's all card fraud and high tech, who the fuck gets burgled any more?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-suppressed-until-after-election-1922359.html

And Afghanistan not pointless? Tell that to the 200 or so British soldiers families who have got a shitty mis-spelled letter from Brown as the grinning Taliban regroup, as they always do. The Russians never beat them, what makes you think we and the Americans will? We are wasting billions every year for NOTHING. The real terrorist threat is here in the UK under our noses, not this militaristic red herring of Tora Bora.

 

[Parl]

Someone seems awfully knowledgeable about the market for stolen goods...

:lol Just my thoughts on what would be worth nicking today compared to when I was 10 years old. Though I unfortunately know of a person who seems to acquire laptops and 360s in such a fashion. He's a fairly detestible person even without that knowledge.

 

[Jex]

Oh please not the graph game, hardly a telling comment from the government with more massaging to figures then a Thai brothel. Given most youth crime is gang related where even the most savage victims won't talk, that's hardly accurate and bears no resemblance to local London newspapers stories of brutality. I would look for the figures, but they don't seem to be there any more. Of course overall crime had fallen, it's all card fraud and high tech, who the fuck gets burgled any more?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-suppressed-until-after-election-1922359.html

So you reply without any statistics, a story where statistics are missing, and admit crime has fallen. Well played.