An uncle of mine (who sadly passed away last year) was a navigator/bomb aimer during the Second World War. He was invited to Buckingham Palace to be decorated by King George as he?d flown a very high number of missions. But his girlfriend was not (no hanky panky in those days). I remember he once told me that he?d boarded his plane without a parachute, something he didn?t realise until they?d taken off .In theory, he should have reported to the pilot but if he did, the flight would have to turn back and he would face disciplinary charges. He simply made an arrangement with the tail gunner ?: if we get hit and have to bail out, I?ll hold onto you?
This was in the days when people had a bit of respect for themselves and actually wanted to do their bit.
What the fuck has gone wrong with our country?
Calibre of Men
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andy at handiwork
- Posts: 4113
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: Calibre of Men
Well for a start its full of people talking it down.
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Mysteryman
- Posts: 878
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: Calibre of Men
The nanny society, health and safety, people scared of their own shadows and the blame and claim ethos have hit every section of society. Politicians have no back bone, believe in economists (when did an economist last get something right) when planning their policies and give bankers and speculators free rein.
My dad had a bad war in Burma and, after VJ day being attacked by liberation fighters in India for 6 months.
When he was demobbed, he got 2 weeks in Carlisle Military Hospital, a suit, a small gratuity and was told to get on with it.
His Mention in Dispatches for his actions against a Jap patrol took nearly 3 years to come through.
The G20 should get a grip, fix exchange rates, fix commodity prices and deal with shortages/gluts to the benefit of everyone. Economies could then be more stable and the speculators might have to get a real job and learn what life is like for real people. Of course, that is unlikely to happen whilst it is only the above average well off that can hope to make a real name for themselves in politics anywhere in the world.
Companies should go back to putting the customer before their "policies" and "systems". Profit through provision of product and service should come before the far too often seen "profit at any price" attitude.
Managers should be trained up through the ranks of companies so they have experienced what they are supposed to manage. They also shouldn't be "protected" behind the ranks of call centre drones.
One major UK business I have dealt with recently refused to let me speak to their Customer Services Director about a complaint involving a defective product worth just under a thousand pounds - the demand coming after weeks of being put off by every level up to call centre manager, who had, it seems, no authority to sort the problem.
It was a matter that could have been sorted on the phone in minutes. Instead I had to write to the CSD, twice. Each time a minion replied unsatisfactorily. I was told the CSD didn't deal with customers!!!
Eventually a letter to the CEO, copy to the Chairman did the trick but though the product was replaced, I got no real apology - what a waste of my time, their's and what the hell are they paying the guy for?
People should be made much more responsible for their own actions/safety - only where there is REAL negligence should a claim be allowed. Perhaps then kids could play conkers, I could wire a new ceiling light, I could afford the insurance for my village fete and I wouldn't be afraid of injuring anyone when defending my family and property from someone who breaks into my house.
Welfare should be for those in genuine need, those made redundant through no fault of ther own shouldn't be made to feel they are spongers and left to exist on crippling amounts welfare. People with experience and skills shouldn't be made to take any old job, at whatever pay rate, to get them off the country's books - rather their skills should be welcomed and used.
It isn't going to change. All over the world those who have the good life and have power will make sure they keep it by engineering shortages to inflate prices, moving jobs to the lowest paid countries and generally keeping the majority where they want them - at a level where they are just a point or two off the tipping point for mass civil disobedience or revolution.
Rant over.
My dad had a bad war in Burma and, after VJ day being attacked by liberation fighters in India for 6 months.
When he was demobbed, he got 2 weeks in Carlisle Military Hospital, a suit, a small gratuity and was told to get on with it.
His Mention in Dispatches for his actions against a Jap patrol took nearly 3 years to come through.
The G20 should get a grip, fix exchange rates, fix commodity prices and deal with shortages/gluts to the benefit of everyone. Economies could then be more stable and the speculators might have to get a real job and learn what life is like for real people. Of course, that is unlikely to happen whilst it is only the above average well off that can hope to make a real name for themselves in politics anywhere in the world.
