asperity Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 This is too true to be funny. The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases. A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959. B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet. E. A billion Pounds ago was only 13 hours and 12 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it. Stamp Duty Tobacco Tax Corporate Income Tax Income Tax Council Tax Unemployment Tax Fishing Licence Tax Petrol/Diesel Tax Inheritance Tax (tax on top of tax) Alcohol Tax V.A.T. Marriage Licence Tax Property Tax Service charge taxes Social Security Tax Vehicle Licence Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Workers Compensation Tax STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt. We had the largest middle class in the world. Mum stayed home to raise the kids, Dad was allowed to discipline kids a criminals life was uncomfortable. What the hell happened? ‘Political Correctness’, ‘Politicians or both?’ I hope this goes around the UK and beyond at least 100 times. With thanks to Nominedeus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 But we have the best Government that money can buy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 200 years ago, we had the largest Navy in the world; it cost one third of our GDP to maintain it. The funding necessary kick started the Bank of England; the procurement necessary kick started the industrial revolution. We actually made things, and were technologically way ahead of the competition. Protected by our Royal Navy, our merchant ships had the freedom of the world's oceans to trade our factory made products for raw materials. We were frozen out of Europe by Napoleon's Continental system, but fought on alone; until finally defeating his European Empire at a place near Brussels called Waterloo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted December 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Very good Obs. Now translate that into what we need to do next. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Excellent posting Asp. Very relevant and also interesting in its own right. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris1066 Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 This is too true to be funny. The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases. A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959. B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet. E. A billion Pounds ago was only 13 hours and 12 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it. Stamp Duty Tobacco Tax Corporate Income Tax Income Tax Council Tax Unemployment Tax Fishing Licence Tax Petrol/Diesel Tax Inheritance Tax (tax on top of tax) Alcohol Tax V.A.T. Marriage Licence Tax Property Tax Service charge taxes Social Security Tax Vehicle Licence Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Workers Compensation Tax STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt. We had the largest middle class in the world. Mum stayed home to raise the kids, Dad was allowed to discipline kids a criminals life was uncomfortable. What the hell happened? ‘Political Correctness’, ‘Politicians or both?’ I hope this goes around the UK and beyond at least 100 times. With thanks to Nominedeus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris1066 Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 WOW !! We need a revolution ! Start by sacking half of the Council and work upwards ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Be careful Boris! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I don't have a problem with the first part of Asperity's post, in fact quite enlightening, the second part - "STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?" mentions some of the positive aspects of living 100 years ago, what about the negatives, low unemployment, poor living & working conditions, no health care, rickets, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, cholera, all causing high mortality rates, especially amongst children and the poor, massive void between the classes, the 'Bradley Hardacre's' of this country 'owned' the workforce, and so on, are you so sure you would wish to return to these times? And with respect obs, 200 years ago, I won't even go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 National debt 100 years ago was about 30% GDP not nil. 3 years later it was at 130% with the onset of War. Its good to see that all the austerity measures,cuts in services and jobs etc. are having such a positive effect on the debt figures though, makes the suffering worthwhile http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_2009_2011UKp_11s1li011lcn_G0t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Asp - that's the $billion question! Nice reminder Alg; life has always been grim for the poor, started to get a bit better from 1950s until now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Second picture is Hellfire Square off Oliver Street. Not sure about firt picture. Oops! It isn't 'Where in Warrington?' My word, algy! The young people of today have no idea what austerity is really like, do they? They don't know real poverty, hand me down clothes, patch and make do, food rationing, extended families living 10 or more to a house without electricity, no bathroom, no inside toilet, rat infested, cockroaches, diseases, no tv, no pc, no computer games, no car to nip to the shop just down the road, etc., etc.,. It's a safe bet that the majority of them would not survive a return to those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Observer You can't just generalise and say life was always grim for the poor. True, it was, and always will be. But there are poor who are poor through no fault of their own. They deserve help. But a much larger number are poor through nobody's fault other than their own. They do not deserve help. Problem is, it seems to be beyond the wit of man (or governments) to differentiate between the two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Problem is, it seems to be beyond the wit of man (or governments) to differentiate between the two! But not beyond you it would appear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Observer You can't just generalise and say life was always grim for the poor. True, it was, and always will be. But there are poor who are poor through no fault of their own. They deserve help. But a much larger number are poor through nobody's fault other than their own. They do not deserve help. Problem is, it seems to be beyond the wit of man (or governments) to differentiate between the two! Adam, I believe we are discussing the plight of the poor in the early 20th century, the poor then were poor due to being oppressed by the wealthy of this nation, yes there would be those who in those times that would thieve or live of their wits and that still remains the same today, however those were dark days for the people who were either out of work or those without skills who were slaves in the cotton mills of Lancashire and Yorkshire although not specific to those areas. So in answer to your above reply I believe when talking about the poor of a hundred years ago, obs was quite correct to generalise. Purely my own and personal opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Adam, so we have the deserving poor and the undeserving poor; either way, they're still poor; and if you prefer to live in a society where your tripping over beggars and dodging thieves, your welcome to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Adam, so we have the deserving poor and the undeserving poor; either way, they're still poor; and if you prefer to live in a society where your tripping over beggars and dodging thieves, your welcome to it. We already do, don't we? Bit rich yet again obs. You complain about the handouts given to those who won't work and just want a life on Benefits, yet are critical of Adam's comment. He does make a pertinent point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 PJ No - I would probably find it difficult to differentiate too. But I don't have the resources of a government. Government's also find it difficult to differentiate between different sorts of alluent people. So they give 'em all winter fuel allowance whether they need it or not! And Obs - I DO live in a society where there are beggars and thieves, despite all those years under Blair and Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Well Ad, cease benefits and you'll find there's a hell of a lot more, or do you think these folk will survive on fresh air?! Don't quite follow the reference to Bliar/Brown; as they presided over a period when the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, increasing the wealth gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Precisely, Obs. Yet were they not of the Labour persuasion who, we are led to believe, help the poor? Actually, of course, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer by their own efforts, or lack of them, irrespective of governments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 By definition, the nature of a billion can change sometimes heterollion sometimes homollion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Not when you have a Gov that properly employs a redistibutive tax system; sadly that only really occured in 1945. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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