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I didn't believe this when I heard it....

Did you know that the UK has the highest poverty rate in Europe???

I didn't believe it until I saw the stats with my own two eyes. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/frown.gif"&gt;

Apparently, all the wealth belongs to the upper class & there's a huge gap between how much income ppl earn.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Question is, what did they define as Europe?

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Now you can see the wool that has been pulled over our eyes by the capitalists and the corporations.
    Governments may control our lives but buisnesses control the government.
    The government wants to pay us more, but it does so at the risk of losing buisness.
    It is a losing battle.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Whowhere:
    Now you can see the wool that has been pulled over our eyes by the capitalists and the corporations.
    Governments may control our lives but buisnesses control the government.
    The government wants to pay us more, but it does so at the risk of losing buisness.
    It is a losing battle.


    You're not a young communist by any chance, are you? And don't take that badly - i think communism is an extremely good theoretical concept.


    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle:

    i think communism is an extremely good theoretical concept.

    but not in practise eh?

    well it sounds like good ol' karl marx was right doesn't it? rich ppl have all the money and make slaves of the poor.

    Apparently 1 in 5 people live in absolute poverty, mainly in urban areas. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/frown.gif"&gt;

    Our country sucks willy

    There's a girl in my mirror
    I wonder who she is
    Sometimes I think I know her
    Sometimes I really wish I did
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Drifter:
    but not in practise eh?

    arguments for and against. yes, it seems to work in the short run and benefit the working class. but in the long run, a centrally planned economy will not work as effectively as a free market. looking at an economic viewpoint, the four factors of production are not properly employed: although full employment occurs, there is no incentive for people to work harder. if all people are equal, why try and be better?

    land and capital are not 100% efficient, nor is enterprise because, again, there is no incentive to be the best in your field, so you don't get leaders like you do in a competitive free market.

    socially, again communism benefits the poor and not the upper class and bourgoise. and because, in most countries, the upper class and bourgoise control the state, communism will never be able to sow it's roots again. oh well. good thing that, actually.

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it'd be nice to see at least adifference in the poverty gap.
    Some footballers earn more in a week than most ppl earn in a year <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/frown.gif"&gt;

    I'm not a communist, but I think that it's criminal how you can get paid so much 4 kicking a piece of dead cow skin around.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I believe in Communism in theory. But in practice humans are a competeive race, always trying to outdo one another, which (unfortunately) means communism is doomed to fail as there will always be someone who wants to run things.

    Before I did my sociology project I thought capitalism was the best thing in the world, but then I realised that even being in what can only be described as the middle class I am being exploited.
    I think it is criminal the amount of money some people make whil the rest of us squat about on meagre earnings. im on £2.85 an hour, some people make more than that in a second. I also strongly disagree with the power that the corporations have on our lives. Here are some snippets from my project:Try here: http://www.globalcircle.net/
    or here: http://www.vph.manchester.claranet.co.uk/clara.net/h/e/u/heureka/webspace/gaia/global05.htm
    or here: http://www.worldbank.org/

    and here's a snippet for free:
    If we do this ... if we make it impossible for these 5.6 billion people to escape Coca-Cola ... then we are sure of our future success for many years to come. Doing anything else is not an option. -- Coca-Cola Annual Report

    Yet on any one day, McDonald's serves less than one half percent of the world's population. No matter how you calculate it, our global market share - which continues to increase - is not large enough, and we won't leave opportunity on the front counter for the opposition. -- McDonald's Annual Report
    And did you know, that surprisingly Microsoft isn't even in the top 10 richest corporations. The richest corporation in the world is General Motors. It makes more profit than the annual gross national product of Denmark with an annual turnover of $189 billion.
    Denmark's GNP is only $184 billion. If General Motors was a country it would be 25th in terms of wealth.
    These 3 things should be enough to turn even an American into a Communist.


  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by j9:

    I don't think they can be including Belarus in that, even though belarus is in Europe

    j9

    my point precisely

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Whowhere:
    I believe in Communism in theory. But in practice humans are a competeive race, always trying to outdo one another, which (unfortunately) means communism is doomed to fail as there will always be someone who wants to run things.

    Aye... Remember Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four:

    Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle and the Low... Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself...
    The aims of these three groups are entirely irreconcilable. The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have an aim - for it is an abiding characteristic of the Low that they are too much crushed by drudgery to be more than intermittently conscious of of anything outside their daily lives - is to abolish all distinctions and create a society in which all men shall be equal.


