woolybanana Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 The useless, old man is determined to have a final attempt at getting publicity and back the failed cause that has put UK in hock for the next Bobo-knows-how-many years. And he seems to have attracted the usual bunch of sycophants to his cause!http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/04/tony-benn-coalition-cuts-campaign Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Not much has changed since WW1 has it?Veteran leftwinger Tony Benn is calling for "ordinary people" to revolt against government plans for "the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s".In a campaign backed by sympathetic MPs, academics, writers and public personalities, and launched on guardian.co.uk, the 85-year-old socialist and erstwhile cabinet minister is calling for a "broad movement of active resistance" to the coalition government's budget cuts.For once it would be nice to see the rich but principled MP's academics, writers and public personalities actually getting their own hands dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Reading the headline,I thought that for a moment Wooly you were talking about a certain tango dancing Bull fighting aficionado who frequents this Forum, so I must apologise for such thoughts. [Www] Having said that, Mr Benn is certainly in the "nutters" class; a very very rich man who can afford to be a socialist by name but not by life style. Whatever disaster's happen to the economy of our country, they will never affect him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 No of course it is much better that the born rich continue to not care a hoot for others and continue to fleece them, like our dear bankers. And then they can say, sorry, but we have no choice but to fleece you all over again and much worse - because there is no money. Hurray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 [quote user="NickP"]Reading the headline,I thought that for a moment Wooly you were talking about a certain tango dancing Bull fighting aficionado who frequents this Forum, so I must apologise for such thoughts. [Www] Having said that, Mr Benn is certainly in the "nutters" class; a very very rich man who can afford to be a socialist by name but not by life style. Whatever disaster's happen to the economy of our country, they will never affect him.[/quote]But for those of us aficionados living in a cash economy; the thought of the yUK economy overburdened by ever increasing fiscal deficits and perhaps, I hope, a soverign debt crisis worse than the greeks.....brings just a wan little "told you so" smile to this nutter.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 pachapapa wrote: But for those of us aficionados living in a cash economy; the thought of the yUK economy overburdened by ever increasing fiscal deficits and perhaps, I hope, a soverign debt crisis worse than the greeks.....brings just a wan little "told you so" smile to this nutter.I think if I was in that situation I would keep quite, after all it doesn't matter where you live or are domiciled the tax man or the local equivalent wants his share. As for the UK it needn't worry you one little bit you my old china, we have faced bigger problems before and come out on top, after all we are British [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Trunk Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 (a) Tony Benn is not a "very very rich man." He inherited an earldom which he renounced, fighting a long legal battle to do so. (b)He has not been in government since the 1960s. He has constantly campaigned against the deregulated free markets which Thatcher started and Blair/Brown continued. It was the "light-touch" regulation of the financial markets which has led us into the present mess. Benn was never an advocate of this policy. Perhaps Woolybanana should rename himself Woollyheaded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 I actually like Tony Benn but that does not mean I like his politics. I saw him in his 'one man' show about 15 odd years ago (Croydon), just a chair on the stage and a flask of tea (could have been coffee but who cares) and a chat with the audience. What he talked about then was the state of apathy amongst voters and the fact that many MP's forget that they are there to serve the people and not themselves which he thought was driving people away from voting or even registering to vote. I thought then that he was right and I think that time has proved him right.In some ways when I see PM's questions I don't seem much of a change except in which side of the house people sit in. Same old questions, same old none answers, same old 'it was you not us'. To my mind they seem to spend much of the time blaming each other and members of their party 'feeding' them questions so they can congratulate themselves in their reply. Rather than expend all this energy slagging each other off they would do far better by forgetting how the UK got in its current mess, who's to blame and concentrate on getting it out of said mess.People seem to want to make things complicated when its really quite simple. There is not enough money coming in to pay for public services, you either have to make a massive tax increase to continue or make a smaller increase which still hurts but can be lived with and cut some of the public services. Increasing VAT is probably a good way of doing it because it gives people the feeling of control on their money and the amount of tax they pay. If you disapprove of paying such a high amount of VAT then don't buy so many goods like TV's etc.For Benn to try and say we have to keep the public services as they are at any cost clearly shows that age has caught up with him and he has now lost contact with reality, the UK simply can't afford them in their current state/size and that IS the reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 My kind of nutter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 [quote user="NickP"]pachapapa wrote: But for those of us aficionados living in a cash economy; the thought of the yUK economy overburdened by ever increasing fiscal deficits and perhaps, I hope, a soverign debt crisis worse than the greeks.....brings just a wan little "told you so" smile to this nutter.I think if I was in that situation I would keep quite, after all it doesn't matter where you live or are domiciled the tax man or the local equivalent wants his share. As for the UK it needn't worry you one little bit you my old china, we have faced bigger problems before and come out on top, after all we are British [:D] [/quote]Quite! I shall follow your advice and keep quiet.[:D][:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 Benn lived in political cloud cockoo land. He was a lousy failure as a minister and then made his reputation propagating second hand ideas and by being the darling of the unoriginal loopy left, given a platform by sympathisers in the media; though he had nothing to say, he had a very convincing way of saying it. In other words, a phoney! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Whilst at the Cass used to pop down to the house some evenings for "In place of Strife" in commmittteee. Agreed a complete willy wonka! