Dunners wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:26 am
Less people is what's going to happen regardless.
Ahh I get it now. There's nothing we can do. Right?
What about putting family allowance up to £200 a week and removing the 2 child benefit cap? I know I'm grasping at straws but would that be a stimulus for more shagging.
No. The drop below replacement levels in fertility rates over successive decades means that a population contraction is now baked in.
The incentives you're suggesting have been trialled elsewhere and, while welcome, do not make much of a difference in how many children women choose to have. So, if we really want women to start popping out more sprogs, we'd have to go all Mormon or Taliban on them, remove their access to education, and diminish them to nothing other than baby making machines.
Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:24 am
When will you thickos get it? There is no other way, the billionaires have to own everything.
Assuming we seize the wealth of the billionaires, how does that help us if there's not enough people to run a society where most of the population is very old?
Is the answer to create more young people by creating the conditions that enables them to procreate. Banning online porn might help. No?
Possibly. I'm all for making it easier for people to have and raise children. But studies have shown that what is really driving the fall in average fertility rates is women choosing to have fewer kids. And this is usually because, unsurprisingly, they want to enjoy their 20s and 30s.
Assuming we seize the wealth of the billionaires, how does that help us if there's not enough people to run a society where most of the population is very old?
Is the answer to create more young people by creating the conditions that enables them to procreate. Banning online porn might help. No?
Possibly. I'm all for making it easier for people to have and raise children. But studies have shown that what is really driving the fall in average fertility rates is women choosing to have fewer kids. And this is usually because, unsurprisingly, they want to enjoy their 20s and 30s.
So we need more Wimmin then. Is there a way, say, that we could convert men to women and force them to have kids?
Dunners wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:26 am
Less people is what's going to happen regardless.
Ahh I get it now. There's nothing we can do. Right?
What about putting family allowance up to £200 a week and removing the 2 child benefit cap? I know I'm grasping at straws but would that be a stimulus for more shagging.
No. The drop below replacement levels in fertility rates over successive decades means that a population contraction is now baked in.
The incentives you're suggesting have been trialled elsewhere and, while welcome, do not make much of a difference in how many children women choose to have. So, if we really want women to start popping out more sprogs, we'd have to go all Mormon or Taliban on them, remove their access to education, and diminish them to nothing other than baby making machines.
Genuine question:
How is the FTSe at record levels if everything is so terrible with Labour’s fiscal policies at the moment?
I’d really like to know why stocks and shares are soaring when the economy seems to be in such a parlous state.
Clearly not.
Sainsbury’s announces 3000 job cuts today but its share price barely reacted.
Thats a lot of employers NI the government will no longer be receiving.
Long slender neck wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:38 pm
Both my local supermarkets have recently torn out most of their manned checkouts for more self service. It is progress but sad for the workers.
It doesn't seem like progress to me. I've seen no price drops to reflect the reduced costs to Sainsbury's. In fact, all I see are huge price increases week after week - and, being lucky enough not to have to watch the pennies when I'm shopping, if I'm noticing the price rises, I shudder to think how those people who are struggling must feel when they're going round.
ContrifibulatoryFred wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:27 pm
Clearly not.
Sainsbury’s announces 3000 job cuts today but its share price barely reacted.
Thats a lot of employers NI the government will no longer be receiving.
Cheer up increased profits from lower staff costs may mean they will pay more corporation tax and also payout more dividends that may or may not be taxed. So it's not all lose/lose.
ContrifibulatoryFred wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:21 pm
Genuine question:
How is the FTSe at record levels if everything is so terrible with Labour’s fiscal policies at the moment?
I’d really like to know why stocks and shares are soaring when the economy seems to be in such a parlous state.
It reflects success and growth abroad rather than in the UK now. Very few UK companies in the FTSE now. It’s a world indicator rather than a UK one
Long slender neck wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:38 pm
Both my local supermarkets have recently torn out most of their manned checkouts for more self service. It is progress but sad for the workers.
It doesn't seem like progress to me. I've seen no price drops to reflect the reduced costs to Sainsbury's. In fact, all I see are huge price increases week after week - and, being lucky enough not to have to watch the pennies when I'm shopping, if I'm noticing the price rises, I shudder to think how those people who are struggling must feel when they're going round.
I also shudder on a Friday night when faced with paying £2.25 for a Foostie
Long slender neck wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:38 pm
Both my local supermarkets have recently torn out most of their manned checkouts for more self service. It is progress but sad for the workers.
It doesn't seem like progress to me. I've seen no price drops to reflect the reduced costs to Sainsbury's. In fact, all I see are huge price increases week after week - and, being lucky enough not to have to watch the pennies when I'm shopping, if I'm noticing the price rises, I shudder to think how those people who are struggling must feel when they're going round.
I also shudder on a Friday night when faced with paying £2.25 for a Foostie
Fill yer boots at that price! I've been noticing cans of "craft" beers at £3.50 - £4.50 a can ! f*** that.
Long slender neck wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:38 pm
Both my local supermarkets have recently torn out most of their manned checkouts for more self service. It is progress but sad for the workers.
It doesn't seem like progress to me. I've seen no price drops to reflect the reduced costs to Sainsbury's. In fact, all I see are huge price increases week after week - and, being lucky enough not to have to watch the pennies when I'm shopping, if I'm noticing the price rises, I shudder to think how those people who are struggling must feel when they're going round.
What I mean by progress is, for a few years now I've used the handheld scanners to scan and bag my shopping as I go round, its just so much quicker. Afraid theres just no need for me to visit a manned checkout now.
ContrifibulatoryFred wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:21 pm
Genuine question:
How is the FTSe at record levels if everything is so terrible with Labour’s fiscal policies at the moment?
I’d really like to know why stocks and shares are soaring when the economy seems to be in such a parlous state.
There's been low-key pretty positive economic projections coming out over the last few weeks. Expectations are that bank of england will cut interest rates, borrowing rates are going down (and the UK wasn't an outlier in seeing them be very volatile - Trump effect is being felt everywhere), UK is projected to having the strongest growing major European economy other than Spain for the next few years and it's specialising in the sectors that might be less vulnerable to a tariff war/ are seen as the sectors of the future.
Country is seen as a pretty safe place to put your cash into at the moment - whether or not you think that's cause we have a stable government is going to be down to your voting preference. And it won't be nearly enough to dig us out of the financial hole we're in, to make a particular difference to the average voters finances, or solve the many ways our public services are f*cked.
In the UK, there'll be just two working people for every "retired" person. In Korea, it'll be 1:1. You either impoverish the workers, or you *ahem* cull their older dependants.
Just remember this chart next time assisted dying is being discussed.
Mine is moving to Vietnam in August, along with his wife and kid. They’re fed up with teaching here and being more social workers than educators, and in Saigon they’ll have a much better quality of life and higher wages than in Watford. Can’t say I blame them.
