What grinds my gears...

[tom27111]

7 minutes ago, Carl the Llama said:

The argument is that it clearly helped and should have been made permanent, especially now that living costs are rising, something which always impacts the lowest earners disproportionately.

 

No I'm pretty sure the people on Universal Credits and School Children are different groups, some might be in the same family but mum & dad aren't getting school meals too.

 

Rises on the tax they have to pay, yes, and they'd have every right to.  Wealth disparity is far worse now than it ever has been yet the top rate of tax doesn't reflect that reality at all.  The "higher rate" has remained at 40% since it dropped from 60% in 1989.  In 2010 there was an increase in the de-facto highest tax band with the introduction of the "additional rate" for earnings over £150,000, set initially at 50% by Brown's government, but reduced to 45% only 3 years later during the Cameron-Clegg coalition.  Despite the higher and additional rates not being touched since, the lowest tax band has seen an increase of one percentage point in each of the previous 5 budgets.  So yes they'd be well within their rights to moan.  If you want to analyse the rates yourself you can find the income tax rates from 90/91 until this year here.

Not arguing about it, but it grinds my gears that people now expect it because of a temporary fix due to the pandemic. 

 

If just 1 million people were claiming 20 quid extra a week, that's 20 million quid out of nowhere. Over a billion a year. 

 

It was a temporary fix, the government explained that.

 

Yes, the cost of living is rising, are my wages?

 

I also know scores of people who took second jobs during the pandemic whilst on furlough. 

 

They aren't still asking for furlough money now. 

 

If so many didn't fiddle the system, the people who genuinely need it could have more. 

[Carl the Llama]

5 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

Not arguing about it,

Then why have you gone on to pluck numbers out of thin air, demand a wage increase, introduce anecdotal evidence about fiddling the system (did you report any of these people?), before finally concluding that the worst off can't get more support because of this wrong-doing?  Increasing the additional tax rate, addressing the cronyism that's seen contracts worth millions given out to month-old companies belonging to friends, making proper use of our "350m extra a week", these are the kinds of things which would address your concerns and allow for the increased UC rate.  Targeting the poor is a tried and tested strategy but it works as a diversionary tactic, not as a solution.

[ozleicester]

1 hour ago, tom27111 said:

Not arguing about it, but it grinds my gears that people now expect it because of a temporary fix due to the pandemic. 

 

If just 1 million people were claiming 20 quid extra a week, that's 20 million quid out of nowhere. Over a billion a year. 

 

It was a temporary fix, the government explained that.

 

Yes, the cost of living is rising, are my wages?

 

I also know scores of people who took second jobs during the pandemic whilst on furlough. 

 

They aren't still asking for furlough money now. 

 

If so many didn't fiddle the system, the people who genuinely need it could have more. 

yeh what a cheek, imagine believing you have a right to eat, and as a society we have a responsibility to look after others.

If the government actually taxed the wealthy and stop corrupting every second of the day, there would be enough oney for all.

Remember in the 70s... the top tax rate was 90%.... now its 45% This is why we as a society dont have enough money to really help.

 

[Buce]

12 hours ago, tom27111 said:

Not arguing about it, but it grinds my gears that people now expect it because of a temporary fix due to the pandemic. 

 

If just 1 million people were claiming 20 quid extra a week, that's 20 million quid out of nowhere. Over a billion a year. 

 

It was a temporary fix, the government explained that.

 

Yes, the cost of living is rising, are my wages?

 

I also know scores of people who took second jobs during the pandemic whilst on furlough. 

 

They aren't still asking for furlough money now. 

 

If so many didn't fiddle the system, the people who genuinely need it could have more. 

 

Sigh.

 

I had hoped that with so many people having been saved from ruin by the furlough scheme there might have been gained an appreciation of just how little the un/under-employed actually have to live on.

 

The fact that is was a 'temporary fix' merely goes to show that the rate was too low in the first place.

[Voll Blau]

On 08/10/2021 at 01:42, leicsmac said:

Social Darwinists who think that the world getting easier to survive for more people in a more comfortable fashion is somehow bad or unfair because reasons.

 

Yeah, you suffered, mate. It's being a sociopath to wish that on everyone else too.

 

Probably I really shouldn't care what other folks on the web think about this because it might be better for my health, but then these folks can vote and therefore affect state policy, so...

"It did me no harm..."

 

It did pal. It really did.

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

"It did me no harm..."

 

It did pal. It really did.

Made you blind to your survivorship bias for a start, pal.

[FoxyPV]

The ****ing cold.

 

We're all dosed here

[The Bear]

10 minutes ago, FoxyPV said:

The ****ing cold.

 

We're all dosed here

I had it last week. Ended up buying some Sudafed nasal spray so I could at least breathe through my nose at night and get to sleep. 

[drumbeat]

On 08/10/2021 at 22:47, tom27111 said:

I'm basically neutral on politics

Nah, ged outta here.

