Malcolm Robinson

I think it does exactly what it said on the tin in that respect.....just most people though the change referred to the way the political process was applied not that it referred to a change of mind, mandate and honesty!

Interesting question Brian, takes nowt to set me off!!!! I think what you are talking about is 'wealth' as defined by FIAT money, that's the cash pound note stuff we spend in the shops. Personally I think a nation's wealth is its peoples and the social cohesion and gregariousness that should signify, but that's another topic! The value of most given currencies used to be determined by the gold reserves that country held until the get rich quick boys in the 'City' came up with the present day plethora of chaos theory based valuations and ephemeral fiscal economics. These did nothing more than implode a debt mountain onto most people and make a very few very rich. Without the constraints of something of quantifiable value backing a currency other ways had to be found which gave substance to the FIAT money supply. We see that now as overvalued housing and equities and that is why the BoE like most other central banks ran QE programmes which did little more than maintain this illusion of value and put money exactly where it is unsustainable. Interest rates had to be at such levels governments could borrow, and service the debt, to enable this QE process to proceed so we see zero interest rates. The reason why rates remain at almost zero is as part of the process of transferring bankrupt bank debts off the bank balance sheets and onto the tax payers, that's us the tax payers who are picking up the tab by taking on the liabilities and debts of the bankrupt banking sector, which STILL more or less remains BANKRUPT, that only survives as a consequence of government support by means printing money and keeping interest rates at zero. This means that savers and wage earners are being forced to subsidise the bankrupt banking sector and also finance the government's budget deficit and total growing debt mountain by means of the stealth tax called INFLATION, which seeks to eat away the value of the total debt, as well as any residual value in our pockets. The present value of today's currencies is in most part determined by the exchange rate it attracts towards other currencies. Now if we think about the recent trends in globalisation, something which our financial masters consistently fail to do, we can see exchange rates are being revalued according to the trade imbalances between the likes of Western Europe/USA and the likes of China and to some extent India as emerging dynamic exporters. The Western response has been to start up the printing presses and print more FIAT money and that path leads to hyperinflation or a 'Weimar Republic' or 'Zimbabwean' economy! Instead of deflating asset bubbles to get back to some fiscal sanity we seem determined to keep them artificially high to maintain a very unsatisfactory and ultimately unsustainable status quo! China has its own problems and needs to grow its domestic market to balance its own exporting success or it will go the same way as Japan and feel the effects of deflation. What it is doing is buying 'continuation of supply' as it buys more and more of the world's resources notably minerals and oils. If that is allowed to continue unchecked it will mean the West can never again manufacture competitively within an open market! Effectively I think we have shot ourselves in the foot and are now taking aim at much more sensitive areas!

That has to be someone who should have stayed as a part time history teacher's apprentice and not become Chancellor of the Exchequer! Either that or its Billy Liar!

Well done GGGG and Pete. Thomas Jefferson 1780. Goes to show there's nowt new in profligate politicians bankrupting their electorates! Merlin, Obviously it wasn't a geordie, not once is there a 'Ya Kna' in. Neither was it about us as there is no reference to the 'tickyman'.

Ronald isn't that good with kids.........

Anyone know who wrote this and when? "We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent until the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery... And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression"

:lol:

I guess we all need a few laughs in this time of financial turmoil....I was at my bank today; there was a short line. Just one lady in front of me............ An Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars. It was obvious she was a little irritated . . . She asked the teller, 'Why it change? Yesterday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I only get hunat eighty? Why it change?' The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Fluctuations.' The Asian lady says, 'Fluc you white people too!'

And here's me refraining from putting up the joke about trapped MINORS and Gary Glitter!

What like Monsta getting a round in!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11489439

Depends on what you want to do with it merc...........

Town Council have this on their agenda for Thursday night...........

You put a bigfoot into the mix Monsta! Just trying to show Bigfoot's cousin is alive and well on Mars, along with Elvis and Amelia Earhart........

Stranger things have happened..........oh err misses!

Well I see a big foot every time I put my shoes on???? The other ones a fair size too.........

Says it all really.........

Just for GGG!

Pete, This was something the Development Trust was considering and not just the Dog emphemerabilia! Also there is talk about the possibility of maybe something along the lines of an annual dog show which would build on the Town's link to the breed and promote tourism in general. At the end of the day we have to work with the hand we have been dealt, but we can always use a bit of nouse to exploit all and any possibilities!

Done it but they want a significant amount of info......... If I get bombarded with BT mail I'll redirect them to you Stephen!

I had to look at the calendar to make sure it wasn't April! Looks to me like we are starting to get the basics of something we can build on and turn the fortunes of the Town around!

I'll second that Pete!

We need to make it compulsory that the first punters to tee off HAVE to take a camera with them.

Here is the license!

Been up in the loft to dust down my weapon, when's the safari?