Water cannon for London

Ana does it really matter exactly how many people are?? The fact that they are needed and used by people who are employed signals to me that things are not right!

The financial crisis was the result of far greater things than just the policies of one government. The world economy collapsed and countries, with governments right , left and in the middle suffered a domestic financial crash. I have very little real economic understanding other than I have read/heard in news reports but it does seem that 'greedy' capitalism played a big part in the international collapse.

I understand that life is not fair but I do think that a governments prime duty should be to work towards making life as fair as possible for its citizens.
I believe that in a country where the difference between the haves/have nots is not too wide life for everyone is better

Is someone suggesting that we water canon people who use food banks!! Sorry I haven't read every entry I suppose I should really.

I resent that 'not even you' slur, durhamjen.

If all you can summon up is a Mirror 'report' I'm certainly not convinced by your argument that the present government is 'making the poor rely on food banks'.

I am in the middle of T Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century" - explains a lot and helps with an understanding of the result of wealth inequality.

I think water cannons could well have been used in those awful riots in London in 2011. Must have been so terrifying for people living in the area. And in the end, it came down to bad behaviour and greed.

The "toffs" in the government jendurham are likely to be highly intelligent people and have had excellent educations. We need them.

jingle I can understand how terrifying it must have been for people living in the area, but I think that it is one area in which cannons would not be very effective as the rioters are so mobile and are not confined to one particular area but pop up all over the place. If they are cannoned they will simply move and riot somewhere else. A riot is a different phenomenon to a street protest which is generally confined to a particular geographical area

It could well put 'em off and send them home. Wet.

No they would simply steal some hairdryers!!!!! and dry clothes

All right!

Shall we just all move over to the book club and make ourselves some cheese on toast?Well, I will anyway, as I am getting bored now.

Read it, Ana. It's not a Daily Mirror report. It's a report from the CEO of the Trussell Trust that he was threatened by a government official that if he did not stop saying that government policies were causing poverty, that the Trust, which runs most of the foodbanks in the country, would be closed down. I paraphrase.
I repeat, not even you can think that is acceptable.

Whitewave, I've read a lot about that book. Many economists think he is right about inequality.

Talking about inequality, do any of you think that water cannons would have been used on Bullingdon Club rioters if they had been available at the time? Those are the toffs I am talking about, Jingle, who run the country. To threaten Oxfam and the Trussell Trust is plain bullying, not intelligence.

Wouldn't need cannons for the results of the Bullingdon Club's behaviour - they or Mum and Dad can afford to buy themselves out of trouble.

I have read it, durhamjen! Unnamed 'government officials' allegedly using threatening language is just that - an allegation. Why wasn't this dastardly behaviour reported in the Guardian, I wonder...?

Yes, that's what happened, whitewave. I've just started reading Harry's Last Stand, by Harry Leslie Smith, subtitled How the World my Generation Built is Falling Down. Just the first two chapters made my blood run cold.

The Oxfam link was from the Guardian article, Ana, but I thought if I mentioned the Guardian you would complain about that.
Here's the response to the article.
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/11/new-vision-to-tackle-poverty&sa=U&ei=TGqbU_HqFKqj0QW2qYCIBg&ved=0CBAQFjAF&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNH3tXf6BSXePx5Ma5JmGCIy-fnLmg

Perhaps you need to read something less blood curdling then jen

By the way I agree with you roses but I'm not around much so sorry it is belated.

I would certainly never dislike a person because of his/her background. What I object to is people who have lived lives of comfort and privilege devising policies that almost exclusively punish the less well off, and who push forward an agenda which further empowers the very small group of people that already has too much power and influence.

What I also object to is the incompetence of this government. On the news now it is being reported that mortgage interest rates are likely to be increased in order to "cool the market". This is after the Chancellor heated up the market by introducing the ill-thought out Help to Buy policy which many economists warned would inflate house prices. Help to Buy has been of little use to anyone except speculators. For ordinary first time buyers in the south east, any help given has been cancelled out by enormous rises in house prices. If prices eventually fall, some will find themselves facing an increase in interest charges for a house that is worth less than they bought it for. In those areas where prices have hardly risen and where the knock-on effect of falling prices elsewhere may reduce the value of their own homes, home owners may find themselves in negative equity and yet paying more in interest.

Another point to ponder is that higher house prices will have pushed some properties into a higher Stamp Duty bracket - the increased income from which will presumably improve the government's income/expenditure figures. There will, of course, be no refund of Stamp Duty if a property subsequently falls in value.

I agree Help to Buy was absolutely stupid.

Strangely, durhamjen doesn't respond to questions she doesn't want to answer, or has no answer to. Endless llnks are just offputting.

Well said, Eloethan.

I said the book made my blood run cold, Aka, not curdle. The book is by a 91 year old who went through the depression, watched his sister die of TB in the workhouse before the NHS, and lived in a Yorkshire slum.
It should be required for anyone wanting to become a politician.
Getting back to water cannon,
www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2014/06/11/five-reasons-why-the-introduction-of-water-cannon-should-be

What haven't I responded to, Ana?

My point is still valid whether your blood is curdled or cold Jen. My father's sister died of TB before there was an NHS, but they didn't live in a slum. Didn't one or more of the Bronte sister die from TB and they weren't in a workhouse.

Things have changed or haven't you noticed?

Instead of living in hovels, having no medical help available to them, keeping a pig in the basement, lacking shoes and schooling, and going to bed hungry the average poor family have a roof over their heads, free access to the NHS, the benefits of free education up till 18, they are shod and clothed, usually have a bigger TV than I have, a mobile phone, access to food and drink and to be frank could all do with losing a few pounds before the NHS collapses under the obesity epidemic.

What passes for poverty in the 21st century would have been seen as a life if luxury when Kier Hardy founded the Labour Party.

Good post Aka