[tom27111]

5 hours ago, drumbeat said:

Nah, ged outta here.

Never voted in my life, doubtful I ever will.

 

I'm grateful that I have the right to vote, but nobody has earned my support.

 

They're all shysters. Give with one hand, take away with the other.

 

It's my decision to abstain. 

[The Bear]

1 hour ago, tom27111 said:

Never voted in my life, doubtful I ever will.

 

I'm grateful that I have the right to vote, but nobody has earned my support.

 

They're all shysters. Give with one hand, take away with the other.

 

It's my decision to abstain. 

I'm basically the same. 

 

If I voted it'd be Green, but they're not even close to be in a position to have any effect on a general election. 

[tom27111]

11 minutes ago, The Bear said:

I'm basically the same. 

 

If I voted it'd be Green, but they're not even close to be in a position to have any effect on a general election. 

 

Isn't it mandatory to vote green if you drive a Tesla? 

[Dunge]

5 minutes ago, The Bear said:

I'm basically the same. 

 

If I voted it'd be Green, but they're not even close to be in a position to have any effect on a general election. 

I wouldn’t vote Green in a month of Sundays, but if you feel strongly about them you should absolutely get out and vote for them. Your vote might be the one that allows the candidate in your constituency to keep their deposit. It could give them more electoral influence in the future. The issues that they campaign on are more likely to be taken seriously by the bigger parties if they get more votes, which is surely at least a partial desired effect? Like when the very presence and power of UKIP got Cameron to offer the Brexit referendum, despite them ultimately returning (if I remember correctly) 1 MP.

 

There are plenty of reasons to go out and vote for someone who isn’t going to win, but if you believe in them regardless. Particularly if your alternative is not voting at all.

 

Alternatively if you still don’t give a damn then fair enough. 

[drumbeat]

9 hours ago, tom27111 said:

It's my decision to abstain. 

Arguably a political decision, no?

 

You've engaged, assessed and decided nobody has earned your support. Or, put another way perhaps (as I see this inference) you would vote if there was someone to support.

 

But we're talking semantics, I get what you're saying even if I think your decision to not vote is poltical.

 

I personally always vote even if it's pissing in the wind, even if my vote is made on an 'on balance' position.

[Voll Blau]

People I come across who proudly boast to you about not voting usually seem to have a bit of a weird superiority complex about them - as if there's this amazing alternative system of government that they know about but the rest of us are too thick to work out?

[ozleicester]

25 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

People I come across who proudly boast to you about not voting usually seem to have a bit of a weird superiority complex about them - as if there's this amazing alternative system of government that they know about but the rest of us are too thick to work out?

Its easy to take no responsibility if you dont vote.. "Its your own fault you voted them in".

IMO, In general, non voters are in such a privileged position as to not care who gets in, and just dont care enough about others to try for change or improvement (whichever side you fall on)

[drumbeat]

And at the other end of the scale, I reckon some people don't vote because they have the opinion that voting won't change anything (for them) That's a perspective I can understand.

[FoxyPV]

5 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

People I come across who proudly boast to you about not voting usually seem to have a bit of a weird superiority complex about them - as if there's this amazing alternative system of government that they know about but the rest of us are too thick to work out?

Time to bring in PR.

[Voll Blau]

21 minutes ago, FoxyPV said:

Time to bring in PR.

All for that. Reckon the same type of people I'm on about would still be droning on about not voting though.

[UniFox21]

Girlfriend has a weekly call with a mental health person to check in once a week, today the person was 5mins late calling, followed by a couple of minutes of finding a clear signal and because of that they cancelled/rescheduled the entire call. 

[goose2010]

People who smoke during pregnancy, just been with the wife for her scan and seeing 3 women outside all heavily pregnant smoking without a care in the world. 

 

I know its an addiction and it is tough to give up but there is so much support for pregnant women from the NHS to give it up. The posters in the waiting rooms are enough for any one with an ounce of determination you would have thought. 

[Rain King]

48 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Girlfriend has a weekly call with a mental health person to check in once a week, today the person was 5mins late calling, followed by a couple of minutes of finding a clear signal and because of that they cancelled/rescheduled the entire call. 

It's a joke at the moment. I last received a call in May, every month since then I have received a text message the day before my scheduled call to advise it is cancelled due to staff shortages/sickness and re-arranging for the next month.

[leicsmac]

The pathetic excuse for a healthcare "system" the US has.

 

Poor, even if it's through no fault of your own? Bugger off, you deserve to suffer and die.

[Stuntman_Mike]

When someone is invited onto a TV show, mainly the news, and they're asked a question by the host or presenter and before they even finish the answer they keep being interrupted because they're pushed for time. Either make the time, or don't invite them on in the first place to give their opinion.

[BenTheFox]

When I go to a bar with a girl and they get Id'd but I don't. Basically accusing me of being a nonce.