Who are you voting for?

[scottdisco]

though i should add the former Iron Curtain has probably the best hard liquors, that Serbian plum brandy for a start.

 

[Tentative Andy]

of course the range of independent trades unions, diverse religious organisations, range of faith schools from different monotheisms backed by the govt (w no one religion officially backed in this sense *), range of opinions able to be expressed in a range of free media, and the ability to wield a free vote (or not if you don't want to, unlike, for instance, Australia), are some differences between, say, the current UK, and Romania in the mid-80s.

(oh and abortion isn't illegal here, to pluck one other improvement from my admittedly arbitrary Romania choice, as then, to the UK, of now, out of the air.)

there are a massive range of beefs people have w how things are in the UK atm (specifically w regard to the New Labour administration since 1997), and in general, true, but i fear one can take a sort of ennui/anomie w regards to your take on political arrangements in this country (and other naturally imperfect democracies) too far... ...i also appreciate (though are lucky enough to have never experienced) that M B's experiences under a large, intrusive state (and that of M B's relatives) are going to shape opinions, to put it very mildly.

i'd have thought, that said, that out of the democracies that have a slightly larger state and, (admittedly, this is a clincher, lower levels of inequality) like Sweden for one, that the social health of that nation is better than a democracy w a smaller state (and, granted, higher levels of inequality) ** such as, er, a certain large country that gives us very good rap, jazz, house, clam chowder, pizza and a huge range of genuinely excellent microbrew beers. (ahem.)

* i don't have to like everything i include in this list

** that said, i know for eg the glass ceiling for women is higher in the States than Sweden - saw some paper on it once, can't find the ref but it wasn't that long ago

Yeah, I'd been trying to write a response, but this basically says everything I wanted to say but better.

 

[mixed_biscuits]

Tee-hee yes perhaps some over-sensitivity on my part but I think that, at the least, the trend has been clearly towards an *ahem* over-bearing government. Think of me as one of those gas-sensitive guinea pigs that people used to take down the mines.

 

[baboon2004]

before they closed them...now who did that again..???!!!

 

[baboon2004]

I suppose it cuts both ways: people would be less inclined to divorce (tho' I can't imagine these tax breaks are so significant as to keep together warring couples) but also more inclined to think carefully about the suitability of their prospective spouse in the first place.

Well, private schools are run for profit, but their profits depend on parents being satisfied that their children are being educated well. The parents have money on the line and so will scrutinise the product carefully and vote with their feet if they aren't satisfied. It's no wonder that private education tends to be better, compared to the monolithic state system, in which parents have little choice of school, less input once one has been accorded to them and have to suffer a gamed feedback system (the grading issue).

If a system is established whereby chains of schools are in competition with each other, parents have the wherewithal to choose between them and feedback is kept honest (parents scrutinise the product; universities/business set exams), then I would imagine that standards would rise.

I don't know much about the academy schools but I would imagine that two of the aforementioned prerequisites are absent (perhaps, wherewithal to withdraw pupils/choose a new school; 'success' determined impartially), then there are limits to the scope of possible improvement.

How about not elevating marriage to such an extent in the first place, and respecting equally people's choices about whether to partake in the normativity or not??!

Their profits depend upon RICH parents being satisfied. FFS. Where do less rich parents fit into your schema? How about banning private education, and just having universally good education?

Obv, as it stands, it's no wonder that private education tends to be better, cos they, er, pay teachers more to teach cosseted kids? And education as a product- wow, speechless.

 

[mixed_biscuits]

How about not elevating marriage to such an extent in the first place

Marriage is already 'elevated' - that's the whole point, hence the ceremonies, high cost, mobilisation of friends and families etc. You would be hard pushed to find cultures that don't indulge in statusful 'pairing ceremonies.'

Their profits depend upon RICH parents being satisfied. FFS. Where do less rich parents fit into your schema? How about banning private education, and just having universally good education?

You don't have to drive a Bentley to send children to private school (you can even go for free if you win a scholarship). Anyway, my point was that the system would be effective if it replaced the state school sector yet was paid for by taxes; not that state schools be abolished and the poor are left to wander the streets, picking up bits of scrap metal to sell so that they can afford five minutes in DT. 'Universally good education' is a pipe dream at the moment, as aspects of the system as it currently is act against it. You need to pick apart what I have proposed as the three prerequisites for a competitive and high quality system.

Obv, as it stands, it's no wonder that private education tends to be better, cos they, er, pay teachers more to teach cosseted kids? And education as a product- wow, speechless.

'Money' eh, yeah, I forgot that MONEY = BAD. Well how about 'product' as in 'thing produced.'

Teachers aren't necessarily paid more in private schools (for instance, you can't get 'Advanced Skills Teacher' status, and the large salary that comes with it, as a normal classroom teacher) and tend to be under higher pressure because of greater parental say and the drive to make the students (truly) competitive (which both push up standards).

 

[hucks]

So.... I went to my local hustings last night (Poplar and Limehouse). Gorgeous George Galloway was there, and he may be massive bellend, but his oratory is pretty impressive. Especially in a church hall. And he brought some jokes, mainly at the expense of the teenage Tory candidate.

