Making the news today....

[TIMON]

In brief, it's easy to forget that, just like all the other government departments that seem unable to cope with doing their own business, the armed forces have also been subject to similar reductions and efficiencies yet still have preparation for, deployment to and recovery from operations, training and regeneration to manage.

 

 

 

Which ever department is drawing down funding to do their job (however poorly) are STILL drawing down that funding despite apparently being so inept as to require the armed forces to bail them out.

 

 

 

There is a time and a place for MACC, relying upon it as an ever increasing everyday occurrence is probably not the best idea.

 

 

Enabling incompetence. I get you, MrJ, a bit like giving homeless people money for their drug habits. It doesn't help in the long run.

 

Corbyn and John McDonnell are a nasty combination. Relics from the Scargill era and should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

 

 

Timon.

[dan494]

There was an idiot on the radio this morning saying it's the Tories fault because they're millionaires and decided to clad the towerblock purely so they didn't have to see it from their mansions. This point scoring over what's happened is disgusting

 

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[difflock]

Thank you KJ, I was expressing frustration and disgust with Corbyn's loathsome populist tactics this morning.

Also shame on TM for not being prepared to face the public.

This awful event was probably the result of a perfect storm of circumstances, including flammable "green" cladding, the lack of fire doors?,& had Bucksee, non-compliant doors been fitted, and by whom?, perhaps the nos of persons residing, officially or otherwise in this block, contributed to the death toll, 17 in 1 flat(I Saw quoted).

Mattresses in corridors, who was responsible for that, management/mis-managment* or the person who deposited it?

I fully understand the advice to stay put until rescued, the flats "should" have been self contained fire resistant zones, and mass panic i.e. self-evacuation is more like to cause a stampede/crush on the stairs, especially if toddlers and the elderly are involved.

Many factors all contributing.

But probably mostly the cladding, including the way it was fitted, was it installed to spec, prob not, from my observations of tradespersons taking shortcuts down through the years.

Hysterical finger pointing and blaming cuts to Council funding(Councils who friviously spend oodles on LBGT agenda, Arts and other nonsense) is plain downright wrong.

mth

P.S.

I spent 32 years in LG and knows how they ABSOLUTLY waste funding on made up jobs, the Arts and other vanity projects while neglecting the unsexy key services.

 

 

Obviously my sincerest condolences to those involved, but whilst I felt obligated to say this, it is really meaninglesss because I did not know any of them.

Edited June 16, 2017 by difflock

[the village idiot]

I'll try again the rich are richer and the poor are poorer.

 

Who are the rich and who are the poor?

 

It completely depends on your frame of reference.

 

After tax but before expenses I earn around £10,000 per year. This presumably places me towards the 'poor' end of the spectrum of the UK population financially speaking.

 

If you take the view that every human life is of equal value then you have to look at the global picture. On this metric I am in the richest 12% of the world's population.

 

Globally speaking I am very wealthy, in a very large part due to luck (I was born in the UK).

 

This is a controvertial topic, but it could well be argued that using our privileged position to accumulate more wealth for ourselves than we need to live comfortably, whilst others worldwide are suffering terribly in extreme poverty, is morally indefensible.

 

If you look at it purely from an opportunity and ethical position, the thing to do might be to use our privileged position to maximise our earning potential and donate all income (above that which we really need to be happy) to causes that can be proven to alleviate suffering.

 

This sounds quite extreme, but the interesting point is that this will have a very small negative impact on our wellbeing, and a huge life enhancing benefit on the wellbeing of others. It is also quite possible that the immense satifaction experienced from living by this philosophy will actually make you much happier than the accumulation of excess personal wealth ever can.

 

You can literally save the life of a child every year by donating £3000 of your annual income to someone like Against Malaria Foundation. How amazing would that feel, forever!

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this, it is a concept I have only recently been made aware of. Does it make sense or is it problematic and unrealistic?

