Posts by codejunky

Re: Where's the Line?

@AC

I think the question should be has the EU crossed the line and how will they recover from it? The EU are charging a private business for selling its own products instead of its competitors. They are doing it because they have now only just decided that Google has market dominance and that plugging their own stuff in combination with market dominance is against the law. That sounds like the EU is making stuff up to fine Google arbitrarily.

Interestingly there doesnt seem to even be a solution to the problem, only that Google must provide a solution and then be monitored for compliance. The more I read about this the more it seems the EU is fining Google and then making up reasons to do so. How can Google have complied with a law that wasnt a law until they were fined for it?

Re: "According to "Mogg" you cannot call it a shambles, that is something totally different."

@ John Smith 19

"keep May in the job till after Brexit, and then blame all failures on her"

Not a bad plan. Failing to brexit or a half brexit should certainly be blamed on someone and its not like its too difficult. As our negotiations have already won the rights of EU and Brits rights to be in their preferred country. Not that it is reported that way but the EU refused and our negotiators wouldnt grant unilateral rights no matter how dumb idiots insisted we should.

Re: @ Triggerfish

"the conservatives have been just as responsible for building the debt pile as Labour."

Of course. I have seen a few that seem to legitimately slam the conservatives and combined the parties left us begging to the IMF at one point (although labour tend to get slammed more for it because it was the unions holding the country to ransom). I just really didnt like the selectivity of that link when I am certain real evidence is available.

"However I would also say my point if badly shown was that to say labour have been the only ones spending and putting us in debt, whilst the conservatives have been wonderfully fiscally responsible and taking us out of debt is a bit of a misnomer."

When Osborne made his claims to end the deficit I couldnt believe the insanity. It restricted what he could do if the need arose (and things were hairy for a while). Then their move to the centre left to block labour from returning showed that politics was worth more to them than the voters. As much as people dont like austerity it has been shown that we have not had austerity but also it doesnt seem to have caused any real harm to the economy nor been better than cash splurging.

"Question would this stand better? Admittedly from a blog and could be biased."

I expect it is but that is one of the articles I was thinking about. Another does a similar thing in graph form. Nice one finding that source I lost them ages ago.

@ Triggerfish

"https://fullfact.org/economy/labour-and-conservative-records-national-debt/"

Wow that link is awful. The worst debt situation without a world war yet that is glossed over as this isnt the highest debt we have had. And then for sick amusement ignoring the huge upward jump (in most of the graphs) which starts from the global recession and then blames the tories. I aint a fan of the tories but that is the level of propaganda I expect from momentum/socialists.

Amusing that site considers itself a fact site. I guess it has provided some facts but very selectively.

@ Rich 11

"when someone doesn't have an economic argument against borrowing to invest, or against recognising the need to fund health and education properly"

Doesnt investment assume return? In that case our schools and NHS can start the glorious returns from labours massive money splurge on them. As I point out to anyone who thinks just pissing money without a plan is a good idea, splurging during a boom and borrowing to do the kind of investment you are talking about has left us in this situation. We had nothing left for when the recession hit, we were caught out because Brown had got rid of boom and bust.

Now the NHS and education and everyone else wants the same levels of funding but also pay increases as when we were in the middle of the biggest modern times boom + borrowing even more. Even after a prolonged recession and global slowdown.

"Much better to lower taxes for the wealthy right this minute rather than invest in long-term plans that will benefit everyone."

The people who employ us? 'I have never been employed by a poor man' is a quote from I think a window cleaner arguing against punitive tax increases on the 'rich'.

Re: Hillary

@ Bucky 2

"They have to continue hating Clinton. If they stop, they would have to accept that Clinton would have been better for the nation"

Thats a large leap. The republicans were mocked for offering a 'clown car' of candidates while the democrats dictated Hillary would win and anyone not voting the way they dictate must be *insert insults*. I dont care how good anyone thinks a candidate is that is not how an election should be run. Hopefully next election the democrats will offer choice instead of an extremist (to make Hillary look normal), Hillary and 3 seat fillers.

Re: @ anonymous boring coward

"Do you have any idea how far to the right the Tories are"

Yes. Under Cameron they were centre left authoritarian (intentionally to deny labour returning to the centre ground). Under May they lurched centre right authoritarian.

"vs, for example, Scandinavian countries?"

You mean the countries which have until recently been homogeneous and is now starting to deal with open racism? The place where referendums and local taxation for local use instead of our authoritarian central model? The places which tried a socialist model, then retreated a fair amount when they realised it doesnt work, and still contends with the serious difficulties of lower growth, underperformance, greater privatisation of public services including health, etc? Sorry you were making a point...

"A few years of course correction won't hurt."