The Tory was a total Michael Gove clone, but had that really Tory thing of getting visibly irritated when he was being criticised. Anyway, he looked like the favourite, cos the Labour incumbent looks knackered and a little disbelieving that he's been given a harder constituency to try and win this time out following the boundary changes.

 

[craner]

Jim Fitzpatrick is pretty sound. I suspect, as an Oona is being tried on him, it'll hand the Tories a rare East End victory, scuppering another established and talented Labour MP for...what?

 

[scottdisco]

i like the sound of Rushanara Ali who is running for Labour in BG & B. i wonder do you know much about her Ollie? she was a Parliamentary Asst to King, so says Wiki, but a bit ago: '97-99.

 

[Slothrop]

Teachers aren't necessarily paid more in private schools (for instance, you can't get 'Advanced Skills Teacher' status, and the large salary that comes with it, as a normal classroom teacher) and tend to be under higher pressure because of greater parental say and the drive to make the students (truly) competitive (which both push up standards).

So the problem with teachers in state schools is that they basically can't be arsed, not that they're having to waste a lot of time dealing with unmotivated and disruptive kids and that they've got much bigger classes to teach? They just need to be under more pressure and these things will suddenly cease to be a problem?

 

[craner]

I know her. She was an Oona protegee. Her selection was almost as controversial as Oona's originally was. She's one of these smart, tenacious, ambitious 2nd/3rd generation South Asian daughters, a lot like an ex-girlfriend of mine as a matter of fact -- I know the type, very effiecient and intense and hungry. What could be better for a 5-year neglected borough? If the rump that's left of Respect can't hold the Aldgate East Bengali lockdown, which they won't, I imagine this going back to Labour, just. The BGB CLP has always been pretty strong, if very fractious. (The local Lib Dem candidate is a lot stronger this time around, but the local party is a joke.)

I'm actually in Cardiff North this time, stumping for Julie Morgan. It's a lot quieter!

 

[Mr. Tea]

Gorgeous George Galloway was there, and he may be massive bellend, but his oratory is pretty impressive.

Well we all know who ELSE was a great public speaker, don't we?

 

[crackerjack]

I know her. She was an Oona protegee. Her selection was almost as controversial as Oona's originally was. She's one of these smart, tenacious, ambitious 2nd/3rd generation South Asian daughters, a lot like an ex-girlfriend of mine as a matter of fact -- I know the type, very effiecient and intense and hungry. What could be better for a 5-year neglected borough? If the rump that's left of Respect can't hold the Aldgate East Bengali lockdown, which they won't, I imagine this going back to Labour, just. The BGB CLP has always been pretty strong, if very fractious. (The local Lib Dem candidate is a lot stronger this time around, but the local party is a joke.)

She knocked on my door about 2 years ago - the weekend of the Election That Never Was. Thought she seemed a bit lightweight, her canvassing companion did most of the talking.

At least, from what I gather, she predates the IFE infiltration.

Is Jim F really going to lose?

 

[vimothy]

Positive messages:

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/t...es-would-you-like-to-see-on-tory-posters.html

 

[nomadthethird]

So the problem with teachers in state schools is that they basically can't be arsed, not that they're having to waste a lot of time dealing with unmotivated and disruptive kids and that they've got much bigger classes to teach? They just need to be under more pressure and these things will suddenly cease to be a problem?

I'm at a state school right now, and I could write you a laundry list of problems with the whole system. Most of the information they're throwing at us here is the same as anywhere, but the quality of education is nowhere near what I got at the private college and university I attended.

And the problems have nothing to do with the teachers not caring. They try really very hard. The problem is, because so many of the students are ill-prepared, or they believe college should be an extention of their shitty public high school experience, where they got an A for simply showing up and writing their name on the paper, the professors are always playing catch up. They end up simply teaching students how to pass tests, and cram facts, instead of teaching them to think through the material.

I could spend all day complaining about this really, so I won't bore anyone further...

 

[craner]

She knocked on my door about 2 years ago - the weekend of the Election That Never Was. Thought she seemed a bit lightweight, her canvassing companion did most of the talking.

Well, you say that, and people said the same about King too, but these women are smart, alert, diligent. Oona was super-diligent as a constituency MP, unlike twat chops who deposed her. Also, you should have seen who else was running for nomination -- Rupa fucking Huq, for one!

the IFE infiltration

You hit the nail on the head, here. I mean, I haven't been in close contact with the BGB CLP since early 2007, and things were fractious enough then -- the young upwardly mobile Blairite right, the Old Labour Unionist Left, and the far ("hippy") Left all scrapping over the fall out from Oona's loss during the bleak days and weeks and then months after the election -- but judging from Gilligan's revelations, which I see no reason to disbelieve, Tower Hamlets Labour is in dead trouble.

Also, seriously, why can't Galloway just fuck off?

 

[scottdisco]

yes i was quite taken w the career section of Rushanara Ali's wiki.

 

[crackerjack]

Well, you say that, and people said the same about King too, but these women are smart, alert, diligent. Oona was super-diligent as a constituency MP, unlike twat chops who deposed her. Also, you should have seen who else was running for nomination -- Rupa fucking Huq, for one!

Rupa can knock on my door any time she likes.

 

[craner]

You mean Konnie, surely?

 

[crackerjack]

You mean Konnie, surely?

did i say i was fussy?