You have to convince everybody that 'this' is right as opposed to 'that'. Then we have a dictatorship !
Not at all. If you convince enough people that something is right, then it's a democracy! That's the very definition of democracy, surely? As a society, we're generally all agreed on certain basics, such as murder being wrong, the right to vote, etc etc.
People generally have the opinion "What difference will my boycott make?" if they believe they personally should have the power to change things. But it is a collective power, just like a normal vote. If you just do what you think is right, vote for who you really want, refuse to spend money on companies that you disagree with, then that is your power and duty. What everybody else does is not really the point.
The collective effect of so many people not believing their decision will change anything leads to the fact that nothing changes. It's a self-fulfilling belief.
Odd but predictable line from Max, this morning. Labour are being chastised because they've no 'new' ideas and Max is comparing them against the present Tory-lead government. That's an ostensibly C/conservative government who, by very definition, offer nothing but old policies. Labour came into existence because of old but ongoing problems: wealth inequality, exploitation, rights and so on. It's these kinds of things that they should be redressing.
Specific policies like house building are a no-brainer: there's a housing shortage in all sectors and private firms have been land-banking for years with no shortage of successful applications for building. If the private sector won't build in the numbers required then it has to be public/social. Also, everyone agrees the overall benefit bill is too high but a massive chunk of that is on housing benefit going to private landlords. More housing (certainly on the scale we need) will reduce the kind of leverage landlords have at present and lower rents, housing benefit and sort out not just the housing shortage but issues like under-occupancy (eradicating the need for a bedroom tax) and over-occupancy.
People generally have the opinion "What difference will my boycott make?" if they believe they personally should have the power to change things. But it is a collective power, just like a normal vote. If you just do what you think is right, vote for who you really want, refuse to spend money on companies that you disagree with, then that is your power and duty. What everybody else does is not really the point.
The collective effect of so many people not believing their decision will change anything leads to the fact that nothing changes. It's a self-fulfilling belief.
It's been interesting watching the boycott workfare campaigns. I think, often, the tipping point happens a lot sooner than some people imagine with protests.
However, it's curious as to how and why people think differently.
Some good stuff on Ken and Dave regarding Europe, the economic reality and the fact that the anti-European voice is considerably bigger even though the argument isn't necessarily better.
Popped a few UKIP 'untruths' regarding how the EU make all our laws and what it would cost us to be outside of Europe but still wanting to trade with Europe a la Norway.
On Clive Bull, a caller claiming that people being hit by bedroom tax can take in lodgers goes completely unchallenged. Why, on important political issues, do LBC persist in having presenters who seemingly know absolutely nothing about the subject at all?
On Clive Bull, a caller claiming that people being hit by bedroom tax can take in lodgers goes completely unchallenged. Why, on important political issues, do LBC persist in having presenters who seemingly know absolutely nothing about the subject at all?
I agree.
This is important stuff and it's vital people have the correct information.
God forbid the debate on Europe be handled like this if a referendum is offered.
This is important stuff and it's vital people have the correct information.
God forbid the debate on Europe be handled like this if a referendum is offered.
It will be. Europe a big topic on Ferrari this morning about Tories wanting any EU referendum brought forward. I genuinely wonder how much timing is really more about 'whilst the voters are completely taken in by right wing press's take on Europe'.
And yet another UKIP voter unable to explain how Brussels/EU/immigration impacts him directly.
Also, more in the pattern of 'the only time LBC reports trouble at Tory mill is when it's a pro-UKIP story'.
I see Judge Julia was on top form, punching the face of a dead woman's grieving family.
Her disgusting rhetoric grew to new heights; first blaming the poor woman herself, then her son and daughter. In fact, she blamed everyone except agree with the woman's suicide note. She laid into probably the most noted expert in welfare reform, when he had the audacity to agree with the dead woman's family. When the interview started, she had assumed he was going to agree with her own warped sense of social justice, but she was clearly surprised when he clearly wasn't going to. Instead she launched into a ten minute rant, filled with personal insults towards a professional expert.
I see Judge Julia was on top form, punching the face of a dead woman's grieving family.
Her disgusting rhetoric grew to new heights; first blaming the poor woman herself, then her son and daughter. In fact, she blamed everyone except agree with the woman's suicide note. She laid into probably the most noted expert in welfare reform, when he had the audacity to agree with the dead woman's family. When the interview started, she had assumed he was going to agree with her own warped sense of social justice, but she was clearly surprised when he clearly wasn't going to. Instead she launched into a ten minute rant, filled with personal insults towards a professional expert.
