To not understand why we are cutting social care but can afford a war?

[Destinysdaughter]

Was just watching on the news about massive cuts in social care and it's seen as the only way to reduce the defecit bla bla but if that is really the case his can we afford to spend millions bombing Syria???

I may be naive but why is there money for killing people but not for caring for people..?

Because men care more about war, power and money.

As PP said we could cut other budgets too like prisons and the arts and sports and the NHS by not treating by smokers, drinkers and obese people - and put that into other budgets - where would people like this to end because believe you me if we were invaded you would want the "war" budget then.

"It's unlikely to be a coincidence that the UKs first bombing target was 'oil fields'."

Correct. See the many statements from Corbyn about the need to destroy Daesh's oil revenues.

Destinysdaughter I think the PP meant that in many countries people have to fund social care themselves.

It's easy - War makes money, socially budgets spend money.

They're cutting 60 million pounds from Birmingham's social care budget over the next few years which is going to have devastating effects for many people ( and I'm sure it's similar in other areas, I only know this as I'm watching the Midlands' news). What exactly are we defending when we can't even take care of our most vulnerable and needy?

Quite a lot of what is being used is capability we are paying for anyhow.

We have extended the area over which the RAF will bomb, and to do so are using more planes, but we own them anyhow. So more fuel and more of the bombs themselves. How much is it estimated to cost?

The Tory voters and government think only about themselves.

As for the H&SC funds, loads of money gets wasted because of poor information sharing, poor training and some odd balls starting or joining in Witch hunts.

Tali took the words out of my mouth.

I'm also at that 'nice-to-have' comment. Actually most other civilised countries do afford social care, and decent education. It is one of the ways in which we judge their level of civilisation. Ffs neanderthals have been shown to have cared for at least some of their elderly and disabled, but we can't? What the heck do you think society is for exactly? That is a question. we all need to ask ourselves as the tories destroy it. How many times does it need to be said, the UK is NOT a poor country, and many poorer countries do much more to support their vulnerable or prevent such a hierarchical unequal society from being created in the first place.

Nice-to-have. Fuck me.

This country makes arms to sell to places like Syria and have funded much of the terrorism we see and hear about today.
Your taxes go towards paying for this and when the gov want to start a war they need more money to fund it.

Well of course we could just sit back and accept the Paris style attacks and public beheadings which so far, the police have intercepted. Turn a blind eye shall we!?

The military budget HAS been cut, repeatedly.
We have the smallest army ever, the fewest warships and planes.

Nice to have

For me, a measure of a decent society is how well you treat the vulnerable.

I would say the arts are a nice to have not social care. Yet the arts council have seen their funding pretty well protected yet local councils have suffered 40% cuts since 2010.

There is this perception that there is huge waste - honestly, there are inefficiencies in all sectors but it is more visible in the public sector. Doesn't mean that the private sector is better. If there was a magic answer then they would have sold it already via consultants. There isn't.

The 2010 Defence Review brought in 20% cuts to the Army and just slightly less to the Navy and Air Force.

But they are still expected to defend, and to do so largely within that capability. Cost is expected to be 'low tens of millions' but not clear if that's being found from within existing (shrinking) defence budgets or to be found from elsewhere.

if were taken over by Isis I doubt they will take my granny to day care

I work with predominantly very elderly, socially isolated and vulnerable people and the lack of social care funding directly impacts on their lives.
The cuts in domicillary care and day services effectively reduces them to having 15 minute visits choosing whether they have a wash or breakfast, be helped to the toilet or have lunch and be put into bed at 6.00, with a minimum of 14 hours before someone next comes in.

It makes me very angry.

The Defence budget is ring fenced.

I heard a man telling what I assume was his disabled daughter that he had an extra £2.50 to spend on food in sainsburys tonight which I find upsetting enough. I then came home to a 40 year old baby who's spent 30 minutes pouting because there's not enough meat on his £8 pizza. Slightly off topic but its pissed me off when there are so many people clearly struggling.

I don't know what the answer is. The war IMO is necessary. I truly believe that we are in more danger than the average mnetter is willing to accept.

Id start with making corporations pay their way.

But of course they wouldn't want to piss off their chums in the arms industry.Far easier to shit all over the poor and the vulnerable.

That's probably the reason, yes.

@Sallyingforth: I read a very insightful newspaper article that said that "ignore the terrorists" is exactly the thing that should be done (Or at least there ought to be no other reaction than increased security), as the terrorists want a war declared.

This article also mentioned that the government has to go to war because citizens expect it. Not because that is a wise course of action, but because people want something to be done.

Considering the fact that many a radicalised youth from Europe goes to Syria to join the terrorists, improved social care might be just the thing to give young people a perspective that doesn't involve becoming suicide bombers.

Do the Tories really care about the deficit or is it just a huge in-joke with them? Tell the plebs we all need to care about the deficit, that'll shut them up. I haven't done my own research into this, but I repeatedly see it mentioned that the deficit has widened under the Tories, and that they borrowed more in their first (shared) term than Labour ever did in a single term.

Moriarty the best way to cure the economy is to inject cash to stimulate confidence and growth, Google Keynesian theory.

Like you said the Tories just like screwing over the plebs.

Labour never got involved in wars did they

Oh, when did they ring-fence defence?

Definitely wasn't ring-fenced when they cut it in 2010, and I had some idea that more cuts were in the offing (or is that just the final stages of the process started in 2010).

And local government financing is always a big impenetrable to me, but I thought the latest budget was a bit 'one hand giveth and the other taketh the away' and that it came out largely unchanged.

I know my council hadn't made such sweeping cuts to social care, but must have faced the same central finding pressures as all areas. I was going to say that it's a postcode lottery, but as local councils are elected, that's not quite right.