The Hung Like a Donkey General Election December 2019 Thread

[StefanAVFC]

Just now, HanoiVillan said:

Firstly, what a gross sentiment, as if it was the fault of individuals for following policies our own government had in place.

Secondly, the bare-faced cheek of it. Go to Torremolinos and tell me how people aren't 'treating it as if it's part of their own country'.

 

[HanoiVillan]

3 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

 

That's a particularly good example of an EU citizen adding to our country, of course, but he shouldn't feel able to say it about Pawel who picks apples on a farm in Herefordshire either. EU citizens had a right to be here, which our government gave them. They didn't have to earn that right through heroic acts or being excellent people (though of course we should salute those who did those things).

[bickster]

8 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

I think Poles have become  honorary blacks. 

Definitely become the new Irish

[desensitized43]

19 minutes ago, WhatAboutTheFinish said:

Shame that South Africa ruined your racism point. Of course people that are pro EU immigration are so because of all those EU countries with predominantly black populations? 

I guess racism and xenophobia aren't mutually exclusive.

There's definitely a significant proportion who see those ancestrally former Britons who now reside in former colonies as of greater value. They typically don't have the same reaction to those of a different skin colour, eastern europeans, slavs, celts, french. Anyone not of an Anglo-Saxon heritage.

[bobzy]

33 minutes ago, WhatAboutTheFinish said:

Shame that South Africa ruined your racism point. Of course people that are pro EU immigration are so because of all those EU countries with predominantly black populations? 

Most people who are pro-EU immigration are just pro-immigration.  Most people who are anti-EU immigration are just xenophobic and/or racist.

I do remember that lovely video from the referendum days of that chap in Barnsley or somewhere saying he voted leave because "they" should "go back to Africa".  Classic.

[peterms]

31 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Firstly, what a gross sentiment, as if it was the fault of individuals for following policies our own government had in place.

Secondly, the bare-faced cheek of it. Go to Torremolinos and tell me how people aren't 'treating it as if it's part of their own country'.

 

It's also a dog-whistle, an attempt to echo those comments some people make about not being able to hear your own language in the high street, and no-go areas, and so on.  Covert racism, to flesh out his more overtly racist comments, going all out for the racist vote.

What a vile little man.

[Mic09]

41 minutes ago, bickster said:

Definitely become the new Irish

Irish don't like Poles.

They drink more, are more Catholic and steal more English jobs

[lapal_fan]

I was pretty gobsmacked when I read @KHV's post about getting rid of the NHS.  I read the other poster's post about how they do it in Australia, with the heavily taxed rich etc.. 

And I've been told we can't really compare the UK to the USA (why not?). 

Then I read this article from CNBC about the cost of private medical insurance;

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/23/heres-how-much-the-average-american-spends-on-health-care.html 

Here’s how much the average American spends on health care

So, whilst £200  month sounds quite reasonable to people earning the UK national average wage of £25k - £27k per year, it's going to be pretty hellish for half the people NOT earning that salary. 

I earn quite a bit over the average salary (hard work and luck I guess), so £200 a month doesn't sound too bad.  I could afford it.  But when I look at that £200 a month, on top of my already expensive child care...hmmm...

I have 2 kids, when the youngest who is 7 months joins nursery in 4 weeks, I'll be paying around £700 a month for him (4 days a week, not even full time).  My wife works, so we'll have to pay for before and after school clubs for my 5 year old, that's £192 a month - so that's £900 a month just to look after the kiddies. 

Thankfully, I didn't stretch myself too far borrowing money on my mortgage, so that's a paltry £600 a month (I know people with a mortgage over £1k a month for a house in a "nicer" area than mine for the same kind of property).

So that's £1300 a month for a mortgage and childcare.  Doesn't take anything else into consideration.  

I'd rather not pay another £200 a month for insurance if I didn't have to.  

Then, if you read the article I've put, you'll see that that £200 a month will go up, because the pharma companies know you need the cover.   So since 1960, medical insurance costs have gone up 9x (adjusting for inflation too), so that £200, will go up if everyone switches to medical insurance.  The NHS kills that market in this country because the majority of people would say "why, when I have this free?". 

Poor and elderly people are already suffering as a result. 

