Who needs cuts? New economics book attacking the austerity monologue

Quite a timely release from a friend and comrade of mine, Barry Kushner:

The Coalition Government in the United Kingdom, like other governments, is embarking on an unprecedented round of spending cuts. Talk of deficits, the National Debt, Quantitative Easing, and other economic terminology is presented to the public as evidence that there is a vital need for some of the most drastic cuts the West has faced. But according to Barry Kushner, there is an alternative story that is not being told. There is a view of the economic events of the past five years that does not see the UK in debt crisis. It offers choice, differences of opinion, uncertainty and hope. It takes us on a different voyage beyond economics into politics and visions of society, our expectations and ambitions. It is an alternative story that prompted an American Nobel prize-winning economist to write '"Jobs now, deficits later" was and is the right strategy. Unfortunately, it's a strategy that has been abandoned in the face of phantom risks and delusional hopes.'

Who Needs the Cuts?: Myths of the Economic Crisis - Barry Kushner

Definitely worth a read by the sounds of it.

Nick Clegg speaks...very carefully

You do have to shake your head at the weasel words and double speak in Clegg's statement over the Rennard allegations

In a carefully scripted statement last night, Nick Clegg said that he had, after all, been aware of "indirect and non-specific concerns". Then he told the BBC this morning that "no very specific allegations" had been made before last week. He then added that they were "certainly not put to me" and that "no woman spoke out in detail".

UK loses it's AAA rating, Osborne loses the argument

...British people losing their future?

 

UK Loses its triple-a status

 

The only silver lining is that now there is absolutely no doubt that you simply can't cut your way out of a recession. Preach doom & disaster, cut public services back to the bone, lay off thousands of workers then act surprised when no-one goes out and buys a new car.

 

Osborne’s economic strategy was, from the beginning, pure arrogance and hubris. Yes, he inherited a massive structural deficit that needs dealing with but he also inherited a growing economy. The thing that damns him and will always be held against him was that he stood-up and announced he’d be that man who would deal with the deficit within a single parliament. This is the proof that his ego was the only thing driving the Conservative economic strategy.

 

Why a single UK parliament? Is it, by some amazing coincidence, the exact same length of time needed to safely and sensibly deal with a deficit of that size? OR was it sneering arrogance and ego and a disregard for the misery and suffering cutting at that speed would cause.

 

The economy is no heading into a treble dip recession and this is going to be one of the longest economic depressions in history. The only idea Osborne has had from the start has been to cutting spending, never even a nod to getting income up. Ultimately you have to conclude he is sitting there staring at the falling GDP and thinking “When will these people start dipping into their trust funds”.

Horsemeat? So what? Meat we know nothing about? PROBLEM

Please, please, please stop talking about horsemeat...it is the fact that the meat is un-certified that is the problem. The standards of journalism over this story have been shocking.

The fact is this is powdered horse protein added to the meals to bulk them up. The protein shouldn't be there and so there is no traceability on it. Horse meat needs to be traceable because vets regularly use drugs that are harmful to humans during the horse's working life, before a horse can go into our food it needs to be certified free of these chemicals.

The scandal here is that the certification process across Europe has broken down allowing suppliers to cut corners on these cheap, blackmarket meat sources.

It's funny how the media bleat on about "red tape" until something like this occurs and shows what always happens once you bring in light-touch contrals and trust the private sector to self-regulate.

Maria Hutchings eduction quote

This quote from Consverative candidate for Eastleigh really does make your jaw drop :

“William [her son] is very gifted which gives us another interesting challenge in finding the right sort of education for him - impossible in the state system.”

"He wants to be a cardio-respiratory surgeon”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again :

Never trust a tory

 

Weather update : It will definitely thaw in the next 24 hours 'cause I've just done this

Do still love snowy conditions despite the logistical hassles

Hunts Cross Christmas tree

The Great Hitsearch Bakeoff

Autumn afternoon at the rugby

Real ale, committed local teams, players playing for pride and love of their clubs. Who could ask for more. For the record Waterloo lost narrowly to Sandal and it was probably a fair result but 'loo were definitely worth their losing bonus point having battled hard throughout.

Stuck on the side of the motorway earlier wondering why Ford equip cars with tyre irons made of plasticine.

Tyre iron just rounded and scraped itself into uselessness as I tried to change the wheel for the crappy 50mph space-saver wheel

50 Llamas Day

50 Llamas Day (días de cincuenta llamas) is soon to be upon us, anyone know what it is?

I was there when Hibbo scored

Top shirt

Derby day, Waterloo vs Birkenhead Park. Mens XVs then the Ladies XVs. Two great clubs

So far Waterloo on top, more as I have it

The Mersey looking decidedly Turner-esque from the Tate

Went to the Turner, Monet & Twombley exhibition at Tate Liverpool...brilliant collection. Definitely go to see it if you can

Just found this on my phone. Hibbert scored and we rioted

Brilliant to be there and get on the pitch when a great Evertonian finally scored, it wasn't some ropey penalty he got either. We got the free kick and the Gwladys sang his name as he slowly marched up to take it. The celebration when it hit the net were fabulous and then everyone just scrambled to get on the pitch. It had to happen.

Oops something landed in Liverpool

Liverpool Biennial?

Greek style columns unearthed on Camp Hill, Woolton, Liverpool?

Anyone know anything about this? We happened upon a newly uncovered site whilst walking back from The Victoria. Does this mean we've been walking past these antiquities for years and never knowing they were there in the overgrown undergrowth?

Season tickets have arrived, season tickets have arrived, season tickets have arrived...

Another year following Everton, always great when they drop through the letterbox...ask me again in November whether it's such a joyous event.

Still, today....whilst the hardcore blues are in Dundee and most of my season ticket friends are in France doing voluntary work in Lourdes with Liverpool Hospitalite I am sitting back in Hunts Cross with a smile on my face.

Another "Sky on Fire" sunset over Liverpool

Well you can never have too many

Time to take down our German Euro 2012 wallchart

Got this in Maximilians near Koblenz on a recent stag do. My wife has filled it out in German to keep in with the theme.

Great tournament overall and you have to say the best team won, the pity is that perhaps it didn't get the final it deserved because A: Italy going down to 10 men and B: The 2nd best team in the tournament, Germany, failing to turn up for the semi-final.

For England, given the awful preparation, getting out of the group as leaders represents a success but to fall to a penalty shoot-out yet again grates on your nerves.