Who says there is a recession on?

[ymu]

The top 1% have increased their wealth by a third since the crash. There's a very good reason they're demanding these suicidal policies continue and it's not because they're stupid.

[nb Innisfree]

 

The problem is that no party offers a manifesto that the majority want to vote for. We only get to choose the least worst option, and they can renege on everything they said to get elected once in power.

 

We need to break the link between money and political power. I'd abolish political parties and send local delegates to bash out policies much like the committees do now. It's patronage that allows corruption, and the parties are the primary vehicle for patronage in our system.

 

But it's got nothing to do with what the voters want, it's about giving as little as possible to the people and keep the majority of them from a mass revolt. Squeezing the pips until they squeak is the only way to extract the piss maximum amount of juice. It's worked well for a long time and probably will for a lot longer, for over 50 years now I've heard prophets of doom and countless talk of incompetence and everything collapsing and we need to do something quick. All of a sudden nothing happened.

[ymu]

But it's got nothing to do with what the voters want, it's about giving as little as possible to the people and keep the majority of them from a mass revolt. Squeezing the pips until they squeak is the only way to extract the piss maximum amount of juice. It's worked well for a long time and probably will for a lot longer, for over 50 years now I've heard prophets of doom and countless talk of incompetence and everything collapsing and we need to do something quick. All of a sudden nothing happened.

Well, it won't happen overnight, but last time this happened, the world was unrecognisable two decades later.

 

Big crash, bankrupt major powers fighting too many wars on too many fronts, rise of the far right, a 'fifth column' ethnicity which can be openly abused and upon whom people are encouraged to spy,.

 

Our world will be equally unrecognisable in twenty years time. Different players, same story. I predict terrorism from Africa next. But mostly aimed at China. South America will form its own power bloc, with Russia and China as the big monolith superpowers, and a client state Africa.

 

We will have to scramble to keep/rebuild what industry we have. Europe this century will look a lot like South America did last century, I think. Argentina was once the 6th largest economy in the world. It's our big downfall next.

[cotswoldsman]

Well, it won't happen overnight, but last time this happened, the world was unrecognisable two decades later.

 

Big crash, bankrupt major powers fighting too many wars on too many fronts, rise of the far right, a 'fifth column' ethnicity which can be openly abused and upon whom people are encouraged to spy,.

 

Our world will be equally unrecognisable in twenty years time. Different players, same story. I predict terrorism from Africa next. But mostly aimed at China. South America will form its own power bloc, with Russia and China as the big monolith superpowers, and a client state Africa.

 

We will have to scramble to keep/rebuild what industry we have. Europe this century will look a lot like South America did last century, I think. Argentina was once the 6th largest economy in the world. It's our big downfall next.

 

Just out of interest why do you predict terrorism from Africa or are you just talking North Africa.

This century is ever such a long time!! Europe is the strongest economy in the world (2010)

[ymu]

Just out of interest why do you predict terrorism from Africa or are you just talking North Africa.

This century is ever such a long time!! Europe is the strongest economy in the world (2010)

By historical/political analogy.

 

The age of oil is over, and much of what is left is in Africa, along with mineral wealth of increasing importance as new technologies come on line. South America is in a similar position, but it is politically more developed, so I don't think the same struggles will occur there.

 

The African people face possible effective enslavement along with Chinese investment, to the benefit of the new Chinese middle-class and the enrichment of their mostly brutal rulers. Of course, each country has its own specifics, and I don't know enough about Africa or patterns of Chinese investment to give much detail, but I'm talking the resource-rich, governance-poor south and centre, mainly.

[nb Innisfree]

Trouble with prediction nobody seems to get it right until after the event when it's revealed how so and so predicted it, that's the trouble with the future it just won't stay put and behave itself.

[ymu]

Interesting times.