    Marx saw changes in who held the power but failed to recognize that whoever holds the power is the new High - by definition the Middle and the Low can't be in charge. Most importantly, there can never be a single class, a single Body, since human beings are quite patently born in different circumstances with different faculties.

    P.S. Sorry I've been off the boards for a while, guys, but my Uni frowns severely on sites like this...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by MacKenZie:
    Aye... Remember Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four:

    Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle and the Low... Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself...
    The aims of these three groups are entirely irreconcilable. The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have an aim - for it is an abiding characteristic of the Low that they are too much crushed by drudgery to be more than intermittently conscious of of anything outside their daily lives - is to abolish all distinctions and create a society in which all men shall be equal.


    Marx saw changes in who held the power but failed to recognize that whoever holds the power is the new High - by definition the Middle and the Low can't be in charge. Most importantly, there can never be a single class, a single Body, since human beings are quite patently born in different circumstances with different faculties.

    P.S. Sorry I've been off the boards for a while, guys, but my Uni frowns severely on sites like this...


    u go to uni at warwick do you? the reason i ask is cos i was thinking of going there, but if i have to give up thesite, well...ahem.

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    i applied to warwick but i couldnt be bothered going to the interview coz it wasnt one of my top choices, originally ithought nope, not gonna go TOO far from home.. and then there i was wanting to as far north as possible <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;

    anyway this is irrelevant to the topic!! sorry <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;

    It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, only takes one match to burn a thousand trees
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, 'frowns on' might be an overstatement. There are CCTV cameras in the computer rooms, ostensibly to catch anyone downloading porn etc. Although theSite shouldn't fall into that category, I don't trust some bureaucrat to see things the way you or I would. Besides, I'll be off campus next year, so it makes little difference in the end.

    Actually, if you're thinking of Warwick, I do recommend it, but only just. The academic quality in some departments (e.g. Maths) rivals Oxbridge. The problem is that the University's admitting more undergrads than it should, so campus accomodation guarantees for finalists are evaporating, and off-campus accomodation is getting a tad hard to find. Other than that, I'd say 8.5/10.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by MacKenZie:
    Well, 'frowns on' might be an overstatement. There are CCTV cameras in the computer rooms, ostensibly to catch anyone downloading porn etc. Although theSite shouldn't fall into that category, I don't trust some bureaucrat to see things the way you or I would. Besides, I'll be off campus next year, so it makes little difference in the end.

    Actually, if you're thinking of Warwick, I do recommend it, but only just. The academic quality in some departments (e.g. Maths) rivals Oxbridge. The problem is that the University's admitting more undergrads than it should, so campus accomodation guarantees for finalists are evaporating, and off-campus accomodation is getting a tad hard to find. Other than that, I'd say 8.5/10.

    sounds good. i was particularly attracted to the campus itself - the pictures i saw looked pretty good (even allowing for the fact they are the best face of the campus)

    could u tell me nething about the history or economics deps?


    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whoa, sorry for the delay there, Turtle. Gimme another couple of days and I'll root around my friends for some Economics / History people - I know a few.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by MacKenZie:
    Whoa, sorry for the delay there, Turtle. Gimme another couple of days and I'll root around my friends for some Economics / History people - I know a few.

    would be very much appreciated, tahnks

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle:
    my point precisely


    And what about Greece? I seen Greeks selling the contents of their dirty fingernails they were so poor ...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

    I don't wanna start any arguments but I do think that some of our population keep themselves in the poverty trap ... by relying on benefits etc. NO! NOT EVERYONE but SOME (before I get hung, drawn and quartered). I'm all for helping the worthy needy ... but take these people that have 15 kids but don't work themselves? They get child allowance for each, the council knocks 3 homes together for 'em etc etc ... it's not the kids' fault but the parents deserve to be as poor as anythng ...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J@ke:

    I don't wanna start any arguments but I do think that some of our population keep themselves in the poverty trap ... by relying on benefits etc. NO! NOT EVERYONE but SOME (before I get hung, drawn and quartered). I'm all for helping the worthy needy ... but take these people that have 15 kids but don't work themselves? They get child allowance for each, the council knocks 3 homes together for 'em etc etc ... it's not the kids' fault but the parents deserve to be as poor as anythng ...