Companies should go back to putting the customer before their "policies" and "systems". Profit through provision of product and service should come before the far too often seen "profit at any price" attitude.
Managers should be trained up through the ranks of companies so they have experienced what they are supposed to manage. They also shouldn't be "protected" behind the ranks of call centre drones.
One major UK business I have dealt with recently refused to let me speak to their Customer Services Director about a complaint involving a defective product worth just under a thousand pounds - the demand coming after weeks of being put off by every level up to call centre manager, who had, it seems, no authority to sort the problem.
It was a matter that could have been sorted on the phone in minutes. Instead I had to write to the CSD, twice. Each time a minion replied unsatisfactorily. I was told the CSD didn't deal with customers!!!
Eventually a letter to the CEO, copy to the Chairman did the trick but though the product was replaced, I got no real apology - what a waste of my time, their's and what the hell are they paying the guy for?
People should be made much more responsible for their own actions/safety - only where there is REAL negligence should a claim be allowed. Perhaps then kids could play conkers, I could wire a new ceiling light, I could afford the insurance for my village fete and I wouldn't be afraid of injuring anyone when defending my family and property from someone who breaks into my house.
Welfare should be for those in genuine need, those made redundant through no fault of ther own shouldn't be made to feel they are spongers and left to exist on crippling amounts welfare. People with experience and skills shouldn't be made to take any old job, at whatever pay rate, to get them off the country's books - rather their skills should be welcomed and used.
It isn't going to change. All over the world those who have the good life and have power will make sure they keep it by engineering shortages to inflate prices, moving jobs to the lowest paid countries and generally keeping the majority where they want them - at a level where they are just a point or two off the tipping point for mass civil disobedience or revolution.
Rant over.
Re: Calibre of Men
Mysteryman - your 'rant' makes perfect sense and is based on the reality of the modern world. I'm confident a lot of people would agree with you and yet somehow whoever it is in charge seems untouchable and able to continue unabated. The fact that change seems impossible intrigues me. It's as if they've cleverly devised a feeling of hopelessness to thwart any attempts to make improvements in society which may unseat them.
It's hard to find anyone who actually agrees with some of the luniotic decisions handed down from Government and the courts yet we are told these institutions represent our wishes. No wonder they want to control the internet.
It's hard to find anyone who actually agrees with some of the luniotic decisions handed down from Government and the courts yet we are told these institutions represent our wishes. No wonder they want to control the internet.
Phwooorr...look at her....CRASH
Re: Calibre of Men
The idea of "fixing" commodity prices makes no sense. Who decides? Ever heard of supply and demand? In the Soviet Union they tried something like that. Wasn't exactly a success was it?
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alicia_fan_uk
- Posts: 296
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: Calibre of Men
Most people now want their goods and services cheap as chips but then complain when poor customer service and greed come as part of the deal.
They lament the demise of the local friendly butcher, grocer, baker etc and hate how their home town or village isn't a patch on what it once was; they are so enraged they nearly crash on their way out of town to the retail park and to Tescos.
Where you spend your money means more than where you put your "X" every 5 years. Shop local. Every little helps.....
alicia_fan_uk
They lament the demise of the local friendly butcher, grocer, baker etc and hate how their home town or village isn't a patch on what it once was; they are so enraged they nearly crash on their way out of town to the retail park and to Tescos.
Where you spend your money means more than where you put your "X" every 5 years. Shop local. Every little helps.....
alicia_fan_uk
Re: Calibre of Men
I know what you mean. I always laugh at those Airline programmes, when people are ranting about the lack of customer service on their 99p Easyjet flight!
