Did you see the prominence the BBC has given to the thoughts of Comrade Brendan Barber on the UK economy today? Brendan reckons that “the finance and banking sectors” have caused the recession (Has he not read Gordon’s script? It all started in America, remember?) but that 2009 represents a chance for government to create a “new” and “more fair” economy. Yes, just like Cuba, I’m guessing. (BTW – the BBC celebrates 50 years of Castro tonight if you feel strong enough to tune in!) Brendan then shows his economic perspicuity by demanding more welfare benefits for the unemployed even though I note he does not specify where the money for this is coming from and naturally, the BBC merely acts as his PR agency. Since the Trade Unions have so little relevance to the wealth-creating sector of the UK economy, why is Barber given such a soap-box?
BRENDAN BARBER, ECONOMIST.
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“Has he not read Gordon’s script? It all started in America, remember?” That was then. Three days after Obama came to Earth to save us, I heard Brown on the radio stating that the credit crisis ‘started somewhere else’.
Well yes, but what Gordon doesn’t mention is the catalyst for all this.
And that would US politicians who swallow the quasi-socialist garbage he swallows.
State/government banks/lenders (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) at the heart of deformed lending practises enforced by the PC brigade (pandering politicos, corrupt interest groups) with threats, legislation, and blackmail.
The TUC and BBC publicists ignore this –
‘Telegraph’:
“Unemployed earning more in benefits than working households”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4001030/Unemployed-earning-more-in-benefits-than-working-households.html
“Welfare reform and the Recession” (James Forsyth)
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3196136/welfare-reform-and-the-recession.thtml
George R,
Yes, I noticed the silence on THAT subject of the unemployed earning more than the employed!
Well Cuba is disappointed to have “economic” (?) growth of only 4.3%
Cuba says it has suffered one of the most difficult financial years since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Economy minister Jose Luis Rodriguez said the Cuban economy had grown by 4.3% in the past year, falling short of the 8% forecast by the government.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7801686.stm
David Cameron says Gordon Brown is ‘dropping bombs’ on Britain
“Mr Cameron appeared to being likening Prime Minister Mr Brown to the German air force during World War II.
In a New Year message, the Tory leader made a strong attack on Mr Brown’s economic policies, and took issue with the Prime Minister’s repeated allusions to the war.
Mr Cameron said: “The Prime Minister tells us to find our Blitz spirit, when he is the one dropping the bombs – the tax and debt bombshells that are taking Britain to the brink of bankruptcy.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4029833/David-Cameron-says-Gordon-Brown-is-dropping-bombs-on-Britain.html
These socialists learn nothing – and forget nothing!
One despairs!
And that would be US politicians who swallow the quasi-socialist garbage he swallows.
Yes sort of; but to understand whats really going on, all you have to remember is also that none of this could possibly have happened in any sense whatsoever,
UNLESS THE BANKING SYSTEM and the people that control it, were WELL AND TRULY ON SIDE, ON MESSAGE, and PLANNED it all to happen, well in advance of time.
This is not called, conspiracy theory, this is called well informed, common sense, logical thinking.
UNLESS THE BANKING SYSTEM and the people that control it, were WELL AND TRULY ON SIDE, ON MESSAGE, and PLANNED it all to happen, well in advance of time.
Sorry, but Barney Frank, Chris Dodds, Jamey Gorelick, Franklin Raines and all the other involved in the Freddie/Fannie scam did not PLAN this outcome, as far as I can see.
They simply did not have the intellectual capacity to understand in their PC addled brains, that what they were doing would cause a chain-reaction collapse of “confidence” as bad loans turned toxic.
What they did plan was the systematic hyping of stock price rises which was tied into massive bonuses — ie. Gorelick/$25 million in 4 years.
While politicos were bought off with massive contributions to the Democratic party.
David Vance,
Barber clearly is spouting the Labour Narrative. Unless the BBC has done the selective editing they use to misrepresent their enemies, or support their friends, that is.
He doesn’t have to say “American” when blaming bankers because the BBC has already prepared the context for this remark. Everyone already knows it started in the US, and greedy British bankers who were influenced by the US way of doing business didn’t stop it in the UK.
Barber even brings out the official Brown-Peston mantra: “a fairer, more balanced economy delivering sustainable prosperity.”
