Labour stuffing!

[Bookworm]

With respect, Argentina was a fascist military regime, killing thousands of their own citizens before the time of the falklands war.

As was Chile, and who was Pinochet's bestest mate? Yep, you got it in one.

 

Whatever excuse you make, please don't make it one of human rights protection, that would be hypocritical to the extreme and an insult to the desaparecidos all over South America.

[JonCris]

Me? Absolutely gutted that people's short memories have allowed them to forget the Thatcher and subsequent years, the closure of the mines, people losing their homes in their hundreds due to the interest rates going through the roof, losing free milk for the kids, unemployment endemic throughout the country, the Falklands, the most pointless war ever with sole purpose to get the bitch re-elected. Absolutely dismayed that some people are prepared to let it all happen again, with as usual under these people, the poor getting poorer so the rich can get richer.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am none too happy with the way things are going at the moment, but as far as I am concerned, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about, ever.

 

I'll go along with most of what you say except for your comments on the Falklands war. What would you have had Thatcher do when British territory was invaded by force of arms & it's people subjugated by a tyrant dictator, leave them to sweat in their own juices, What if it had been say the Channel Islands would your view be the same

 

As much as I disliked her I think to suggest the war was fought merely to gain reelection is not only disingenuous in the extreme but ridiculous unless of course your suggesting a conspiracy with Argentina to start war so she could rush to the rescue.

 

"None to happy with this lot" I don't suppose you are 42 days detention without trial without even being told why. I can't imagine anything more devastating than not knowing why you had your liberty denied & I think that whilst 28 days was bad enough after 42 days many might have gone stark raving bonkers

 

As for the rich v the poor the gap under labour is worse than it's ever been

[Rooster-UK]

I fully agree that people have short memories.

 

Winter of Discontent

 

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The "Winter of Discontent" is a term used to describe the British winter of 1978–1979, during which there were widespread strikes by trade unions demanding larger pay raises for their members, and the government of James Callaghan struggled to cope. Much of the basis of Callaghan's Labour Party was that it represented the unions in parliament.

The strikes were a result of the attempted enforcement of the Labour government's rule that pay rises be kept below 5%, and began in private industry before spreading to the public sector; many of them seriously disrupted everyday life, causing problems including various food shortages and widespread and frequent power cuts.[1]

Whilst the strikes were largely over by February 1979, the government's inability to contain the strikes earlier helped lead to Margaret Thatcher's Conservative victory in the 1979 general election and legislation to restrict unions.

Public sector employees' strike action included the unofficial strike by gravediggers, working in Liverpool and Tameside and the refuse collectors' strike. Additionally, NHS ancillary workers formed picket lines to blockade hospital entrances with the result that many hospitals were reduced to taking emergency patients only.

[caro]

Not all of us Rooster.

Throughout the early 1970s, particularly in 1972 and 1973, the British economy was troubled by high rates of inflation. One of the government's strategies to tackle this was to cap pay rises. This caused unrest amongst trade unions in that wages were struggling to keep pace with prices. This extended to most industries, most notably an industry where there was a powerful union - coal mining.

By the middle of 1973, the National Union of Mineworkers had encouraged their members to work to rule - as a result, coal stocks slowly dwindled. The global effect of the 1973 oil crisis also drove up the price of coal. The Heath government entered into negotiations with the NUM, to no avail. To reduce electricity consumption, and thus conserve coal stocks, a series of measures were announced on 13 December 1973 by Heath, including the "Three-Day Work Order", more commonly known as the Three-Day Week, which was to come into force at midnight on 31 December. Commercial consumption of electricity would be limited to three consecutive days each week.[1] Heath's objective was business continuity and survival. Rather than risk a total shutdown, working time was reduced with the intent of prolonging the life of available fuel stocks.

In the general election held in February the Conservative campaign emphasised the dispute with the miners and used the slogan "who governs Britain?". The election resulted in the Conservatives losing seats and Labour becoming the largest party in the Commons, but without an overall majority. Heath failed to secure sufficient parliamentary support, and Harold Wilson returned to power for his second term.

The normal working week was restored on 8 March, but other restrictions on the use of electricity remained in force.[1].

A second general election was held in October. This gave Labour an overall majority that was too small to survive the loss of seats in by-elections and eventually led to a Lib-Lab pact.

 

[tomterm8]

As was Chile, and who was Pinochet's bestest mate? Yep, you got it in one.

 

Whatever excuse you make, please don't make it one of human rights protection, that would be hypocritical to the extreme and an insult to the desaparecidos all over South America.

 

Chile did not invade Britain. Argentina DID invade britain. No "excuse" is necessary... Argentina breached international law, is entirely responsible for the war, and for the deaths that resulted.

 

The fact that Thatcher destroyed a brutal facist regime as a result of her actions is to her credit, but even if Argentina had been a liberal democratic state, if any state invades Britain or a British teritory it should quite rightly inevitably result in war.