Your right. How long do you think it would take to destroy success and make it a failure? How long of economic incompetence (we are not discussing becoming Scandinavian but instead Venezuelan) will it take to drag us all down? And if a few years wont hurt then you surely cant be complaining of the few years of lib/tory coalition, or Cameron centre left, or May lurch right? Or are you of the correct opinion that stupidity can penalise us quickly? And if so aiming for the rocks with Corbyn's proven idiocy will hurt.

"A hard Brexit with May the OCD (strong and stable) PM will hurt many times more."

This part I wont necessarily contest to much. Hard brexit is a great thing in my view. But since May could be shafted into a soft or no brexit then we could easily suffer badly. And of course May wouldnt be my choice for leading the country once free of the EU.

Just to ask you- have you any idea how far left we have moved? How severely and damagingly stupidly left (beyond the good of the left) we have gone? And worst of all it has been authoritarian left. And how bad has it been? Well so many people are moaning about the country and its debts, migration issues, incompetence of government, etc. Where discrimination is not only acceptable but promoted. Where nationalism is globalism and globalism is nationalism. Where we want poor countries to be better off but lock them out of such help because we want to protect our privileges. Where skin colour and sex is the reason to get a job instead of competence.

Re: So when will the politicians learn?

@ whileI'mhere

"I guess Jeremy Corbyn is not a politician, then."

The same Corbyn who would never push the nuclear button and is totally against Trident. Right up until the unions complained. Then he wanted to build the subs but not load them with nukes.

Re: @ anonymous boring coward

@ anonymous boring coward

"You are comparing some dictator"..."with one of the worlds oldest democracies"

Nope. I am comparing economic stupidity with the same economic stupidity. Centralising control to bring about a socialist vision where the real world and the utopia dream do not meet. It doesnt matter how they reach the bad idea, only that its the same bad ideas. Unfortunately the Tories suggested a stupid idea of their own on energy price caps. Anyone can have a bad idea, its the constant repeating of the same bad ideas that irritates.

I am also certain the Venezuelans didnt see it happening there. Nor everywhere else it is tried over and over.

@ anonymous boring coward

"Sure, Corbyn sometimes sounds like some Chavez Light, but given the systems in place in the UK there is no risk of an actual Venezuela situation."

Really? Venezuela a middle income country with oil being boned by a lack of economic competence. Corbyn and his clan at one point discussing printing money for the gov to spend unlike QE which can be rolled back. Corbyn who wants to nationalise everything. Corbyn who thinks he knows how people should spend their own money better than them so would steal it to fund a labour spending spree.

It is very dangerous to put such a clueless nutter in charge and think he cant drag us back to a ruined country.

"A mild course correction towards the Scandinavian model is about as extreme as it will ever get here."

Except that isnt on offer. Instead of more referendums, local power (not central gov), local taxation for local spending, homogeneous population and accepting that the socialist model doesnt work in a vacuum but through free market.

Last time this country tried to please socialists it was begging to the IMF and barely working. That does not sound like success nor something I would want to live through.

Re: "I do dislike this form of voting. "

@ John Smith 19

"The odds on bet is you won't make a difference"

I voted UKIP and we not only got a referendum but also a vote to leave. I do agree that under a more representative system UKIP would have had much more direct influence over how. I seriously agree with people who dont vote dont really have much right to complain, if they cannot be bothered being heard then why should anyone listen.

"This might sound a bit like the US Presidential system where people voted Trump as "The lesser evil.""

I do dislike the idea of voting against Hillary but I can see a good reason voting for Trump (and once my favoured candidate dropped out I thought Trump would be a good idea) because he isnt either of the parties. To me Trump and Sanders were the same extreme and bluster but at the opposite extremes. I wanted Trump to win, not because I thought he would be any good, but because it will hopefully force US politicians and parties to improve.

Re: "I believed our local labour candidate would be a better MP "

@ John Smith 19

"beyond voting the runner up to keep someone out"

I do dislike this form of voting. The only certainty of the outcome is someone winning that neither of you want. If people would vote for who they want then at least they can be happy if they win and accepting if they lose. If someone votes for someone they dont want to keep out someone they dont want then they are firstly a protest vote and secondly unhappy regardless of the result.

Re: Hmm

@ Naselus

"I did notice the entire Tory party trying to smear just about all of the Labour leadership as stupid, naive, pacifist, weak terrorists though."

Absolutely and thats what we expect from politicians. And the people on the ground backing up 'their' party and trying to convince the others of being wrong. But instead of that last part there was a lot of people who seemed to be so fragile in their views that they couldnt allow themselves to listen or even be around someone of a different view. I found it sad because a lack of ability to discuss their position showed how fragile it was. And they had no problem pushing their constant stream of propaganda as long as it wasnt questioned.