I was in Las Vegas last month.  I used the bus that travels the strip to get to places.  Some of the sorry looking homeless people getting on that bus, one guy I remember had actual maggots infesting what I can only describe as a weeping lesion covering the back of his left hand.  I don't know his circumstances, but he was in a very bad way physically, limp almost.  He couldn't get that seen to i imagine.  It looks incredibly uncomfortable too. 

We just don't know the half of it. 

 

 

 

[Chindie]

I once saw the bill for a birth in a US hospital.

It was obscene. Knocking on for 50 grand. It wasn't a particularly complex birth from what I recall either.

But yeah, let's **** it all off eh?

[chrisp65]

Boris Johnson is a liar and a racist - absolutely shocked, this new news might change my vote.

Every tory already knew this of course, it’s usually just nuanced enough to be argued out by the apologists. It’s just a question of how much they have to then lie to themselves to reconcile voting for that vile party. The core vote, the regular tory box tickers, they’re perfectly at ease with it all.

 

 

[NurembergVillan]

2 hours ago, bickster said:

Definitely become the new Irish

The Poles will be in for enhanced status again once the IRA start performing after Brexit.

[bobzy]

23 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

Boris Johnson is a liar and a racist - absolutely shocked, this new news might change my vote.

Every tory already knew this of course, it’s usually just nuanced enough to be argued out by the apologists. It’s just a question of how much they have to then lie to themselves to reconcile voting for that vile party. The core vote, the regular tory box tickers, they’re perfectly at ease with it all.

No-one voting Conservative cares.

[chrisp65]

5 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said:

The Poles will be in for enhanced status again once the IRA start performing after Brexit.

I’m not so sure it will be that side that kicks off.

There’s every chance Sinn Fein will come out of this stronger if there’s an economic down turn for the north. Just play it calm for a couple of years and let the chattering classes talk of unification referenda. Then you’ll see the British army sponsored side start kicking off.

It’s a high stakes game coming up. It might all work out fine and dandy or it might see a few revisions on maps. So buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride.

[villakram]

1 hour ago, Chindie said:

I once saw the bill for a birth in a US hospital.

It was obscene. Knocking on for 50 grand. It wasn't a particularly complex birth from what I recall either.

But yeah, let's **** it all off eh?

Yes, but the nuance is that... all of those in the upper (i.e., with a full-time job) classes with health insurance don't see this. They simply walk in and get treated much like in the UK, for the most part. If you get cancer or another such chronic illness even good insurance won't protect you. 

My insurance got billed $7.5k for an ER visit due to knee weirdness last year. Nothing damaged, just some odd serious pain that vanished after a few hours. Got murdered by evil sized needles searching for fluid in my knee and left with my knee the size of a balloon as a result. That'll be fine in a few weeks they said, "do no harm" I thought! And this was after I had an ortho surgeon show up and tell me I was going in for surgery - knee flush - who I promptly told to do one. Basically, they saw my insurance and saw me as $$$. I have no idea whatsoever, how they could bill that much, utter madness.

Of course, never looking down is the endemic problem. So messed up.

I really hope you lot realize what Johnson/Gove are up to.

Edited December 9, 2019 by villakram

[snowychap]

 

[mjmooney]

5 minutes ago, villakram said:

but the nuance is that... all of those in the upper (i.e., with a full-time job) classes with health insurance don't see this. They simply walk in and get treated much like in the UK, for the most part. If you get cancer or another such chronic illness even good insurance won't protect you.

Exactly. I've told this before, but it bears repeating. My wife's sister was married to an American. He worked for the U.S. government, and had the best insurance cover possible. To cut a long story short, he had a series of illnesses and injuries, and eventually his insurance cover ran out, and they had to start spending their savings. Sadly, he died some years ago, leaving my sister-in-law with no savings, and a pittance of a pension. She'd like to move back to the UK, but depressed house prices in the US would leave her unable to afford even a small UK property. Great system, eh? 

[Xela]

Its almost as if Boris is trolling the country now. 

[AshVilla]

He looks like a man that knows he has won.

[snowychap]

43 minutes ago, Xela said:

Its almost as if Boris is trolling the country now. 

Now?

[chrisp65]

Surely we could all just get insurance against the insurance not being as good as we hoped.

Those that can’t afford the insurance insurance will just need to get a better paid job.