Johndoe

Swings and roundabouts of the Capitalist system.WTF do they mean by "small arts" and why does anyone think that sector is relevant when the average joe blow just wants to stay employed and couldn't give shit about artistict merit? The growth in farm, fishery and forestry workers is a good indicator that the state isn't totally reliant (moving from it's reliance) on mining. As for the sluggishness in retail showing a direct impact on jobs, anyone with the slightest grasp of economics would surmise that the reverse is true...............that the sluggishness in jobs shows a direct impact on retail....................but hey ho..............I ain't an economist so no doubt someone will come along to tell me that I'm an idiot.

Agreed, but as I have said in past threads, commitment, compassion, ideals, don't "get things done" in a capitalist world. You have only two choices.............pragmatism of thought to change what the capitalists are prepared to allow to change, and acceptance that without violence, other things can't be changed, or violent revolution..............recent events re the Arab Spring have shown that peaceful revolution achieves nothing other than allowing those that you oppose to "muster forces" to defeat you.......................so what is Corbyns (and the peoples choice)? Partial victory through protest/democracy/media facilitating a supposed electoral victory, whilst meanwhile, as history and Marx has pointed out, the capitalist have time to "muster" whilst those whom the revolutionaries are championing, risk inferno?

The left are very good at photo opportunities...................albeit crap at answering press questions once given that opprtunity

Not really..................but yes........... He's a really a likeable bloke with admirable ideals who (perhaps) has done a few (questionably admirable) things in the sphere of reconciliation between certain factions, has furthered the cause for working class ideals/solidarity and of late, has unified/awakened the young voter, but sadly, despite his intelligence, seems to have ignored the lessons (that should be) learned from the past................... and that is.....................that the average Brit (working class/ lower class/ or otherwise) ain't accepting of (sudden/drastic) change via militancy, especially the elders who remember Scargills legacy and also recently, when that militancy seems to be driven by folk (irrespective of their accents) who are not of anglo saxon heritage. The folk "gobbing off" on news feeds re "posh area who thought the tower block was an eyesore and that "the insulation was fitted to suit the "posh bastards" and not really for insulation should be ashamed at attempting to make "class warfare" capital out of this, as should anyone who trumpets their call. It was the wrong insulation.............end of............cost cutting?.................perhaps?................class divide? ................hardly..........you cannot say that the rich would have been better treated because their properties would hardly need insulation anyways. For "gobshite mouthpieces" to say that the cladding was there purely for "cosmetics to suit the rich neighbours" so early in the game, reeks not of injustice/inequality but of making capital out of others' grief. Mistakes have clearly been made and any politician that turns this into a class warfare issue, irrespective of funding issues from either party, should be ashamed of themselves.

A simplification................perhaps not................but then again?....................It's been well covered here, and surprisingly, some of the Aussie coverage has shown things that the BBC and even Al Jazeera has not. Hopefully you know my political leanings, but,............."The poor people"? This is what I have seen in the coverage. Raised fists with iphones in one hand and multiple gold rings bracelets/watches on the other. Poor? The same woman in a hijab in several different locations filmed by different stations "arousing" the crowd".....................hate to say it but in colonial times such as Aden or Kenya, this woman would have been recognised and singled out immediately by the OC in charge of the riot squad, and if the crowd didn't disperse after warning, she would have been shot...............the crowd would immediately feck off when the agitator was out of the equation, not to put too fine a point on it. We've moved on since then hopefully, and we can remove agitators by less drastic means, or can we? My heart goes out to the two Syrian brothers who got separated from their other brother, presumed dead. They, and other (obviously recent immigrants, Muslims included) were much more measured, peaceful, and conciliatory in their responses to the press. ............hard to describe what I mean other than I felt for them, whereas those "gobbing off" hardly seemed to be "in mourning." Despite their recent sufferings and horrors of their homelands, they seemed more "accepting" and without anger at what has happened. I would have thought that they would be more angry having only (relatively) recently escaped the horrors of war only to be deprived of their loved ones when they thought that they had reached safety? What has been clearly illustrated from all that I've seen is that those that "shout loudest" are those with Brit/cockney accents, despite the fact that they display hijabs/turbans/dreadlocks and the odd white face. Yes, they may think that they have the right to shout louder because they've been in the UK longer, or because they think of themselves as Brits (rightfully so as far as residence goes) but quite frankly, I wonder if they really do, despite being perhaps 2nd and 3rd generation? Is that because of the poverty/inequality that they see within the UK as defining who they are or do they just simply aspire to things that are yet beyond the reach of any working class family, irrespective of ethnicity? Not one of the protesters that I have seen could (rightfully) be described as "in poverty" by mere virtue of the fact that they had a roof over their heads. Do they/should they blame successive Gov'ts for their poverty/inequality when some from similar backgrounds have risen above that poverty and achieved? If they have, why have those complaining not achieved?..............................Parents too busy whingeing/protesting/complaining/ simply not trying, (due to agitation from activists) to find time to motivate their kids to do better?

