Today's discussion about the news
Comments
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Report in the Sunday Times that the Post Office was told to delay compensation payouts by the Government.
So the promise to sort this out ASAP is looking a bit thin.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
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compensation being paid out is unlikely to match the true impact of lost income, ruined business, trashed reputation, abuse, broken relationships, bankruptcy, loss of life/freedom, ill health, etc., especially given recent reports of derisory offers, and the post office is still fighting against appeals
kicking the can down the road reduces bad headlines pre-election, and leaves a bigger mess/bad headlines for the next government, which presumably will not be not a tory one
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
They just have to delay until there's something new on TV
- Genesis Croix de Fer
- Dolan Tuono0 -
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The payouts are enough to put a dent in budgets, I guess.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
One might have more sympathy if they hadn't continuously bullshitted their way through the last 5 years.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition1 -
Hard to see how there haven't been some real wage falls in the EU given the levels on inflation in some countries therein and the built-in lag between inflation and pay rises. Though the EU's average inflation rate peaked a bit lower than in the UK (10% vs 11%, I think) there was some variation round that average.
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So sorry most of us (and Tom Calver) don't meet your levels of intellect.
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At first glance I misread 'communication' as 'ammunition'
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Why don't you explain the point for the benefit of the thickos?
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
“Americans spend loads of on things like nice cars, housing and high quality healthcare so they’re actually as poor as we are” ok mate.
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That’s included in Recreation. 😉
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I suppose its an improvement on the times when you'd just post a link with no context, comment or indication of what point you're trying to make.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Who says they are high quality? The article seems to be a summary of many of the things people have said to you on this subject.
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I though US housing on average is cheaper than UK, why are they spending more on it? Are they just buying enormous houses?
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So high(er) cost housing in the US is a good thing whereas you're always complaining about it being too expensive here? It's weird how it backs up what many have said when you go on about the high wages in the US but this just no-one else understanding it and only the great Rick Chasey gets the real situation.
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Exactly. 20 million people in the US live in trailers / mobile homes - that's about 6% of the population. I'm not sure that is my definition of 'high quality'. The majority of houses are basically IKEA flat packs put together with a nail gun. People bemoan the quality of new build houses in the UK but I know which I'd rather. When you see entire towns flattened by a hurricane or tornado it makes you wonder how much more would be standing (albeit maybe without a roof) if built from brick. The idea they are higher quality seems laughable to me. I suspect part of that higher housing cost is due to much more property maintenance being required. The extra insurance costs could be related to how easily their houses fall apart.
On the medical side I would definitely prefer US care for elective work like a knee op (assuming I had suitable insurance). I'm not sure I'd like to rely on a policy continuing to cover my treatment indefinitely for a chronic condition or for my employer provided policy to remain valid and provide treatment when I've been made redundant.
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Yes, they are bigger. Quite a lot bigger. Not sure that automatically makes them better - just more space.
Sister in law (Canada) currently can't visit her family south of the border due to health insurance complications.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
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Surely it isn't disposable if you're having to spend it on health and housing? I'm pretty sure that is actually the point of the article you were criticising.
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Are you not being hoisted with your own petard?
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Interesting the graph shows they spend less on clothing in USA. I guess that’ll change when they all buy Trump Pumps.
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Buying a onesie so you fit in when you are shopping in Walmart isn’t going to break the bank.
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Yes, and the article says that the US salaries are still higher when everything is taken into account. The point it is making is that the headline discrepancy in salary doesn't tell the whole story and that when you try to break it down against cost of living, hours worked etc. the difference is actually much smaller than the headline salary suggests which is exactly what people were arguing with you the other week and which you for some reason took to be defensive / jealousy of the US. Also, notice how that salary for a veteran cop compares against the job advert you posted for the starting salary of a cop that you were using as 'evidence' of how much better salaries are over there.
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I'm failing to see why that thread is 'stupid', but then I'll put that down to my lack of brain cells, and as a result thinking that it rather says what we (except RC) were saying a lifetime ago.
tl;dr Yes, the US economy seems to be doing better overall, but apart from at the very top end, there's not that much difference, once you take other factors into account, and US workers work about 20% more hours and have lower life expectancy (about three years on average).
Is that a fair summary?
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”apart from the things they spend more on they spend the same as us” is not the argument everyone seems to think it is.
If it is, I have a very cheap house to sell them in rural Eritrea.
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But is my summary too far out?
And, as a thought experiment, where would the UK finances be if we worked 20% more and died three years younger? That's quite a saving on keeping old, unproductive people alive, for starters. A modest proposal: perhaps you could start the Work Hard & Die Young Party.
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