 

One of the things I like about it is that it puts the focus on the individual to do good things rather than relying on blundering and biased politicians to act on our behalf.

 

If anyone is interested in the concept there is a lot more on the phiolosophy of this in the podcast I posted yesterday. Highly recommended!

 

https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/being-good-and-doing-good

[Haironyourchest]

It completely depends on your frame of reference.

 

After tax but before expenses I earn around £10,000 per year. This presumably places me towards the 'poor' end of the spectrum of the UK population financially speaking.

 

If you take the view that every human life is of equal value then you have to look at the global picture. On this metric I am in the richest 12% of the world's population.

 

Globally speaking I am very wealthy, in a very large part due to luck (I was born in the UK).

 

This is a controvertial topic, but it could well be argued that using our privileged position to accumulate more wealth for ourselves than we need to live comfortably, whilst others worldwide are suffering terribly in extreme poverty, is morally indefensible.

 

If you look at it purely from an opportunity and ethical position, the thing to do might be to use our privileged position to maximise our earning potential and donate all income (above that which we really need to be happy) to causes that can be proven to alleviate suffering.

 

This sounds quite extreme, but the interesting point is that this will have a very small negative impact on our wellbeing, and a huge life enhancing benefit on the wellbeing of others. It is also quite possible that the immense satifaction experienced from living by this philosophy will actually make you much happier than the accumulation of excess personal wealth ever can.

 

You can literally save the life of a child every year by donating £3000 of your annual income to someone like Against Malaria Foundation. How amazing would that feel, forever!

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this, it is a concept I have only recently been made aware of. Does it make sense or is it problematic and unrealistic?

 

One of the things I like about it is that it puts the focus on the individual to do good things rather than relying on blundering and biased politicians to act on our behalf.

 

If anyone is interested in the concept there is a lot more on the phiolosophy of this in the podcast I posted yesterday. Highly recommended!

 

https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/being-good-and-doing-good

 

Give a man a fish...I make about the same, consider myself incredibly lucky.

 

I like the sentiment but surely the best way to alleviate suffering is to help others to strengthen their local economies. Untill the "poor" have the means and materials to create their own wealth and productivity, they will be dependant. Same with an over generous welfare system, it disincentivises people to find or create work for themselves. Some of us have the innate drive and pride to support ourselves, but many do not...we've all seen it, people who might have thrived if they'd been given a kick on the ass in their youth, ruined by lifelong benefits. Speaking of malaria, DDT had it eradicated in many parts of the world. Used responsibly, it's a wonder chemical, costs pennies and solves a fundamental problem.

[Mark J]

 

... All topped off with a big dollop of corbyn sponsored suggestion of asset stripping "the rich."

 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

[attach]221597[/attach]

 

 

😂😂😂😂

 

Politician is careful to use words which intimate, but fall just short of revealing true malevolent intent shocker....

 

😂😂😂😂

 

Yeah, nice one 👍🏻, I'm convinced!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Enabling incompetence. I get you, MrJ, a bit like giving homeless people money for their drug habits. It doesn't help in the long run.

 

Corbyn and John McDonnell are a nasty combination. Relics from the Scargill era and should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

 

 

Timon.

 

Enabling incompetence Ti.....

 

How apt is that....!

 

CEO of the council on a salary North of 200k.

 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on a salary North of 140k.

 

And between them, they have to write to the PM to ask for people to be re-homed.

 

How is this not local government business? What exactly are these people drawing a salary for??

 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan writes stern letter to Theresa May demanding answers on Grenfell Tower TODAY - Mirror Online

 

If I were in the PM's office I would have had all the council CEOs on the carpet answering some very blunt and direct questions about the integrity and quality of their officers' work.

 

A genuine WTF moment!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Making the news TOMORROW:

 

Serious civil unrest, rioting and disorder follow Grenfell Tower fire.

 

 

Hope I'm wrong!

 

And so it begins....

[breffni]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/16/sun-journalist-grenfell-tower-victim-hospital

 

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