I dont care what party anyone supports, at that point it is fanaticism.

Re: First Past the Post

@AC

"The mess was caused by the banks, the same banks the Tories wanted to reduce regulation on prior to 2008"

The global financial crisis was due to the banks. The financial position of the country with its lavish overspending during a boom is not the fault of the banks.

"The economy was starting to grow by 2010, at a faster rate than under the Tories."

Easy to do until the credit dries up. Until the bill is called it is easy to live beyond your means. Brown did that through a boom and thought he had defied economics that there would be no bust.

Re: Bah!

@ Stevie

"But I thought Brexit was all about keeping out Johnny Foreigner."

Unfortunately some people were under that misunderstanding. Some of them xenophobes, a lot of them supported remain. Those who understood the objective of leaving the EU was to be global trading and global in our interactions.

A similar misunderstanding is that being within the borders of the EU to protect ourselves from the world (or even the US) is somehow global while exiting the EU and interacting with the world is nationalistic.

It is concerning to read that some people are adamant that white is black and black is white.

Re: How many are from India?

@ Down not across

"Wouldn't taking skilled workers from EU (and arranging a visa, should one be needed post-Brexit) work just as well?"

Sure. That is a good argument not to show favouritism to the EU as getting the skills from anywhere applicable in the world works just as well.

Re: I Think We Need The BBC

@ Paul 195

"Except in practice, the number of people in the UK who never watch the BBC, never listen to BBC radio, and never use the BBC website is probably a lot closer to zero than the number of people who whine about the license fee. And I suspect the majority of people who complain about the license fee are perfectly well able to afford it, they just have an ideological objection."

I think that is a fantastic argument. And to prove your point how about letting the people who use the BBC pay for it and those who dont dont? That would surely make everyone happy and show people how much they rely on the BBC (or more likely how few people bother with it).

@ John Smith 19

"The UK is in the process of leaving the EU.

It has not actually left. That happens in 22 months."

Yup. We have not even left and they are begging us not to go. The good news is they seem to be accepting we want out even if they are desperate to change our minds.

Re: Latest El Reg Brexit opinion poll

@ Charlie Clark

"Ahem, inflation was well-ahead of target for years which is one of the reasons why most people have seen a decline in their standard of living since 2008 and one of the main reasons for understandable protest."

Its almost like something happened. Like a recession. And after the noise of a correction (where the living beyond our means is corrected) we want greater core inflation because then the BoE can raise its rates. Because unfortunately the base rate is abnormally low and would struggle to be lowered when the next recession hits (at any time now).

Those people are protesting too late. They should have been protesting during the spending and demanding restraint. Instead they complain now they get the bill for all that overspending. Tough. What about the rest of us who opposed the overspend? We still have to pay the bill too.

Re: The gargoyle’s mouth is a loudspeaker

@ Brewster's Angle Grinder

"All we want is the upsides we currently have with none of the downsides"

I keep hearing this and not from the leavers. Is this the new position of the remain goal line or something? Leave was based on the basis that no deal is an improvement on being in the EU. Funny enough this lines up perfectly with the worst case position of the EU so if the talks fail we win anyway. Of course that does not rule out a trade deal if they are interested but if they 'want to punish us' then we can walk away no trouble and no hard feelings.

Re: Latest El Reg Brexit opinion poll

@ Pen-y-gors

"Does this reflect (as that 'nice' Mr Heseltine has recently suggested), that public opinion is now swinging strongly against the whole daft idea?"

That is a tough call. Even against all the facts people assumed remain would win the referendum. It was only when the polls started to wobble a little that the remain campaign kicked off with its propaganda efforts. And interestingly even long after the result the ridiculous propaganda efforts continue. Look at the recent news crying about inflation. Something the BoE and gov have been trying to get up since 2008! Something we need to rise so the base rate can rise and prepare us for the next recession.

I am amused that the German finance minister is again saying we can change our minds and they will let us come back. The desperation of the EU to avoid brexit is obvious and telling but the worrying part is the stupidly wrong arguments repeated to just ditch democracy by people here thinking they know best. I expect a lot of them to be the arrogant fools who wanted to adopt the Euro here and called everyone else eurosceptics. A word that vanished quickly when we were proved right.

Re: The gargoyle’s mouth is a loudspeaker

@ smartypants

"So we're a year down the line, and *STILL* Nobody in either Labour or the Conservatives can agree on what the hell this Brexit thing is about and what to ask for at the negotiations."