All he’s doing is giving more fodder for the BBC to say, “See, Mr. Brown is right to massively increase public debt and public spending, etc.”
Plus, this functions as another scary story about the coming massive unemployment, another impetus to go even more neo-Marxist. Pity the workers, the common man! Trade Unions are still magical in BBC editorial meetings. Whether or not they’re wealth generators on their own has nothing to do with it.
Every event, in whatever direction, represents an opportunity to advance the cause, the Left can’t resist it. The worse it gets, more than ever “its no time for a novice”. The more more job insecurity, the more you need the State to look after you.
The BBC tapdancing away to Gordon’s tune. Don’t you get really really sick of it? As Devil’s Kitchen once put it, don’t you get the urge to rearrange their face with a tyre lever? (metaphorically speaking)
It’s about time one of these so-called “journalists” read the classic “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt, then perhaps they won’t be so quick to provide socialist idiots like Brendan Barber unchallenged soap boxes. It really is time that a thorough study was done to put a figure on the extent to which unions and the welfare state have stifled economic growth and kept real wage levels down. The really disgusting thing is that union idiots like Barber continue to peddle the lie that union action is responsible for our general prosperity.
Economy minister Jose Luis Rodriguez said the Cuban economy had grown by 4.3% in the past year, falling short of the 8% forecast by the government.
4.3% of sod all is still sod all isn’t it?
brummie dave;
Cuba counts public spending in it’s growth forecasting. If they spend more the country becomes richer. Hence high growth rates!
To be fair the BBC make mention of this.
Remember, guys, that economic growth of 4.3% includes record tractor production figures.
according to Financial Times stats 2005;
Cuba; GNP per capita $1600
GNP ranked 69th in world
USA; GNP per capita £34280
GNP ranked no1 in world
net result; not many boatloads of US citizens fleeing to Cuba for a better life.
frankos — but that’s only because communism has not been implemented correctly yet. Even in the Workers Paradise of Cuba.
Frankos – ranked GNP per capita doesn’t work well for a country like Cuba, which produces no credible statistics about anything.
A better step forward is the ranking of countries by income inequality(gini coefficient)
http://tiny.cc/9NrLH
You will find not what beeboids expect, that according to UN own data the modern european democracies also have generally the greatest equality of income distribution, and that the shitholes of Southern Africa and Southern America have the worst.
Cuba is missing because not even the UN believes anything that comes out of Fidels mouth except the cigar smoke.
Gini is a half-truth at best, which is why the UN love it. Generally under socialism you get equal misery, whereas under capitalism you generally get equal prosperity. But don’t tell the Beeboids. Its not what they want to hear.
Did Barber mention the new migrant workers and the effect on the lower paids take home money ? Did he mention the taxes we have to pay to the EU for the non excistent benefits of belonging ?
Did the BBC ask him?
David, can I just ask, if you dislike the BBC so much why do you choose to watch it so much and follow it’s schedule so strictly? If you dont like it, don’t watch it. That way it won’t annoy you nearly as much. Maybe try watching CITV or something more mellow (and gently irritating) like that.
coward — can I just say, please try to get the point.
That would be:
If the BBC was just some self-financed crazy lefty broadcaster like Channel 4, one could say while I deplore their rat-assed simplistic lefty slash Marxist-Leninist view of life, if they can persuade enough dopes to watch them, and attract advertisers to pay them, then ces la effing vie.
However as WE ARE FORCED TO PAY for the BBC whether we bleepin’ watch it or not, then it is not unreasonable to DISSENT against this soft-tyranny; and not just “not watch.”
I’d rather watch CCTV than the BBC. As far as news is concerned, that is.
With a few exeptions, BBC Comedy has produced decent output over the years (forgetting Brigstocke), as has drama (forgetting Spooks) and documentary (forgetting the greenie-bollox). Its expressly the News department infiltrated by the sneering liberal and left that I object to. I don’t want world events edited and selectively written to conform to their “social cohesion” or “international socialist” agenda. I shouldn’t have to pay to be lied to. I can get that elsewhere.
Think Mr Barber’s wish for increases in welfare payments has come true. April rises in income-based benefits such as Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support will be 6%!