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Deuce Bigolo
- Posts: 9910
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: different times different attitudes
Back then there was a more community based approached to life
The only need watch the different generations and how they interact with each other on things like public transport when their seated next to each other
Baby boomers and before would almost universally talk to each other
Generation X pretty much just keeps quite
Generation y will put on the Ipod,talk on the mobile etc
which gives a clear message I dont want to be bothered
Thesedays narcissism rules supreme and while things community spirited things like volunteering are still happening its only because it looks good on your CV
The only need watch the different generations and how they interact with each other on things like public transport when their seated next to each other
Baby boomers and before would almost universally talk to each other
Generation X pretty much just keeps quite
Generation y will put on the Ipod,talk on the mobile etc
which gives a clear message I dont want to be bothered
Thesedays narcissism rules supreme and while things community spirited things like volunteering are still happening its only because it looks good on your CV
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Mysteryman
- Posts: 878
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:40 am
Re: Calibre of Men
Robches, fixing commodity prices does make sense and has been a consistent feature of both national government policy in countries around the world and of international agreements.
Gold, silver, coffee, wheat and, of course, oil have all been subject to price fixing by international agreement at times when it has suited governments to control either supply or ensure affordability and consistency.
To just cite the Soviet Union is fallacious.
Free markets in essentials puts the ultimate power over what you, I and everyone else can afford in the hands of a relatively small number of rich individuals and institutions whose only interest is to make a profit, regardless of the effect on the wider world. Thus they switch from one commodity to another as soon as their intervention starts to have a negative effect on their profits.
Currencies used to be fixed - either to the price of gold or each other removing the uncertainty of fluctuating exchange rates which affects prices of goods to you and me.
Commodity prices, fixed by international agreement remove (natural factors such as weather apart) uncertainty, price gouging and profiteering from the supply of essentials.
Ask yourself this. What is so good about a free market in essential commodities that can artificially increase prices making goods less affordable the the majority whilst adding to the wealth of the speculators and paying the "traders" they employ far greater than averages salaries for yelling into phones for 10 -12 hours per day?
Historically, since the end of WW2, we are in a period where governments around the world believe in the free market in everything. Hardly surprising when the financial backgrounds of a vast number of cabinet and government inner circle members are looked into and are found to be linked, either by family or previous business experience to banking, finance or international business.
Gold, silver, coffee, wheat and, of course, oil have all been subject to price fixing by international agreement at times when it has suited governments to control either supply or ensure affordability and consistency.
To just cite the Soviet Union is fallacious.
Free markets in essentials puts the ultimate power over what you, I and everyone else can afford in the hands of a relatively small number of rich individuals and institutions whose only interest is to make a profit, regardless of the effect on the wider world. Thus they switch from one commodity to another as soon as their intervention starts to have a negative effect on their profits.
Currencies used to be fixed - either to the price of gold or each other removing the uncertainty of fluctuating exchange rates which affects prices of goods to you and me.
Commodity prices, fixed by international agreement remove (natural factors such as weather apart) uncertainty, price gouging and profiteering from the supply of essentials.
Ask yourself this. What is so good about a free market in essential commodities that can artificially increase prices making goods less affordable the the majority whilst adding to the wealth of the speculators and paying the "traders" they employ far greater than averages salaries for yelling into phones for 10 -12 hours per day?
Historically, since the end of WW2, we are in a period where governments around the world believe in the free market in everything. Hardly surprising when the financial backgrounds of a vast number of cabinet and government inner circle members are looked into and are found to be linked, either by family or previous business experience to banking, finance or international business.
Re: Calibre of Men
Mysteryman wrote:
> Robches, fixing commodity prices does make sense and has been
> a consistent feature of both national government policy in
> countries around the world and of international agreements.
>
> Gold, silver, coffee, wheat and, of course, oil have all been
> subject to price fixing by international agreement at times
> when it has suited governments to control either supply or
> ensure affordability and consistency.
Exactly. "Price fixing". Who decides the prices? Who's that clever? Civil servants? Hardly.
>
> To just cite the Soviet Union is fallacious.
I think it's apt. That was a political system which refused to use free markets to establish the price of goods, but instead relied on the wisdom of civil servants. Did it work out well?
