Are you better off?

[will dex]

interesting theory BB. definitely something in it & re the South Bank - great place now, out there last night & the London Mayor also sorted the busses out (well, nearly anyway, but 100% better than was..)

[Rico]

Interesting debate on this on Radio 4 Any Questions - basically that well over 70% are better off but the gap between rich and extreme poor has widened considerably. And the smaller very poor percentage are now the concern of all parties - at least they are talking about it. And finally all are acknowleding perhaps throwing money isn't the single answer, but addressing the 'cycle' of poverty and holding those in it at least equally responsible for a solution. And I'll add, holding the very rich to account for a bit more humanity.

[Jah Lush]

No! I'm still bloody skint. Lemmy a fiver till payday?

[indiepanda]

I'm better off, but I don't think it's anything to do with new labour, just the difference between still being a student in my profession 10 years ago, and being qualified and having lots more work experience.

I'd be a lot better off if I'd been sensible with my money when younger, think I was consistently living beyond my means for some years and wasted a lot of money on things I didn't really need. Debt all paid off now, but probably mainly because I could offset against growth in property value.

Sold my house a year and a half ago when I moved to London, was fully expecting to have bought again by now, but obviously thought better of that since I moved here! Not the best time to buy if you can avoid it.

So, will be trying to save my money to get as big a deposit as I can to put down when I buy again... could be some wait though! Hoping to learn to be a bit wiser with my money too...

[Jah Lush]

I've always lived beyond my means and I wish I could be more sensible with my money but being a seriously hedonistic type I've found that a fool and his money is soon partying.

[clive3300]

Marmora Man Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm better off too - tho' like a number on this

> thread I see that primarily as a function of my

> work and effort.

>

Surely that all competent government should do is create a stable base on which people can work toward their own prosperity - I think they have done this. It sounds simple, but few other governments seem to be able to do this.

US: constant under and manic overreactions to events, both political and economic

France: always takes the easiest option to keep the mob off the street

Italy: cant stay in power for more than a few months. seems pretty corrupt

South Africa: forgot to pay the cops or the power company. politics wrangling trumps all else

Russia: Boom and bust, totally dependent on energy. new Tsar wannabe

And these arent even the really wierdo countries out there...

[SteveT]

The Chinese are more effective in our economy than any government since the war, in my opinion

[Marmora Man]

Surely that all competent government should do is create a stable base on which people can work toward their own prosperity - I think they have done this. It sounds simple, but few other governments seem to be able to do this.

Clive haven't you noticed - this government has been the most micro managing ever. Ultra complex taxation, ever more laws restricting the freedom of the individual, an intrusive state looking over everyone's shoulder (CCTV, DNA database, ID cards etc). I could go on but time's wasting.

I would support a minimalist government (of any persuasion) that simply dealt with only those matters that cannot be better handled by individuals - and would argue that such matters are very few.