Comments for Belittle Britain http://www.belittlebritain.org Tories running Britain down to win cheap votes Sun, 18 May 2008 03:29:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 Comment on Even Mexicans drink more than we Brits by Paul http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/09/06/even-mexicans-drink-more-than-we-brits/#comment-13 Paul Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:42:07 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/09/06/even-mexicans-drink-more-than-we-brits/#comment-13 Brilliant. Typical that they slate her in the Torygraph. Brilliant. Typical that they slate her in the Torygraph.

]]> Comment on Stealth cuts by Giles http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/30/stealth-cuts/#comment-12 Giles Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:09:21 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/30/stealth-cuts/#comment-12 Good blog, sir. But this angle on green taxes is not quite right. Fuel taxes raise revenue. They also disincentivize driving. We would drive more if petrol cost 20p rather than £1 per gallon. It is not either-or - these are sloping demand curves. Green taxes ought to be the only thing the Parties agree on - except our somewhat childish politics does not allow for that. Good blog, sir. But this angle on green taxes is not quite right. Fuel taxes raise revenue. They also disincentivize driving. We would drive more if petrol cost 20p rather than £1 per gallon. It is not either-or - these are sloping demand curves.

Green taxes ought to be the only thing the Parties agree on - except our somewhat childish politics does not allow for that.

]]> Comment on Tory attack on Mandela by Laurence Boyce http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-11 Laurence Boyce Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:01:58 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-11 Thanks for having a go at Donal and for linking to my article. Thanks for having a go at Donal and for linking to my article.

]]> Comment on Tory attack on Mandela by Gareth Williams http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-10 Gareth Williams Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:31:05 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-10 Mmmm! Thats asuming this typical tory would translate to a "Blek" citizen of the "homelands" - Otherwise I suspect he would have joined the AWB chorus, and changed his name to "Van de Meuw" Mmmm! Thats asuming this typical tory would translate to a “Blek” citizen of the “homelands” - Otherwise I suspect he would have joined the AWB chorus, and changed his name to “Van de Meuw”

]]> Comment on Dave’s “broken” Britain: Part 1 by G Smith http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/09/05/about-that-broken-society-part-1/#comment-9 G Smith Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:30:31 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/09/05/about-that-broken-society-part-1/#comment-9 Even my fairly untrained eye can see that there is no correlation between Spam's statement and your graph. Or perhaps you can explain how it refutes his statement? Many of those jobs may have gone to Poles etc. Secondly, is it possible to get a breakdown of how many of these newly created jobs are real jobs and how many are public sector non-jobs? I'm no economist but my initial thought is that job creation is a fairly crude method of measuring economic health. A better way, surely, is to look at the number of bankruptcies. Any data on those? Best regards Even my fairly untrained eye can see that there is no correlation between Spam’s statement and your graph. Or perhaps you can explain how it refutes his statement? Many of those jobs may have gone to Poles etc.

Secondly, is it possible to get a breakdown of how many of these newly created jobs are real jobs and how many are public sector non-jobs?

I’m no economist but my initial thought is that job creation is a fairly crude method of measuring economic health. A better way, surely, is to look at the number of bankruptcies. Any data on those?

Best regards

]]> Comment on Tory attack on Mandela by Michael Thomas http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-8 Michael Thomas Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:11:05 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/tory-attack-on-mandela/#comment-8 Not about his article, but was unable to comment in your other section. " ... when pensioners died of cold in the winter and when there were three million unemployed." I am sure you are not really interested but in case you are, figures for 2004/2005 show that 31,250 people over 65 died from cold-related illnesses in England and Wales. The UK also has a higher number of winter deaths than Finland, Denmark and Austria. Also, although the term is now "inactive", there are well over 5 million now. Not about his article, but was unable to comment in your other section.

” … when pensioners died of cold in the winter and when there were three million unemployed.”

I am sure you are not really interested but in case you are, figures for 2004/2005 show that 31,250 people over 65 died from cold-related illnesses in England and Wales.
The UK also has a higher number of winter deaths than Finland, Denmark and Austria.

Also, although the term is now “inactive”, there are well over 5 million now.

]]> Comment on Family values by Jonathan Miller http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-7 Jonathan Miller Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:21:53 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-7 As pointed out above, the low divorce rate is most strongly related to the low marriage rate. It is a bit rich for this blog to criticise 'unthinking' conservatives if the author cannot even read to the end of a Guardian article that explains the relationship between dropping marriage rates and dropping divorce rates. The benefits of marriage are easily demonstrable. Children of married couples tend to do better at school, are less frequently delinquent etc. They are also less of a burden on the welfare state, and therefore better value than children of married couples. It is hard to see why the left is so down on marriage. Even Communist Russia realised that marriage was a better solution than children being raised by the state. If this blog were actually to check its facts and offer rational debate I might be more inclined to read it. As pointed out above, the low divorce rate is most strongly related to the low marriage rate. It is a bit rich for this blog to criticise ‘unthinking’ conservatives if the author cannot even read to the end of a Guardian article that explains the relationship between dropping marriage rates and dropping divorce rates.
The benefits of marriage are easily demonstrable. Children of married couples tend to do better at school, are less frequently delinquent etc. They are also less of a burden on the welfare state, and therefore better value than children of married couples.
It is hard to see why the left is so down on marriage. Even Communist Russia realised that marriage was a better solution than children being raised by the state.
If this blog were actually to check its facts and offer rational debate I might be more inclined to read it.

]]> Comment on Family values by NorthernMonkey http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-6 NorthernMonkey Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:51:28 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-6 Any politician who moralises about marriage shouldn't be given the time of day. Who cares what the marriage or divorce rate is? It's a personal matter and not something politicians should get involved in. Cameron's lost the plot as expected and he's now desperately trying to shore up the crumbling core vote whilst waving goodbye to the centre ground. There's only four issues Tories love to talk about - Brussels, marriage, criminals and immigrants. Unfortunately for them, the country has far higher priorities like the economy. I would care about what Cameron said if I thought for a second he actually had a chance of being Prime Minister of this country, but as we all know, that's not going to happen. You keep banging on about 'corrupting' video games and nasty immigrants Dave, the rest of the country will ignore you. Any politician who moralises about marriage shouldn’t be given the time of day. Who cares what the marriage or divorce rate is? It’s a personal matter and not something politicians should get involved in.

Cameron’s lost the plot as expected and he’s now desperately trying to shore up the crumbling core vote whilst waving goodbye to the centre ground. There’s only four issues Tories love to talk about - Brussels, marriage, criminals and immigrants. Unfortunately for them, the country has far higher priorities like the economy.

I would care about what Cameron said if I thought for a second he actually had a chance of being Prime Minister of this country, but as we all know, that’s not going to happen. You keep banging on about ‘corrupting’ video games and nasty immigrants Dave, the rest of the country will ignore you.

]]> Comment on Family values by A http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-5 A Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:10:59 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-5 It's not the divorce RATE that is at a low, it's the NUMBER of divorces, which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place. It’s not the divorce RATE that is at a low, it’s the NUMBER of divorces, which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place.

]]> Comment on Family values by A http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-4 A Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:09:52 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-4 Well, actually, it's not the divorce RATE that is at a low - it's the NUMBER of divorces. Which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place. Well, actually, it’s not the divorce RATE that is at a low - it’s the NUMBER of divorces. Which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place.

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