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Comments
Enron
Yes they are. That's what private companies do - make a profit for a minority of people.
Yes there is. Look around you, see how many people don't have a home.
Some people are affluent.
Really? Got any figures to back that up? What about pensioners? Single parent families on minimum wage?
Where did you pluck that figure from? Thin air?
Again, more conjecture. For the record, my personal experience with the NHS (which is unfortunately a lot at the moment) is very good. Why do you think its shit?
Give me a privately run business that allows poor people to use its services for free?
Yes , a private business that was mismanaged and corrupt. Now answer my question.
They make a profit because they are good at what they do - in this case it would be providing health care.
An exteremely small minority. The state has done them a lot of good hasnt it?
The vast majority are affluent.
They all pay taxes dont they?
Because it is a statist service.
Give me a state service that isnt funded through forced taxation.
Well, at least we've established that business practice can be corrupt, inefficient and mismanaged, whether in private or public hands.
I have to say that I haven't conducted any studies of state businesses, so I have no idea.
I do know that Tesco, for all its £2Bn profit, can't even keep its shelves stocked properly, and that its impossible to get good service in the local Curries though.
And they want my money - no doubt they'd be even worse if they already had it.
Where do you think that profit comes from? Where do you think it goes? Who benefits from it?
Its a lot more people than you think. The problem has become a lot worse with the cutbacks in benefits and the introduction of private enterprise into the benefits system and the selling off of social housing stock. Do you think thats a coincidence?
I suggest you actually take a look around you.
A pensioner pays VAT yes, but nothing else. Someone earning under the tax threshold pays no income tax.
You're arguing in circles. What experience have you had thats led you to think that its shit?
What a weird question. I'll ask you again - what private businesses provide services for people who can't afford them?
Which would result in a standard London-Manchester return costing around £500.
They already cost £150 (from £38-£40 not that long ago when the railways were in public hands) and that's with the government throwing hundreds of millions every year to the greedy, useless, selfish fat cat bastards.
I am glad we agree on something.
The smell of desperation is overwhelming.
im not quite sure, its the upkeep of our lines of which are over 100yrs old in design in many cases which makes it so expensive
and obviously walk on tickets are expensive, booking in advance is dirt cheap
Matadore - The American health system. If you can afford it you get it, if you can't, you don't.
You can divide the country into who can afford cancer treatment and those who can't. It's disgusting.
The NHS needs attention. The last thing it needs is privitisation.
If you commit the temerity of buying a ticket only a week in advance (let alone on the day of travel) or plan to travel in the morning and return in the early evening like normal working people need to do, be prepared to fork out a fortune.
And yes, maintenance can be expensive. That is why it should be left in public hands. Because private companies (like Railtrack) will cut corners and neglect expensive upgrades, because they don't want to spend money that eats into their precious fucking profits. And then people die in needless accidents.
The problem however goes back many years. Had successive Tory and Labour governments invested decent amounts of money on BR instead of neglecting it for decades, the railways would have never reached the state they are today.
Whichever party wants to win the election needs only to make one pledge: renationalise the railways and kick those greedy cunts off the gravy train (no pun intended) for good. It wouldn't even cost a penny to do so- simply don't renovate the franchises when they come up for renewal. Then ensure there is regular investment in the network and we might once again have a railways to be proud of.
You cant make decent changes to something like the NHS or the railways in four years, it cant be done.