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissie Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 And mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Anyone remember him being set up by Ali G?Actually I do think that he realised quite early on but the fact of being in front of the cameras and wanting to appear cool to yoof culture inhibited him a bit, overall he stuck to his principles quite well (barmy that they may be) and didnt avoid questions like "is it cos I is black?"I suppose you could call him a consummate professional politician which says it all really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 What I like about him is his mischief. He always comes up with controversial statements that are so extreme that they make me smile.I like people with a bit of mischief in them. I remember that wonderful Director-General of the BBC (can't think of his name en ce moment!) who used to say that the function of the BBC is to make mischief.In other words, you need to rock the boat, the status quo, because it's the only way that you get things to change.Benn says things with utter conviction but also with that half smile of his and that twinkle in his eye so that you know he is out to upset a few people and that he himself doesn't always completely believe his own statement.No, he is definitely not your party-line toer and he is absolutely a one-off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 [quote user="woolybanana"]Benn lived in political cloud cockoo land. He was a lousy failure as a minister and then made his reputation propagating second hand ideas and by being the darling of the unoriginal loopy left, given a platform by sympathisers in the media; though he had nothing to say, he had a very convincing way of saying it. In other words, a phoney![/quote]Quite . . . but he sanctioned Concorde and for that I forgive him all his other craziness[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Interesting division of opinions on Mr Benn, it appears as far as this forum goes although a very small sample, the Female members seem to like him and his ideology, but the men are not keen on him as a politician. I wonder why this is; and how it reflects on politicians as a group of people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 The deep voice, the twinkling eyes and the pipe sucking (DONT GO THERE) as it used to be. Plus the comforting mug of tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 [quote user="just john "][quote user="woolybanana"]Benn lived in political cloud cockoo land. He was a lousy failure as a minister and then made his reputation propagating second hand ideas and by being the darling of the unoriginal loopy left, given a platform by sympathisers in the media; though he had nothing to say, he had a very convincing way of saying it. In other words, a phoney![/quote]Quite . . . but he sanctioned Concorde and for that I forgive him all his other craziness[:D][/quote]Wasn't he MP for a Bristol seat at one time, containing Fulton where it was built? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Well for men I think its because of his upbringing and background, its bit like some peoples attitude to Blair and Co. They are socialists yet in some form or another they are privileged by birth etc. For some 'working' people its a bit like 'Oh dear, the poor people, lets try and do something for them' yet they don't actually understand the needs and aspirations of the working class. Call it similar to 'talking down' to them or a 'this is what you need' type attitude yet they have no experience of the working class. I think that's why for some Prescot had more of a following because he was a working class bloke who started off on the ferries and then the unions. Its almost like the others are 'playing' at being socialists if you get my drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 The phrase you are looking for is 'Champagne Socialist', Quillan. In the case of the New labour lot, plenty of champagne and no socialism which is just as well, except when it came to spending other people's money. Hell, besides prescott, not one of them had ever had a proper job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 [quote user="woolybanana"][quote user="just john "] [quote user="woolybanana"]Benn lived in political cloud cockoo land. He was a lousy failure as a minister and then made his reputation propagating second hand ideas and by being the darling of the unoriginal loopy left, given a platform by sympathisers in the media; though he had nothing to say, he had a very convincing way of saying it. In other words, a phoney![/quote]Quite . . . but he sanctioned Concorde and for that I forgive him all his other craziness[:D][/quote]Wasn't he MP for a Bristol seat at one time, containing Fulton where it was built?[/quote]Bristol South-East, I can't remember if that included Fulton, I think it did.Wiki's entry is quite interesting just in case anyone is interested I have put the link below.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 [quote user="Quillan"][quote user="woolybanana"][quote user="just john "] [quote user="woolybanana"]Benn lived in political cloud cockoo land. He was a lousy failure as a minister and then made his reputation propagating second hand ideas and by being the darling of the unoriginal loopy left, given a platform by sympathisers in the media; though he had nothing to say, he had a very convincing way of saying it. In other words, a phoney![/quote]Quite . . .but he sanctioned Concorde and for that I forgive him all his other craziness[:D] [/quote]Wasn't he MP for a Bristol seat at one time, containing Fulton where it was built?[/quote] Bristol South-East, I can't remember if that included Fulton, I think it did.Wiki's entry is quite interesting just in case anyone is interested I have put the link below.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn [/quote]You are winding me up ol' thing aren't you?, Don'tcha know that Concorde was built in Filton?[geek]Minister of Technology, when in the Government and for his role in sanctioning Concorde,(Filton is North West Bristol, and was not in his constituancy)[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 [quote user="woolybanana"]The deep voice, the twinkling eyes and the pipe sucking (DONT GO THERE) as it used to be. Plus the comforting mug of tea.[/quote]If that's meant to be the answer to someone else's comment that the women on the Forum seem to have a better opinion of Tony Benn than the men, then I find your comment deeply insulting.Let's just say that those of us on the Forum who have expressed an opinion tend to be independent-minded people who can think beyond the obvious.So easy to use a meaningless word like "nutter" as a shortcut to signify a stereotype without explaining your own opinion in a way where you can back it up with suitable arguments and observations.....By pointing to Mr Benn's looks as a reason why some of us approve of him is to downgrade our opinions. Like saying that the men on the Forum prefer Mrs Thatcher because she is blonde and has blue eyes!You don't half talk utter tosh sometimes, Wools. Not only that, you talk sexist, belittling tosh.....[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Sweet 17 wrote: Like saying that the men on the Forum prefer Mrs Thatcher because she is blonde and has blue eyes!Sweet, anybody who thinks that Mrs Thatcher is attractive really should go to spec savers [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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