I heard a bit of JOB covering the story, which was just about bearable, but when I heard JHB's intro to her first hour, and her call for people to tell her why they thought this woman had killed herself, I had to switch off. I knew what was coming.
Every so often, I think it is worth a formal complaint. ND - would this be one of those occasions?
On Clive Bull, a caller claiming that people being hit by bedroom tax can take in lodgers goes completely unchallenged. Why, on important political issues, do LBC persist in having presenters who seemingly know absolutely nothing about the subject at all?
Because Clive Bull is an LBC legend.....Oh, hang on a moment. I need to check. Ah...extremely boring presenter who likes to sit on the fence.:yawn::yawn:
I heard a bit of JOB covering the story, which was just about bearable, but when I heard JHB's intro to her first hour, and her call for people to tell her why they thought this woman had killed herself, I had to switch off. I knew what was coming.
Every so often, I think it is worth a formal complaint. ND - would this be one of those occasions?
Steve Allen used to spend the entirety of his show plugging his stage shows.
I'm not sure about the later shows, but I'm pretty sure that the earlier shows were done 'in partnership' with LBC anyway. Some of them had another LBC presenter doing the first half (JOB and AH have done that).
This morning Nick F was discussing the Oxford paedophile gang. I was amazed at the lengths callers went to avoid any hint that these activities were culturally based.
One Pakistani woman (she identified herself as such) said that Pakistani men do the same in Pakistan, it was just men being men. Another caller said that these assaults only happen to white girls- she has never known anything like it happen to girls from 'minority ethnic' communities. Basically, it was the fault of the white victims (a racist comment in my view)
Although Nick did challenge these ridiculous propositions, the callers on the whole got away with it.
As another caller stated: we are dancing round our handbags.
This morning Nick F was discussing the Oxford paedophile gang. I was amazed at the lengths callers went to avoid any hint that these activities were culturally based.
One Pakistani woman (she identified herself as such) said that Pakistani men do the same in Pakistan, it was just men being men. Another caller said that these assaults only happen to white girls - she has never known anything like it happen to girls from 'minority ethnic' communities. Basically, it was the fault of the white victims (a racist comment in my view)
Although Nick did challenge these ridiculous propositions, the callers on the whole got away with it.
As another caller stated: we are dancing round our handbags.
There was a very moving call to JOB from a woman who had been serially abused throughout much of her earlier life.
She said she could spot in a room who had suffered abuse, and that the predators could read people in the same way, and knew how to pick on the vulnerable.
But with regard to the above, she was very clear that there are paedophile rings in all cultures, whether it's catholics or pakistanis, etc. Her point was that paedophilia is not a cultural thing, although where a ring is concerned, it is obviously easier to develop one within a closed group of similar people who are known to you.
There was a very moving call to JOB from a woman who had been serially abused throughout much of her earlier life.
She said she could spot in a room who had suffered abuse, and that the predators could read people in the same way, and knew how to pick on the vulnerable.
But with regard to the above, she was very clear that there are paedophile rings in all cultures, whether it's catholics or pakistanis, etc. Her point was that paedophilia is not a cultural thing, although where a ring is concerned, it is obviously easier to develop one within a closed group of similar people who are known to you.
Absolutely spot on, that's how the Catholic priests got away it for so long.
On 'Drive' this evening, Iain Dale interviewed a chap from the RAC about petrol and oil pricing, along with allegations of price fixing, cartels etc. as has been in the news, especially in relation to BP and Shell.
The RAC chap said that they monitored prices, and when crude prices fell, they were 'concerned' when these price falls were not passed on to the consumer - as opposed to price hikes.
In my opinion, ID, in general, asks the right questions, but doesn't pursue the answers - unlike the much more hard hitting style of James Whale. The latter often seemed over the top, to me - but surely there could be a happy medium?
It's all a bit like being massaged around the head with a wet flannel. Shame. Opportunities missed.
On 'Drive' this evening, Iain Dale interviewed a chap from the RAC about petrol and oil pricing, along with allegations of price fixing, cartels etc. as has been in the news, especially in relation to BP and Shell.
The RAC chap said that they monitored prices, and when crude prices fell, they were 'concerned' when these price falls were not passed on to the consumer - as opposed to price hikes.
In my opinion, ID, in general, asks the right questions, but doesn't pursue the answers - unlike the much more hard hitting style of James Whale. The latter often seemed over the top, to me - but surely there could be a happy medium?