To be fair nobody could agree what remaining in the EU is or was either. An entire history had to be rewritten and the aims of the gov/BoE had to be entirely rewritten/re-framed to make the remain cause. The EU was some wonderful capitalist hope, a socialist wet dream, a trade utopia and the defence against the rest of the world. The sacrificing of Greece had to be re-framed as their fault and the EU being a saviour and it was simultaneously going to be the loose collection of countries with no further integration and a federalising superstate to challenge the world.

At least by the end of the campaigning the remain view settled on the EU being a steaming turd but we should remain to reform it into *again insert the many contradicting views*.

Re: Brexit

@AC

"Does anyone actually believe that the EU will allow trade without following and adhering to their regulations and rules?"

Do we care? Anyone exporting with any country has to meet the criteria of that country in its exports even with the EU. However being in the EU unfortunately means we are bound locally by the EU's standards while getting out doesnt stop us exporting to the EU, but frees us up in this country at the same time.

Re: Brexit

@ fishman

"It just gives Brexit fans another reason to leave the EU."

Sort of but not quite. Unfortunately we have people here who want to do the same things. But it does remove another attempt of remain fans to claim the EU is better.

Re: Real world underfunding

@AC

"So when exactly will the promised financial benefits be forthcoming?"

and

"Farmers are asking the same question about their continuing subsidies."

Now why would farmers be thinking about subsidies if we leave? Would it be related to the EU being more expensive than the world so requiring subsidy? And without the subsidy the cheaper products are a benefit to??? Everyone!

I just hope May doesnt screw this up. A good Brexit would have been assured if UKIP won last time.

Re: The basics...

@Zog_but_not_the_first

"then what is it for?"

Health

Education

Welfare

Law

Borders

Foreign aid/expenses (e.g. diplomatic, EU fee, etc)

Infrastructure projects

and many more

Plus-

Toys (millennium dome, olympics, etc)

Bribing voters with more welfare

Increased anti-terrorism/surveillance authoritarianism

Hot topic of the day wastes of money (green bollocks, smart meters, etc)

Add the waste of budgets where you must spend all of it to claim the same or more next time leading to it being splurged on anything at the end of the budget year, jobsworths and other parasitical activities and the money vanishes very quickly.

Re: Real world underfunding

@ Gezza

Thanks for posting that. It is nice to see the remain stick being taken off them and hitting them back.

Re: Free NHS. Terrorism. Bombs, have shown health insurance is one less thing to worry about.

@ David Nash

"It's about wanting the NHS in its true public form"

Unfortunately this causes a massive problem of what its true form is. A massive religion opposed to change of any form bar more money has left us with the current system. Free at the point of use seems to be what people want except they then want input on how that is to be delivered.

The problem seems to be that people want good quality, cheap and quick. Oh and nothing private, more doctors, more nurses, more hospitals, more drugs, more expensive drugs, extra cash for speciality drugs not offered because of a lack of cost/benefit, etc.

I do feel bad that the NHS is going to fall under its own weight and to a point its success (people live longer). But the best healthcare system in the world is not copied elsewhere and only really boasts about free at the point of use. And its supporters boast it is better than the US as if the US is the entire developed world.

I think the first part of any solution is to recognise the problem and be honest about it. I hope we look to solve it before the health service crashes and burns.

Re: shame

@ BarryUK

Labour is a brexit alternative? I dont think labour know what labour is apart from economic suicide. Didnt they suggest a vote on the outcome of the negotiations? Thereby making negotiation irrelevant. Apart from Tories the only other party accepting brexit is UKIP and while I had high hopes for them last GE this time they seem to be a bit chaotic.

Apart from that as you point out there is a denial of democracy even from the self named liberal democrats. As for getting involved in politics do you think I have time or money to create from scratch a political party to see through brexit and see tot he national interests in security, economy, etc? And since this is a national problem not a local one that is the scale we are talking.

@ Suricou Raven

"Leave won the referendum by a 2% margin. That's barely a win. Such a close vote would suggest the country wants out of the EU, but should still maintain some level of close ties - perhaps purely economic rather than political."

Just a little highlighting to state the point. And the referendum was a simple in or out vote, not a 60 shades of interpretation. You might interpret it that way but thats just you. Both remain and leave had various different ideas of what winning ment for them but the question was a simple one. Presented by the remain camp and a rigged vote in favour of the remain camp.

"It was May and the Conservative party who decided that 52% means to abandoned Europe entirely, rule out from day one any chance of close economic union, and burn any bridges leading back."

Actually it was the EU who decided it was entirety in or out. It is the EU who are breaking their own negotiating rules by demanding parts of the negotiation must be completed before the rest (the bill and 4 'freedoms' rubbish). It is the EU talking about punishing anyone who dare choose to leave the group. Hopefully may will have the spine to take no deal instead of a bad one.