    I agree to an extent. I think that people who are UNWILLING to work should have their benefits cut, so they can experience life on the streets and the people who have been scraping an existence on the streets be put in a nice warm house.
    Realisitically i think those people should be ,ade to work, they should be given a boring job in a canning factory and made to pay off their benefits.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Whowhere:
    I agree to an extent. I think that people who are UNWILLING to work should have their benefits cut, so they can experience life on the streets and the people who have been scraping an existence on the streets be put in a nice warm house.
    Realisitically i think those people should be ,ade to work, they should be given a boring job in a canning factory and made to pay off their benefits.

    It's called the natural rate of unemployment, whowhere. It is also known as voluntary unemployment. People choose not to work at the offered wage, or there are various factors which i can't remember off the top of my head. But basically, the natural rate does not change, as shown by the Philips curve if u want an economic diagram for it. The Long Run Philips curve is a vertical straight line at the natural rate of unemployment.

    No matter what the government does, in the long run the natural rate of unemployment will always stay the same. Simple terms: the number of these people living off the dole will not change, no matter what you do. bad luck.


    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe the Americans can do a charity for the UK! Fundraisers and the like! They can send food and clothes!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by throbbing_python_of_love:
    Maybe the Americans can do a charity for the UK! Fundraisers and the like! They can send food and clothes!

    oh fuck off, haven't u been banned yet.

    oh and you'll notice i haven't died yet, and there's fuck all you can do about it.

    And all the grown-ups say is sorry, cos we got no reply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What's your definition of someone living in poverty in the UK? This is not including the homeless, I mean someone living in a council flat or something. Let's put everything in perspective here. How do "the poor" (that's just a term I'm using, k, no offence!) live? Is there anyone on here who would consider themselves to be part of that group?

    *~stellar~*
  • Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    god this topic is making me feel guilty and bringing back horrible memories of the geography coursework im supposed to be doing. its about residential areas in plymouth and using a variety of indicators of deprivation to measure the quality of life.

    im sorry though, im so sick of it i dont want to talk about it any more than i have to!! *promptly leaves this thread*

    Burn baby burn!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't see the point with this Government.

    They spend £600 million + on a fuckin big dome that sits in London for a year, and yet in this day and age there are people that sleep on streets through no fault, and some fault, of their own with not even a mere suggetsion of temporary accomodation or shelter.

    They acknowledged the dome was a loss maker, eventually, yet the entire population of the UK knew that from the outset.

    BTW Turtle, isn't Switzerland one of the most affluent places in Euroupe, with low pollution and stuff .... i think Uncle Tony and his sidekicks should get their priorites right before the election.

    OK .... once i get going i don't stop ... <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/rolleyes.gif"&gt;

    Girlfriend doesn't complain though <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;

    Only the good die young, all the evil seem to live forever.

    [This message has been edited by Powerslave (edited 16-04-2001).]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think i will get all the Kids in America to do a charity collection door to door for thr impoverished Britons!!! hahhahaaha
  • Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    Originally posted by throbbing_python_of_love:
    I think i will get all the Kids in America to do a charity collection door to door for thr impoverished Britons!!! hahhahaaha

    yeah so funny. kinda makes you feel glad christopher columbus found america and took all the weirdos like you and your ancestors over with him!!

    Burn baby burn!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Girl, you really must be from Mars or maybe just the intellectual lightweight i always believed you to be <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt; Columbus did not bring settlers to America. The British were those who settled America and if i am a weirdo i guess i will attribute that to my Anglo Saxon heritage <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif"&gt; Perhaps you should read a book!
  • Girl-From-MarsGirl-From-Mars Posts: 2,822 Boards Guru
    okay hows this?

    yeah so funny. kinda makes you feel glad christopher columbus found america and then all the weirdos like you and your ancestors followed some time later!! at least theres a fucking great ocean between the inbred puritans and the real british people anyway!!

    oh and FYI i have an IQ of 155 believe it or not <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif"&gt;

    Burn baby burn!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Actually '155' my British ancestors arrived much later than the puritans. My mother was born a British subject and if she had not left when she was 15, I would never have exsisted!! <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif"&gt; <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"&gt;
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I love you all though! British Women are the most beautiful on Earth!!!!!!!

    [This message has been edited by throbbing_python_of_love (edited 17-04-2001).]
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