Can you clarify what you mean by "child orientated"? Also "than where we were in Australia"? Australia is a vast country and child care/education can vary vastly from stste to state and region to region..............as can the UK's Different cultures/nationalities have different perceptions/beliefs of "child rearing" for want of better words. Many folk think that the UK is better because of emphasis on academics, some think Australia is better because of emphasis on a more "rounded" education. Some parents from different cultures would be horrified to think of the pressures placed on some Asian children to achieve academically etc etc

Canadian Club..............on ice

I think so. The interview had poor sound but I'm pretty certain he was talking about another block

Some news outlets have got it wrong. I saw and heard the guy (live) who's comments have led to misrepresentation on the fridge question as all all he said was that concerns were raised a few weeks earlier as someone on his floor (the 4th) had a small fire which had resulted from a power surge to the building. It wasn't even the same high rise that he was talking about but the adjacent one. If there are other sources that can confirm that a faulty fridge, on the 4th floor, caused the current disaster, then it's a highly improbable coincidence (same floor, similar appliance)

One commentator has already pointed the finger at Boris for the station cuts

Chucked a like at you merely because you responded but it's hard when you really don't like the content of the post. Kate, you're so brave! Ross was big bloke at 98 kilos and he wouldn't let me (or anyone else) visit him as he'd gone down to 60. He wanted us to remember him as he was. Dunno if I could fight like you or him?

Bugger Kate! Are they letting you out for weekend?

And on here they don't post pictures of their breakfast..................WTF is that all about on FB?

Aaagh a boat! A hole in the water that your pour money into :-) Good on yer mate. This was my rig and oh how I miss her!

Married an Aussie so didn't have much say in the matter..................or in much of anything come to think about it?

@Jack91 If you click on any of my pictures it will bring it up on flickr and camera settings are in the exif below the image Sunset from Green Mountain Lamington State Forest (4) by Kevin Dickinson, on Flickr

Nah! Scots/German/ Dutch with a few Chichesters thrown in from Devon and Wales for good luck :-)

Sad b@stard.......I can't stop watching The Walking Dead.

Or hers

The biggest obstacle for the DUP to align will be the question of a soft, or hard border between the Republic. The general consensus is that the Brexit vote was carried mainly on the strength of tightening border control. The DUP want a soft border, the Brexit vote is generally considered as wanting a hard border. So do the tories concede a soft border to the DUP in return for their support, and thereby allow "immigration by the back door"?

They won't do it. They always campaign on not taking their seats

He's a recluse.

Yes he was a bully, and not a very likeable man as I saw how he verbally berated anyone who questioned him at branch meetings, but that doesn't/shouldn't detract from his lofty idealism and having very genuine concerns for the working man. He laid himself "on the line" many times both physically and verbally in his fight for socialist principles. One of the few union leaders who stood on a picket line with his members as opposed to those "leaders" who led from the rear via the media.

Totally agree with your last para but would dispute your statement regarding Scargill and other union leaders. Accepted that there would likely be some, Scargill included, who may have "come across" as seeking personal aggrandisement, but I met and talked with him as I had also done with a few union leaders such as Vic Feather and Len Murray and they all seemed totally committed to the betterment of the working class and to the nation as a whole. Pragmatism was not the best of Scargill's attributes, and he ended up being his, and the working classes as a whole, worst enemy. That said, I never doubted his ideals.

I shared the very same thoughts about Scargill and other Union leaders and still do, but just look at the state they left Britain in. Good intentions are not enough for successful leadership as you need to be a pragmatist that knows just how far you can go with your ideals without creating a backlash and when to back off. Unfortunately, I don't think Corbyn does.