The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[roydo]

Of course there is a redirection

Ok, so what was the net worth, for example, of Steve Job, (yeah I know he is dead), or Bill Gates 25 years ago? Exactly what wealth has been redirected from the poor to them two?

The way I see it, they were instrumental in creating wealth, not being recipients of it from other people.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Of course there is a redirection. The corporations would make their grannies work the night shift for a fraction of the minimum wage if they could get away with it.

It's not a redirection based upon poverty but talent. If you're a talented engineer or mathematician or software engineer for instance, I dare say you'd have your pick of potential employers, regardless of how poor you were. If you don't have that then it's going to be really hard.

 

[Azzurri]

@Bruce Wayne I think it's very romantic, idealistic and naive to think someone growing up on a council estate and going to the local school is likely to be successful just through hard work, for a hundred reasons.

Of course there's examples we could point to where they have, but for a lot of kids their race is run before they're even a teenager. Many people who've not grew up on a council estate or alongside kids who have don't fully understand that in my opinion.

 

[daylightrobber]

Ok, so what was the net worth, for example, of Steve Job, (yeah I know he is dead), or Bill Gates 25 years ago? Exactly what wealth has been redirected from the poor to them two?

The way I see it, they were instrumental in creating wealth, not being recipients of it from other people.

With just a little help from exploitation
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc.

 

[Clint Planet]

Call me a rabid Marxist class warrior, but that just doesn't look right to me.

I MEAN, IS NOBODY ELSE AT ALL BOTHERED BY THIS?

 

[roydo]

With just a little help from exploitation
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc.

The point I was making is that wealth is not a finite thing. It is possible to create it.

Do I feel comfortable that there are some in society who cant buy a break, feel the dice is loaded, and through no fault of their own have been dealt a bum hand? No, I dont.

And if you knew anything about me, you would know exactly why.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

@Bruce Wayne I think it's very romantic, idealistic and naive to think someone growing up on a council estate and going to the local school is likely to be successful just through hard work, for a hundred reasons.

Of course there's examples we could point to where they have, but for a lot of kids their race is run before they're even a teenager. Many people who've not grew up on a council estate or alongside kids who have don't fully understand that in my opinion.

That as maybe, but the kid in India or China that wants to be an engineer or coder isn't bothered by any of that. I mean we see around about 20,000 people graduate in engineering each year. China and India have around 1 million graduating each year. I was reading only today about Dyson wanting to expand but struggling to find the requisite talent in Britain to do so. Where will those jobs go to?

As I said previously, if you're talented, especially in STEM subjects, then you won't ever be short of job offers. So what is it about our society that is stopping kids from poorer backgrounds from giving those subjects a good bash? They're all taught in state schools.

 

[roydo]

Call me a rabid Marxist class warrior, but that just doesn't look right to me.

Just seen it. Sorry. I think the pay hikes at company director level is utterly disgusting and utterly wrong for what it is worth.

Same with the sort of pay and benefits that some unaccountable regulators set for themselves.

 

[Groucho]

Isn't paid leave to volunteer just 'pay' for the volunteer work, thereby making the 'volunteer' part redundant?

 

[Clint Planet]

Just seen it. Sorry. I think the pay hikes at company director level is utterly disgusting and utterly wrong for what it is worth.

Same with the sort of pay and benefits that some unaccountable regulators set for themselves.

It's a classic example of money being redirected from the poor to the rich.

 

[roydo]

It's a classic example of money being redirected from the poor to the rich.

It can be a classic example of an old boys club/wagon circling thats for sure. That new CEO of the oil company getting like £29m after a few months cos his company has bought/been bought by Shell or someone? Indefensible.

But not a red cent has been "redirected". He was given a pile of shares when he joined, and they have gone up by a pile on the announcement. So immoral? Yes. A redirection? No.

Could that £29m be better spent? Hell Yeah!

That makes me sick. Not proper wealth creators creating wealth.

 

[daylightrobber]

It can be a classic example of an old boys club/wagon circling thats for sure. That new CEO of the oil company getting like £29m after a few months cos his company has bought/been bought by Shell or someone? Indefensible.

But not a red cent has been "redirected". He was given a pile of shares when he joined, and they have gone up by a pile on the announcement. So immoral? Yes. A redirection? No.

Could that £29m be better spent? Hell Yeah!

That makes me sick. Not proper wealth creators creating wealth.

Any company that has ever cut the workforce or kept wages low purely to protect profits for shareholders has redistributed wealth.

 

[Groucho]

POLITICIAN'S MAPS OF UK

Red area; London

Rest of map; Totally irrelevant

Red area expanded;

1/ Where politicians think the entire universe exists

2/ Where politicians bother talking to people

 

[roydo]

Any company that has ever cut the workforce or kept wages low purely to protect profits for shareholders has redistributed wealth.

And any company that has gone bust has lost people jobs. The shareholders own the business. They have invested their cash in the business. The business that employs people.

 

[Toffeelover]

@Bruce Wayne I think it's very romantic, idealistic and naive to think someone growing up on a council estate and going to the local school is likely to be successful just through hard work, for a hundred reasons.

Of course there's examples we could point to where they have, but for a lot of kids their race is run before they're even a teenager. Many people who've not grew up on a council estate or alongside kids who have don't fully understand that in my opinion.

There are always exceptions Friend. One of my sons has Dyslexia and just did O'levels at school. Got an apprenticeship with Michelin as an electrician that was his start. Now at the age of 50 he is a top IT man setting up cyber security on computers for top banks. Works on a contract basis the value of which for 6 months is between 50k and 100k.