It is now Two Thousand and Fifty .

[tinfoilhat]

I don't think that's fair and it's not how I feel, it's a half selfish want in that I believe the next generation will grow up in better world with better lives if we look beyond our own nose and offspring when we try to be altruistic. Of course I don't feel the exact same commitment to people I don't know as we are all tribal in our DNA, but I do feel some and therefore I'd like to see the average standards of everyone improve more than just seeing my own childs standards improve.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2017 at 15:20 ----------

 

 

Why is that hypocritical to let her get a scholarship at a private school? It's open to anyone to apply for an entrance exam and if they pass with flying colours then they get offered a free place. That's meritocracy in action isn't it? If some rich muppet's unintelligent offspring decides to pay £20k to effectively subsidise other peoples education who can't afford those fees but do have bright kids then I can't really see the issue with that. Equally, I'm not convinced I'd be happy for her to go to a private or grammar school for that matter, regardless of anything else, it's pretty clear from my posts that I want her to grow up with a well rounded and non-entitled view of the world and I strongly think that the social and ethical benefits she'd get from a state education outweigh the potential educational benefits of a private or grammar school, but it would all depend on the situation at the time.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2017 at 15:25 ----------

 

 

Honestly, who knows? The thing is that humans are pathologically designed to want more and more and to hoard. A caveman hoarding could mean he can see through the winter. We don't *need* to hoard anymore for that reason but it's still in our design. The only way to counter this is for everyone to absolutely know and believe that they will never need for anything and that their needs will always be taken care of. To give a simplistic example, a baker puts loaves outside his shop saying 'free, please help yourself' and he refills as soon as it runs out. On day one, people come and take as many as they can carry, but then the next day he does that same thing. People again take loads each. But he keeps on doing it and after a few days people come and only take a loaf or 2 each because they realise that the loaves will be there every day so there is just no need to take more than what you need for a day. Apply the same logic to the world and greed vanishes for the most part. Once greed has started to wane only then can we address other things like the future lack of certain work, or even the need to work or the culture that says not working is a bad thing and so.

 

Do you think that the private school would exist if everybody got in on a scholarship? Are all rich people muppets or just the kids? I've read a report where (I can't find the source so don't ask;)) that state school kids do better at oxbridge - I think - it was a while ago.

 

But given your time at officer training I'm kind of surprised* you have such a low opinion of privately educated young people - from my experience if you just hung with state educated kids with regional accents your time would have been lonely.

 

*most of them I met there and cranwell were privileged, self righteous and frankly rude tossers , but my experience at a couple of public schools I've visited was the opposite. Polite, articulated a world apart from mumbling teen I was.

 

There's a point in there somewhere. I don't know what it is.

[Penistone999]

You have to recognise the legitimacy of personal property in order to understand.

 

Having invested time and effort and taken risks to acquire personal property and wealth it only matches one rather radical definition of "fair" for it to be confiscated upon death (much as in life).

The state has already taken their cut at the time the wealth was earned, upon death you think they should have whatever is left?

Such property and wealth should clearly go to whomever the former owner chooses to pass it on to?

 

Myself I shall take whatever steps are necessary to see that I continue to support my wife and my family from Valhalla rather than allowing the state to waste it on windmills.

 

I will be making sure all my assets are transferred to the kids before i croke it so they dont get the scrounging Taxman demanding inheritance tax.

[sgtkate]

Do you think that the private school would exist if everybody got in on a scholarship? Are all rich people muppets or just the kids? I've read a report where (I can't find the source so don't ask;)) that state school kids do better at oxbridge - I think - it was a while ago.

 

But given your time at officer training I'm kind of surprised* you have such a low opinion of privately educated young people - from my experience if you just hung with state educated kids with regional accents your time would have been lonely.

 

*most of them I met there and cranwell were privileged, self righteous and frankly rude tossers , but my experience at a couple of public schools I've visited was the opposite. Polite, articulated a world apart from mumbling teen I was.

 

There's a point in there somewhere. I don't know what it is.

 

I've been fairly open on here about my background, so I am privately educated. I got a scholarship as my parents aren't rich, we weren't poverty stricken either, but not in anyway able to pay private school fees. My school was a genuine charity, over half the students there were on scholarships or assisted places as the school relied on donations from ex-students to help cover funding gaps. It was a school for bright pupils and not rich ones if that makes any sense? The rich ones were simply fleeced for the pleasure of attending. Of course not all rich kids are muppets, same as not all poor ones are bright I was just saying that if a rich parent wants to subsidise education for poorer pupils then carry on. So my experience of private school was largely excellent as I spent time with a very wide range of kids with vastly different backgrounds, I full accept most private schools are not like this at all hence why I'm not sure I'd be happy with with kid going to one.

 

I don't have a low view of privately educated people at all, I just don't think it's the be all and end of that's it. Strangely going to army college coming from a private school made me the massive exception. Less than 10% of us came from private schools.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2017 at 16:03 ----------

 

I will be making sure all my assets are transferred to the kids before i croke it so they dont get the scrounging Taxman demanding inheritance tax.

