Would you change your vote now?

[andrewmcleod]

If you want to trade internationally, learn foreign languages. If you want to be competitive on the continent you need to speak the Continent's languages. But by speaking English you have a bit of a headstart on everybody else - if you choose not to use it then you have no one else to blame...

In science, which is probably an extreme example, English-speaking people have an advantage because all science happens (at least nearly all astrophysics in my experience) in English. If you do a PhD in Astrophysics in Prague you have to pass tests in English. If you are British you can work around the world without ever learning another language - I have friends who have worked in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Japan...

 

[pwhole]

Yeah, I should have probably qualified all that by adding that in the scenarios I described, ideally one would learn and use the native language, and that was the disadvantage I meant. I always feel a bit guilty that so many speak English, but I guess it can be pretty good for us if the locals don't mind.

But one of my mates from Rotherham moved to Athens many years ago (as an adult), and we were all astonished that despite him not knowing a word of Greek when he left, he seemed to be thriving - so I had to go and see for myself what was going on. After about three years there, he'd become completely fluent, and could hold long conversations with anyone he met. I was baffled by this, as he'd never shown much aptitude for languages at school (his description), but I didn't know anything about Greek. Once he'd explained to me that it was essentially phonetic, and that nearly all words spelled in a certain way nearly always sounded the same (there were a few exceptions, but no 'ough' issues whatsoever), it was just a matter of learning the alphabet and getting stuck in. And even I managed a bit in two weeks - which I've completely forgotten now of course.

Mind you, chatting to some of his Greek friends about their attitudes to taxation made me worry, and I remember one spectacularly-enhanced evening on a balcony where we argued for hours about the realities of paying or not paying taxes when you can afford them - in-between endless Retsina, smearing glow-stick fluid on our faces and jumping about a lot. But the general impression I got was of a very laissez-faire attitude to administration and governance, which then came back and bit them a couple of years back.

 

[Simon Wilson]

The main immigration problem is infrastructure to support our own people.

Our crippled NHS and failing infrastructure is largely the fault of Tory austerity, not the EU.

I'm not a fan of the Tories, but you can't blame it all on them. Successive governments, both Tory and Labour have messed things up for the average working man/woman.

And that is precisely what Jeremy Corbin is saying and precisely why he has the overwhelming support of the party members.

http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/questions-about-membership

The Chilcott inquiry into the Iraq war is due to be published in a matter of days and is expected to be extremely critical of Tony Blair.

Jeremy Corbin speaking against Tony Blair in 2003.
https://www.facebook.com/NyeBevanNews/videos/1761338704080061/

 

[royfellows]

The Chilcott inquiry into the Iraq war is due to be published in a matter of days and is expected to be extremely critical of Tony Blair.

Truth out?

Hope springs eternal

 

[RobinGriffiths]

Probably. He did piss on his chips, bigstyle there.

Could have been a good PM. Then again, so could Cameron, and Boris.

 

[RobinGriffiths]

Ooh, yes. Excellent suggestion on Twitter. 'Boris for Top Gear'. Now THAT could work.

 

[crickleymal]

If you want to trade internationally, learn foreign languages. If you want to be competitive on the continent you need to speak the Continent's languages. But by speaking English you have a bit of a headstart on everybody else - if you choose not to use it then you have no one else to blame...

In science, which is probably an extreme example, English-speaking people have an advantage because all science happens (at least nearly all astrophysics in my experience) in English. If you do a PhD in Astrophysics in Prague you have to pass tests in English. If you are British you can work around the world without ever learning another language - I have friends who have worked in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Japan...

As an aside, my father who was an industrial chemist had to learn German because back in the period around the war Germany was the preeminent nation as regards chemistry.

 

[pwhole]

Frank Zappa used to maintain that whenever God had something truly serious and heavy to say to his followers, he'd say it in German.

 

[Laurie]

I think my parents generation should be the last to get a government pension.

We do not get a government pension!
We've paid into it all our lives through taxes, social security and graduated pension payments.
It's not a freebee!

 

[NewStuff]

I think Boris realises that he wouldn't win.

I also suspect that MP's will not vote to initiate Article 50, and we won't leave the EU.

It'll be interesting to see what historians make of it in 20 years time.

Should Article 50 not be invoked, then really bad things are going to happen. Think about how little incentive to go throw things at the police some of the Leave lot are going to need?  Then imagine an awful lot of them doing it, all over the island. Even if it's tried to just "ignore" the issue and not say anything, tensions will grow.

 

[MJenkinson]

Never said it was however from a cash flow POV I dont actually think it's your tax / NI payments that fund your pension. It's mine. And cash is king. The aging population means there are less tax paying individuals to support this pension burden. Keep yours, my mum and dad can have theirs but I look after myself. I have a private pension, my employers give me one - the pension I get from the state will be useless for my generation. In effect then the "saving" from cutting this pension might only last a generation or so as it would be a bit off to tax is the same and not provide the same benefits.

My main point still stands. My Grandad was having a moan the other day about foreigners and waiting times at the doctors. I pointed out that it's not Pawel that I see sat in the waiting room, it's Mavis and Bernard. We are getting old as a population and that's not financially productive.

 

[Rhys]

I think my parents generation should be the last to get a government pension.

We do not get a government pension!
We've paid into it all our lives through taxes, social security and graduated pension payments.

Not really. You made contributions which nominally entitle you to a state pension. That money didn't go in to a pension pot with your name on it. It went into general government revenue. The government decides how much to give back to you. It sets the rules on who gets what and by how much it increases - as it sees fit. If times are tough, they'll give you less.

 

[Madness]

I think Boris realises that he wouldn't win.

I also suspect that MP's will not vote to initiate Article 50, and we won't leave the EU.

It'll be interesting to see what historians make of it in 20 years time.

Should Article 50 not be invoked, then really bad things are going to happen. Think about how little incentive to go throw things at the police some of the Leave lot are going to need?  Then imagine an awful lot of them doing it, all over the island. Even if it's tried to just "ignore" the issue and not say anything, tensions will grow.

Indeed.

There's plenty of extremists/anarchists out there just looking for a reason to kick off.

 

[Simon Wilson]

That threat was made explicit by Farrage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aHFhn6Kq6g

 

[NewStuff]

That threat was made explicit by Farrage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aHFhn6Kq6g

If that idiot can see it coming, then surely no-one would be stupid enough to "just ignore it" or outright refuse?