It's all a bit like being massaged around the head with a wet flannel. Shame. Opportunities missed.
But the vast majority of the presenters do that, especially when it comes to critics of the EU, the benefits system and the economy. James O'Brien is the only one who pushes the questioning.
Comments
The collective effect of so many people not believing their decision will change anything leads to the fact that nothing changes. It's a self-fulfilling belief.
Specific policies like house building are a no-brainer: there's a housing shortage in all sectors and private firms have been land-banking for years with no shortage of successful applications for building. If the private sector won't build in the numbers required then it has to be public/social. Also, everyone agrees the overall benefit bill is too high but a massive chunk of that is on housing benefit going to private landlords. More housing (certainly on the scale we need) will reduce the kind of leverage landlords have at present and lower rents, housing benefit and sort out not just the housing shortage but issues like under-occupancy (eradicating the need for a bedroom tax) and over-occupancy.
It's been interesting watching the boycott workfare campaigns. I think, often, the tipping point happens a lot sooner than some people imagine with protests.
However, it's curious as to how and why people think differently.
Popped a few UKIP 'untruths' regarding how the EU make all our laws and what it would cost us to be outside of Europe but still wanting to trade with Europe a la Norway.
I agree.
This is important stuff and it's vital people have the correct information.
God forbid the debate on Europe be handled like this if a referendum is offered.
It will be. Europe a big topic on Ferrari this morning about Tories wanting any EU referendum brought forward. I genuinely wonder how much timing is really more about 'whilst the voters are completely taken in by right wing press's take on Europe'.
And yet another UKIP voter unable to explain how Brussels/EU/immigration impacts him directly.
Also, more in the pattern of 'the only time LBC reports trouble at Tory mill is when it's a pro-UKIP story'.
Her disgusting rhetoric grew to new heights; first blaming the poor woman herself, then her son and daughter. In fact, she blamed everyone except agree with the woman's suicide note. She laid into probably the most noted expert in welfare reform, when he had the audacity to agree with the dead woman's family. When the interview started, she had assumed he was going to agree with her own warped sense of social justice, but she was clearly surprised when he clearly wasn't going to. Instead she launched into a ten minute rant, filled with personal insults towards a professional expert.
I heard a bit of JOB covering the story, which was just about bearable, but when I heard JHB's intro to her first hour, and her call for people to tell her why they thought this woman had killed herself, I had to switch off. I knew what was coming.
Every so often, I think it is worth a formal complaint. ND - would this be one of those occasions?
An acceptance speech from a presenter who did not win.
His hubris knows no bounds........
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2013/05/13/gongless-at-the-sonys
Abso-flipin'-lutely.
Steve Allen used to spend the entirety of his show plugging his stage shows.
I'm not sure about the later shows, but I'm pretty sure that the earlier shows were done 'in partnership' with LBC anyway. Some of them had another LBC presenter doing the first half (JOB and AH have done that).
One Pakistani woman (she identified herself as such) said that Pakistani men do the same in Pakistan, it was just men being men. Another caller said that these assaults only happen to white girls- she has never known anything like it happen to girls from 'minority ethnic' communities. Basically, it was the fault of the white victims (a racist comment in my view)
Although Nick did challenge these ridiculous propositions, the callers on the whole got away with it.
As another caller stated: we are dancing round our handbags.
There was a very moving call to JOB from a woman who had been serially abused throughout much of her earlier life.
She said she could spot in a room who had suffered abuse, and that the predators could read people in the same way, and knew how to pick on the vulnerable.
But with regard to the above, she was very clear that there are paedophile rings in all cultures, whether it's catholics or pakistanis, etc. Her point was that paedophilia is not a cultural thing, although where a ring is concerned, it is obviously easier to develop one within a closed group of similar people who are known to you.
Absolutely spot on, that's how the Catholic priests got away it for so long.
The RAC chap said that they monitored prices, and when crude prices fell, they were 'concerned' when these price falls were not passed on to the consumer - as opposed to price hikes.
In my opinion, ID, in general, asks the right questions, but doesn't pursue the answers - unlike the much more hard hitting style of James Whale. The latter often seemed over the top, to me - but surely there could be a happy medium?
It's all a bit like being massaged around the head with a wet flannel. Shame. Opportunities missed.
Dictatorships don't 'convince'.
They coerce and force.
But the vast majority of the presenters do that, especially when it comes to critics of the EU, the benefits system and the economy. James O'Brien is the only one who pushes the questioning.
And his favourite Twickenham shops, restaurants and pubs.