TUC National Demonstration Against Cuts

[OrangeBernard]

Who's going? I've just booked my train tickets. Its my first protest, any advice or tips? Bit worried about kettling.

"My profession is writing about ethics (academia). As a Nozickean, Spencierian libertarian working on Auberon Herbert I think there is nothing more morally abhorrent than taxation."

happiest you need to work on your concept of morality or your definition of abhorrent, one or the other.

In addition to your definition of child abuse!

Rosedbud, have you read any of this thread?

Banks bailout = one off 85 bn.

Welfare alone = £232 bn or £148 bn depending on what you read EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Seriously, stop banking on about the bloody banks - things would have been a million times worse especially for the poor and vulnerable if we hadn't bailed 'em out!

The bail out is still going on and will be doing for quite some years......

Thanks studying

Claig, having viewed your previous posts I presume you are being sarcarstic

I'd rather live in a society where the 'rich' are not vilified and do not have to pay more than their fair share - considering they are less likely to use nhs, state schools, public transport (outside london) etc - and we have greater freedom.

Evidence please, rosebud!

wook - no, I don't.

Jogon - thanks for figures.

(Erm DP's made dinner finally so will be back tomorrow)

see i have to find something as a 'scapegoat' as my job has been going for years and years, even under thatcher's government. yet now it's been cut and thousands in my sector face the same cuts.

it just doesn't make sense - they are cutting the wrong things and not taking cuts themselves. there will be a change, people aren't going to take it. this is just the beginning

The usual twats take over. Peaceful protest was never on the agenda for everyone. The boat race was more fun.

No, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm interested in ideas, even if I disagree with them. I suspect our ideas of what is ethical differ. But I like debating ideas.

Love Thatcher, Thatcher saved Britain. I wore my I

Thanks claig, totally up for debate. Dp's a filthy lefty a bit to the left of me (even he refused to vote labour at last election)

What an amazing march. I was there all day and I can honestly say that was the most incredible march I've ever been to.

What a shame the twats smashing up windows got so much of the news coverage.

I hope all of you who went had a good, safe march (especially if you took your DCs).

the boat race was smashing

saved it from what? a future based on wanky office jobs and now industry.

we once had great shipbuilding and steel trades and mines and craftspeople - england was always a country that had great craftspeople. not now.

we do a good line of systems analysts and consultants though.

'not' industry

even english national ballet have to make cuts, arts mean nothing under the tories.

Happiestblonde, that's good that you got your uni education, under the new rules you would be paying a lot more in tax for the priviledge, what do you think about that? How do you feel about your DC's having this extra burden on them after the graduate?

I don't think anyone is a deficit denier.
There are plenty of 'use of public services' deniers out there though.

Never had a state education? Never had a university education? Never, ever used the NHS? Never had refuse collections? Never had their street lit? Never used the public highway? Never used a leisure centre?

The teachers in the private schools, were their degrees obtained privately? Your private doctor better not have trained on the NHS..... I can think of so many examples of this but I'd be typing all night.

Anyone who begrudges their moral responsibility to pay for services used by EVERYONE is utterly disgusting.

I have paid in and I will again. My personal ethic wouldn't allow me to do otherwise. I'm currently saving the state approximately £4k a week in care fees.

re: student taxes. Only really applicable if you earn the money that takes you over thresholds. At the end of the day, things change. I didn't get housing benefit when I was at uni. But my friend's older sister did.

adams - i feel that I paid entirely for my degree - including both living costs and tuition fees - despite my parents being able to afford to pay. I now pay back £45 per month more than I would under the new system. DP works in academia and I am trying to move into that field - it needs funding and I think it's better than my DCs (if they go to uni) pay for their degrees rather than Timmy down the road who works at MacDonalds paying for it for them out of his taxes.

echo happiestblonde - totally agree - the fairest deal. those who benefit pay. If someone wants to study a course that they won't take financial career advantage of at a later date, they don't have to pay back a penny. People can still study for studying's sake - of course at the rest of the tax paying public's expense.

Timmy at McDonalds pays a bit and your DC pay for Timmy's medical treatment. University educated people contribute their knowledge to society and pay back more taxes on higher income. These fees will stop many people going to university for fear of getting into debt. They will reduce the level of education of the country.

Glitter - I have never denied my use of roads, police, national security etc but my use of them is EQUAL to everyone else in the country. However, I have not used state education or the NHS therefore my burden on the tax payer has been vastly less, as has my DCs, yet I pay a far larger chunk than many people who have used these services far more than I have. I do not find this fair. What would be fair would for all of us to pay a set percentage of our income, which would work towards the injustice that those who earn more (thereby contributing more in NI, to the economy, consumption, using fewer public services etc) pay a FAR huger chunk towards the national pot than those who take so, so much

If someone is smart enough to go to university they should be smart enough to see the long term investment of university