 

Lets hope you die within 5 years of doing that then so the taxman can indeed trace and locate all your attempts to avoid paying it more easily and likely get even more from your estate than if you'd just accepted it as part and parcel of living in a free, safe and amazing country that you've milked within an inch of it's life whilst giving nothing back.

[Penistone999]

 

Lets hope you die within 5 years of doing that then so the taxman can indeed trace and locate all your attempts to avoid paying it more easily and likely get even more from your estate than if you'd just accepted it as part and parcel of living in a free, safe and amazing country that you've milked within an inch of it's life whilst giving nothing back.

 

I pay plenty of Tax ,so when i get the chance to get a little back , i take it.

[sgtkate]

I pay plenty of Tax ,so when i get the chance to get a little back , i take it.

 

By opening admitting to tax evasion, but yet having children as your post implies which makes you almost certainly a net cost to society unless you really do make a fortune through your property empire.

[Justin Smith]

What given to your family without tax?

 

Why should someone inherit a property, in fact any significant amount of money, without paying any tax on it, when they haven`t done a shred of work for it, when the rest of us have to pay shed loads of tax for money we earn by working ? And the argument that it`s already had the tax paid on it is not logical, double tax is an everyday occurrence for all of us. You buy something with your taxed income, and pay VAT on it. So why should there be a different rule so some spoilt kid can get a free house and pay no tax on it.....

[tinfoilhat]

I've been fairly open on here about my background, so I am privately educated. I got a scholarship as my parents aren't rich, we weren't poverty stricken either, but not in anyway able to pay private school fees. My school was a genuine charity, over half the students there were on scholarships or assisted places as the school relied on donations from ex-students to help cover funding gaps. It was a school for bright pupils and not rich ones if that makes any sense? The rich ones were simply fleeced for the pleasure of attending. Of course not all rich kids are muppets, same as not all poor ones are bright I was just saying that if a rich parent wants to subsidise education for poorer pupils then carry on. So my experience of private school was largely excellent as I spent time with a very wide range of kids with vastly different backgrounds, I full accept most private schools are not like this at all hence why I'm not sure I'd be happy with with kid going to one.

 

I don't have a low view of privately educated people at all, I just don't think it's the be all and end of that's it. Strangely going to army college coming from a private school made me the massive exception. Less than 10% of us came from private schools.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2017 at 16:03 ----------

 

.

 

I think it's a fair bit different now - I sometimes gauge it by the amount of mustard and red cordaroys I see but I'll admit it's not very scientific. A know a lot of public schools have a significant ATC (? - not sure of the exact name) presence.

 

But, I digress. 2050. To a degree it will led by what the planet is like. It will depend on what technical advances there are. Certain things have got faster, others not so much - our trains haven't got a deal faster in 40 years. I might be able to beam sky sports (from a cyborg Rupert murdoch)/ cat videos etc to my brain but my trip to work will take forever. It won't be a Star Trek like utopia.

[Obelix]

Why should someone inherit a property, in fact any significant amount of money, without paying any tax on it, when they haven`t done a shred of work for it, when the rest of us have to pay shed loads of tax for money we earn by working ? And the argument that it`s already had the tax paid on it is not logical, double tax is an everyday occurrence for all of us. You buy something with your taxed income, and pay VAT on it. So why should there be a different rule so some spoilt kid can get a free house and pay no tax on it.....

 

Well theres an argument as to why you pay VAT as well yes... but that's because it's had value added....

 

I never got anything like that when I was growing up. I had to work for it and it was hard. So whats so terribly wrong with wanting to give your children a help up in life? I you think that's not permissible then perhaps we should ban all sorts of gifts from the grandparents unless they are taxed as well..

[Mr Bloke]

It's 2050 and the world has achieved sustainability .

 

What will society be like ?

Errm...

 

... I thought we were only supposed to put the clocks forward one hour?

[Obelix]

One thing I'd like to do is restrict driving licences.

 

Right now, if you want a licence you can get one assuming you meet age, medical conditions and basic skill levels.

 

But we don't have a massive amount of road space. Nor do we have that much air to pollute. Or space to park them. So say by 2025 or whatever the Govt says it will cap the driving licences at some figure X.

 

Want a licence but none are available? Tough luck. Sorry but there you go. Of course if you do something that makes you lose your licence, then you go to the back of the queue.... so suddenly a totting up points ban is a real big deal...

 

It'll keep the car numbers down on the road, and reduce congestion and pollution. The flip side of course is people won't have licences... so we need to make allowances. If you job requires it then you get a dispensation - so doctors on call etc, field workers etc. The licence should be rather valuable. So if you choose to give up your licence, or don't have one, you get a) free bus and much reduced rail fares and b) £1000 a year (or suitable sum). You don't get that rebate if you lost your licence through crime though.

 

Sound unworkable? I think it could work, there will be a lot of trimming and tweaking needed but could something like that for 2050 be possible? Please note that I still expect you to require a licence for a self driving car.