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Didn't Soft Cell do a song about 'Deficitland'?

I think the very interesting article, Debt - A conspiracy of silence, in today's Independent is also worth a read.

THE PHONEY WAR

#2 tawse57 interesting article...yes, John Moulton was indeed one of the first to call this impending financial disaster.

...however, in the following 80's it wasn't Thatcher that came to our rescue, it was North Sea oil.

We can only now hope that her war of distraction (The Falklands Conflict) turns up trumps with new found black gold...though it's not looking good.

Disappointment for UK as drilling firm says Falklands well has produced 'poor quality' oil so far



Moulton states...

'The political debate talks of a few hundred million here and there – it needs to be about tens and scores of billions. Neither party has plans to deploy actions for the economy remotely commensurate with the size of the problem. Is it possible that it is time for some serious political leadership to emerge? We need radical treatment – not cosmetics.'

Weimar Germany was in the same predicament in early thirties Germany...and we all know what serious/radical poltical leadership emerged from the ruins.

Psychologically, this is probably a good strategy for Labour. My thoughts on the "behavioural politics" of this campaign:

There is no politically acceptable escape from deficit land in the context of the current political landscape.

All the parties have noted what happened to the Tory lead. The truth is the people would vote for the austerity needed to slay godzilla but only if a positive vision and end game was presented to them in a coherent, compelling passionate and unleveraged way to make them want to make the sacrifice.

The current crop of political leadership does not have the confidence of its electorate or any kind of new coherent vision fit for a new world.

Not of them can deliver what the collective intelligence of the british people knows is required.

That is why nobody has a clear lead nor (in my opinion) is likely to get one sufficient to form a single party government and if they do it will be a tiny majority.

The collective intelligence of the british people is hedging its bets, being rather flirty and non committal trying to buy a bit of time until a suitor with more compelling credentials emerges. I dont think anything that emerges in terms of policy detail of wives web cams will change that base line dynamic.

It will either be a hung parliament or such asmall majority that it may as well be. No clear mandate will be given.

I don't see what the problem is - as long as a political party can assure that house prices rise 1.5% per month forever and that all public sector workers can retire at 60 on two-thirds their salary then they would get in with a landslide majority.

All this economic turmoil, hundreds billions of billions in QE - what is QE? - bonds, etc, is like speaking Greek to most people!

Oh...

'THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS' AGAIN?

If I read Paul correctly, a 'Niccolo Mandelson' email, to the Labour faithful, indicates the strategy to be followed by Labour against the Tories.

Did not the Germans find documents attached to a 'drowned' courier, washed up on the tide (WWII) that made clear the invasion strategy WE were about to follow?

You get my DRIFT?

Watching ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Breakfast News.

‘Labour is promising’… ‘cos Ed Miliband says so?

After 13 years.

And it’s guaranteed, not with a Minister’s career on the line, oh no… with compo using, er, here’s a surprise, more of the public’s tax revenue.

Huge. I am sure this will be given all the due deference such substance deserves by those who sit ready on our behalves to shred any hint of desperate spin being sold as policy.

ps: What is the point of interviewing a politician, or Ed Miliband for that matter, if all he can do is grin and say he can't say anything until later.

It makes almost as much sense as these PRasnews slots where we get what a pol 'will say' which, bearing in mind the value of what they do say, has little value at all save to pad a 24/7 news schedule with a spurious 'exclusive' claim.

if i wanted to borrow money for a venture i would have to produce a detailed business plan. We don't get a detailed year by year plan. All we get are meaningless soundbites.

AND THERE WOULD BE A QUID-PRO-QUO OF PAINFUL LOSS IF YOU FAILED (#9)

And still we live within the lie. . .