 

As you are fully aware, I am not and never have been a thatcher supporter. However, your argument is merely emotive. What Pinochet's (with american and british support) did in Chile was not justifiable under either International law or any sane moral code, but what Thatcher did in the Falkland islands was entirely justified . They are entirely different things.

[livelylad]

i didn't see this post earlier.

 

 

With respect, Argentina was a fascist military regime, killing thousands of their own citizens before the time of the falklands war. What would you have done? Left British citizens in harm way, slaves under a fascist dictatorship?

 

I quite agree, all I will say is Exocet missiles. Have a search on the net to regarding these and how the Argies got them.

[JonCris]

Exocets are French ................. so go guess

[livelylad]

Or indeed did not get them.

[Bookworm]

I quite agree, all I will say is Exocet missiles. Have a search on the net to regarding these and how the Argies got them.

No need to search, hun. But I fail to see the relevance...

United Kingdom: Royal Navy operated Exocets until the last MM38 armed surface vessel was decommissioned in 2002. If you start looking for who sells what weapons to whom, we're not talking of cans of worms here, we're talking of barrels of them.

[livelylad]

See my post above fair maiden and this link here. Me think you have not understood my post.

[tomterm8]

I'm honestly not sure where you are going with this. So France is an English ally (when it is in their national interest). We knew that already, surely... we have essentially been allies for the last fifty to sixty years (first against Germany, then against Russia, and in the war upon terror ). We don't necessarily always have the friendliest diplomatic relationship, but our national interests coincide on most issues...

Edited June 26, 2008 by tomterm8

[JonCris]

Industry sells to anyone who will pay them. A British firm even supplied Hitlers gas ovens

[MilkTrayMan]

losing free milk...Absolutely dismayed that some people are prepared to let it all happen again...the poor getting poorer so the rich can get richer.

 

...I am none too happy with the way things are going at the moment...

 

Change the words...in a 1984 surveillance society...abject consumerism...I do agree about...milk...

Methinks peeps are confusing Labour with NEW Labour...

 

A tune for U BW......Internationale

 

 

...

[Bookworm]

Thank you kindly, MTM, but if you're going to quote, quote the original version. Now that's what I call music 1870. ;-)

 

I mean, look at this:

 

The state represses and the law cheats

The tax bleeds the unfortunate

No duty is imposed on the rich

'Rights of the poor' is a hollow phrase

 

Coming close to 150 years on, not that much changes, does it...

[hagenuk]

As was Chile, and who was Pinochet's bestest mate? Yep, you got it in one.

 

Whatever excuse you make, please don't make it one of human rights protection, that would be hypocritical to the extreme and an insult to the desaparecidos all over South America.

 

What is "hypocritical to the extreme" is the fact that you, as a socialist, are complaining about the removal of a fascist dictator. You needs to spend less time combing google for obscure words to type in italics in a transparent attempt to appear learned and more time thanking leaders like Mrs Thatcher for the fact that you are permitted to type your particular brand of tripe.

 

If it were not for leaders of her kind your mother tongue would be German given the way your countrymen folded at the first sign of trouble during the last great war.

 

Trying to re-write history to create the illusion that the Falklands War was all about Margaret Thatcher is simply foolish. Mrs Thatcher was going to win that election anyway, certainly she won the next one and her successor won the election after that, was that all down to the Falklands too?

 

What you fail to understand is that Britain was not guaranteed to win. The British victory was not a given and the plain fact is that we could easily have lost and Mrs Thatcher would have gambled her political future on the turn of a card.

 

Labour are finished and good riddance to them all.

Edited June 27, 2008 by hagenuk

[JonCris]

Being from oop north & a father who was shop steward I have for most of my life been a dyed in the wool socialist until that is Blair & nooo Labour came along.

 

Now I detest them & can't wait to see the back of them, problem is call me Dave claims to be Blair MK11 which leaves nowhere for my vote to go

 

PS Labout lost their deposit in the Henley by election:lol:

[JonCris]

Forgot to mention again the Falklands War was a just war unlike Iraq & Afghanistan

[Bookworm]

You needs to spend less time combing google for obscure words to type in italics in a transparent attempt to appear learned and more time thanking leaders like Mrs Thatcher for the fact that you are permitted to type your particular brand of tripe. (...)

Oh dear. :lol:

[gyzmo]

Right. Not read half this thread (and the rest improperly) but would it be too pedantic for me to mention that a word largely foreign should be in italics, and no Googling is required to actually do this?

 

A simple read of Private Eye will reveal all of British politics.

 

Speakin of which... Bookworm - there is a columnist in PE by the name of Bookworm. Are you one and the same by any chance?

[Bookworm]

No, but that would be a fun job.

 

Or should I say: "Un boulot de reve"?

Edited June 27, 2008 by Bookworm
Dearie me, I forgot the italics.