saunaman Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I've been wondering if anyone has any ideas about this ? My own thoughts are that , firstly , IS THIS "AUSTERITY" GENUINE ? If you think about it , why don't the "powers that be" use their "powers" to close all the tax loopholes which allow wealthy individuals and companies to avoid taxes , which the rest of have to pay . This could raise a few bob ! Secondly , WHO is actually overseeing how our taxes are spent ? eg. on huge bonuses ( eg £6.8 million ) to directors of those huge private companies that land those massive public contracts ? What could , say , the NHS do with that money ? Also I thought - who is actually REGULATING companies such as ATOS , G4S , A4e , Capita , Serco , etc etc ad nauseum ? Well New Labour abolished the Monopolies and Mergers Commission back in around 2007 , and replaced it with the "Competition Commission " , a watchdog with teeth , apparently . According to their website they have a staff of around 150 , and are currently monitoring bus regulation in Manchester and pay per view tv , Hmmmmm ( that's my taxes , mate !) We all know that the "powers that be" plan to privatise everything , and that the rich are getting richer by the day while the weakest and poorest in society are getting absolutely hammered . The problem is , IMHO , people are so brainwashed by the media that they have been lulled into a false sense of security " this is 2012 , it couln't possibly happen to me ". Then my thoughts drifted to the ways in which we are guided like sheep by the mass media - you only have to look at the mind-numbingly boring Jubilee coverage ( although that concert was pretty good ! ). The story about the unemployed who were bussed down to police the Royal Flotilla at £2.80 an hour got over 2000 comments when it was released by the Guardian , has been barley touched upon by the mass media , indeed they seemed to be conducting an exercise in damage control . Oh , and let's not forget the role of the Daily Mail , which seems to be to create divisions in society to weaken it, constantly bashing anything from scrounging benefit seekers , public versus private sector pension arguments, immigration ( oh , and who exactly controls our borders ?? ) They published a most spectacularly cringeworthy article last week about how Her Maj has the most respect for the "little people" - well , I had to put down my red pen and pace for a bit after that one ! So back to the topic , HOW ARE THE RICH GETTING RICHER ? I personally think that it is by: systematically dismantling all public services to the benefit of the already wealthy lack of transparency in how the taxpayers' money is going to fund the rich abolition of all the checks and controls we think we have to safeguard us dumbing us all down via the Media so we don't ask too many questions Right , that's rant over , am off to the pub , might get a nice pasty on the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossdog Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I've been wondering if anyone has any ideas about this ? My own thoughts are that , firstly , IS THIS "AUSTERITY" GENUINE ? If you think about it , why don't the "powers that be" use their "powers" to close all the tax loopholes which allow wealthy individuals and companies to avoid taxes , which the rest of have to pay . This could raise a few bob ! Secondly , WHO is actually overseeing how our taxes are spent ? eg. on huge bonuses ( eg £6.8 million ) to directors of those huge private companies that land those massive public contracts ? What could , say , the NHS do with that money ? Also I thought - who is actually REGULATING companies such as ATOS , G4S , A4e , Capita , Serco , etc etc ad nauseum ? Well New Labour abolished the Monopolies and Mergers Commission back in around 2007 , and replaced it with the "Competition Commission " , a watchdog with teeth , apparently . According to their website they have a staff of around 150 , and are currently monitoring bus regulation in Manchester and pay per view tv , Hmmmmm ( that's my taxes , mate !) We all know that the "powers that be" plan to privatise everything , and that the rich are getting richer by the day while the weakest and poorest in society are getting absolutely hammered . The problem is , IMHO , people are so brainwashed by the media that they have been lulled into a false sense of security " this is 2012 , it couln't possibly happen to me ". Then my thoughts drifted to the ways in which we are guided like sheep by the mass media - you only have to look at the mind-numbingly boring Jubilee coverage ( although that concert was pretty good ! ). The story about the unemployed who were bussed down to police the Royal Flotilla at £2.80 an hour got over 2000 comments when it was released by the Guardian , has been barley touched upon by the mass media , indeed they seemed to be conducting an exercise in damage control . Oh , and let's not forget the role of the Daily Mail , which seems to be to create divisions in society to weaken it, constantly bashing anything from scrounging benefit seekers , public versus private sector pension arguments, immigration ( oh , and who exactly controls our borders ?? ) They published a most spectacularly cringeworthy article last week about how Her Maj has the most respect for the "little people" - well , I had to put down my red pen and pace for a bit after that one ! So back to the topic , HOW ARE THE RICH GETTING RICHER ? I personally think that it is by: systematically dismantling all public services to the benefit of the already wealthy lack of transparency in how the taxpayers' money is going to fund the rich abolition of all the checks and controls we think we have to safeguard us dumbing us all down via the Media so we don't ask too many questions Right , that's rant over , am off to the pub , might get a nice pasty on the way Would not have thought you old enough to go to the pub!.............have you finished your homework? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyofborg Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Also I thought - who is actually REGULATING companies such as ATOS , G4S , A4e , Capita , Serco , etc etc ad nauseum ? Well New Labour abolished the Monopolies and Mergers Commission back in around 2007 , and replaced it with the "Competition Commission " , a watchdog with teeth , apparently . According to their website they have a staff of around 150 , and are currently monitoring bus regulation in Manchester and pay per view tv , Hmmmmm ( that's my taxes , mate !) the monopolies and mergers commission and it's successor organisation the competition commission exist to regulate the market not the actions of individual companies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyofborg Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 why don't the "powers that be" use their "powers" to close all the tax loopholes which allow wealthy individuals and companies to avoid taxes , which the rest of have to pay . they do try too, well gordon brown did, but our tax law is so complex that it's quite hard to do without opening up new loopholes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsexydoug Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 they do try too, well gordon brown did, but our tax law is so complex that it's quite hard to do without opening up new loopholes. also if britain was to introduce a flat tax rate that has worked very well in japan, then the left would be up in arms about the rich getting tax cuts while the poorer pay more etc to the op,i will give you an example, orange mobile phones about 6 months ago upped people on contracts bills by 4.3%, despite the fact that 90% of the costs of that contract were made up of the handset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyofborg Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 also if britain was to introduce a flat tax rate that has worked very well in japan, then the left would be up in arms about the rich getting tax cuts while the poorer pay more etc if that is the case then we shouldn't be introducing a flat tax to the op,i will give you an example, orange mobile phones about 6 months ago upped people on contracts bills by 4.3%, despite the fact that 90% of the costs of that contract were made up of the handset. thats nothing to do with austerity or taxation though if you are unhappy with the price rise then all you have to do at the end of the contract is to move to a different provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 if that is the case then we shouldn't be introducing a flat tax. Why not? Don't you approve of tax systems that work well and bring in lots of revenue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saunaman Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 I would welcome a tax system that worked well and brought in lots of revenue - unfortunately that just doesn't seem to be happening , and the taxes that ARE generated are being spent behind closed doors ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyofborg Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Why not? Don't you approve of tax systems that work well and bring in lots of revenue? i approve of tax systems which tax the rich far more than they tax the poor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saunaman Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Who's gonna work for the workin man ? We weren't born to follow , come on and get up off your knees , life is a bitter pill to swallow , you've gotta hang on to what you believe , let me hear you say ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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