>
> Free markets in essentials puts the ultimate power over what
> you, I and everyone else can afford in the hands of a
> relatively small number of rich individuals and institutions
> whose only interest is to make a profit, regardless of the
> effect on the wider world. Thus they switch from one
> commodity to another as soon as their intervention starts to
> have a negative effect on their profits.
I think that's 100% wrong. A true free market can't be cornered or manipulated. Look at the currency markets. Governments try and manipulate it, but at the end of the day, even they cannot buck the market.
>
> Currencies used to be fixed - either to the price of gold or
> each other removing the uncertainty of fluctuating exchange
> rates which affects prices of goods to you and me.
The important word is "used". Fixed exchange rates ended because they didn't work. In the 1960s the British economy was hamstrung because a ? was fixed at $2.80. Wilson reduced it to $2.40, and eventually it just floated. Now currencies find their own levels in the market. Of course one area where they have gone back to a fixed exchange rate is the Euro zone, where one Irish or Greek Euro is worth one German Euro. Is that causing a bit of economic hardship in the smaller countries by any chance?
>
> Commodity prices, fixed by international agreement remove
> (natural factors such as weather apart) uncertainty, price
> gouging and profiteering from the supply of essentials.
They also remove the price mechanism. Without supply and demand setting prices, what incentive is there to develop new mines or oil fields, or plant more wheat?
>
> Ask yourself this. What is so good about a free market in
> essential commodities that can artificially increase prices
> making goods less affordable the the majority whilst adding to
> the wealth of the speculators and paying the "traders" they
> employ far greater than averages salaries for yelling into
> phones for 10 -12 hours per day?
Yes, that's all commodity trading entails, yelling into a phone. It really is that piss easy. Grow up.
> Robches, fixing commodity prices does make sense and has been
> a consistent feature of both national government policy in
> countries around the world and of international agreements.
>
> Gold, silver, coffee, wheat and, of course, oil have all been
> subject to price fixing by international agreement at times
> when it has suited governments to control either supply or
> ensure affordability and consistency.
Exactly. "Price fixing". Who decides the prices? Who's that clever? Civil servants? Hardly.
>
> To just cite the Soviet Union is fallacious.
I think it's apt. That was a political system which refused to use free markets to establish the price of goods, but instead relied on the wisdom of civil servants. Did it work out well?
>
> Free markets in essentials puts the ultimate power over what
> you, I and everyone else can afford in the hands of a
> relatively small number of rich individuals and institutions
> whose only interest is to make a profit, regardless of the
> effect on the wider world. Thus they switch from one
> commodity to another as soon as their intervention starts to
> have a negative effect on their profits.
I think that's 100% wrong. A true free market can't be cornered or manipulated. Look at the currency markets. Governments try and manipulate it, but at the end of the day, even they cannot buck the market.
>
> Currencies used to be fixed - either to the price of gold or
> each other removing the uncertainty of fluctuating exchange
> rates which affects prices of goods to you and me.
The important word is "used". Fixed exchange rates ended because they didn't work. In the 1960s the British economy was hamstrung because a ? was fixed at $2.80. Wilson reduced it to $2.40, and eventually it just floated. Now currencies find their own levels in the market. Of course one area where they have gone back to a fixed exchange rate is the Euro zone, where one Irish or Greek Euro is worth one German Euro. Is that causing a bit of economic hardship in the smaller countries by any chance?
>
> Commodity prices, fixed by international agreement remove
> (natural factors such as weather apart) uncertainty, price
> gouging and profiteering from the supply of essentials.
They also remove the price mechanism. Without supply and demand setting prices, what incentive is there to develop new mines or oil fields, or plant more wheat?
>
> Ask yourself this. What is so good about a free market in
> essential commodities that can artificially increase prices
> making goods less affordable the the majority whilst adding to
> the wealth of the speculators and paying the "traders" they
> employ far greater than averages salaries for yelling into
> phones for 10 -12 hours per day?
Yes, that's all commodity trading entails, yelling into a phone. It really is that piss easy. Grow up.