Iain Duncan Smith

[lindyloo]

oh paulw- you do like to pick up on everything i say!!! i wasn't even being political then!!!! the only thought in my mind was his recent trip to china, and the fact that they produce a lot of cheap rubbish.

if i had wanted to be political about his trip to china, i would have said something in earlier posts, along the lines of going to china to learn methods of exploitiation of the poorer working class. but i didn't. ( so please don't pick me up on this last comment- it is tongue in cheek)

i was simply responding to twosheds post, on a sort of personal level, as i thought we had a similar interests ie creative artistc pursuits.

i don't disagree with what you are saying about the last 14 years, and industry. but as i said before, all politiians are in it for themselves- it's a good living, but i wonder if we can afford them? or the royals? how much does it cost to support all of them throughout the year?

[Snadger]

What a nice man!

BBC News - Parents not spared benefit sanctions - Duncan Smith

[PAULW]

lindy
You cannot uninvent the wheel, the thing with globalization is you move the business to the part of the world with the cheapest labour then as wages rise and the profit falls you move again, while you can get a winter coat for twenty quid or a suit for thirty the pleb are going to buy the product.

[bubblewrap]

I wonder what new labour did to promote industry in this country in their thirteen years in office, apart from outsource our food supplies around the world.

This country always has imported a large amount of it's food.
What I don't like is the stuff we import to get things out of season.

[bubblewrap]

lindy
You cannot uninvent the wheel, the thing with globalization is you move the business to the part of the world with the cheapest labour then as wages rise and the profit falls you move again, while you can get a winter coat for twenty quid or a suit for thirty the pleb are going to buy the product.

Pay people a decent wag and they would buy a quality product.
Who can afford a £300 coat on a £6 per hour wage?

[PAULW]

Pay people a decent wag and they would buy a quality product.
Who can afford a £300 coat on a £6 per hour wage?

The youngsters of today are to used to a throw away society, wear it once fashions changed throw it away.

[Two_Sheds]

did anyone watch the' trillion million horror story' last night?

I've just watched it. The maker ended the film by holding up the economies of Singapore and Hong Kong as examples of how the UK could (should) be: low taxes, great wealth, terrific public services & transport.

What the programme didn't show is the huge gap between rich & poor in those countries.

"... the so-called cage people, residents living in ultra small dwellings, barely able to make ends meet and end up begging in the busy streets. Food is expensive, so are other necessities, and so losing a job is a matter of life and death. Unfortunately Hong Kong's suicide rate is relatively high" http://asiancorrespondent.com/hong-k...h-poor-gap.htm


I've been to Singapore and seen how it works. It's a rich person's paradise: excellent shopping, no taxes, fabulous wealth.

The construction that's going on all around, all the time, is done by Malaysians/Indonesians boated in every day. These people aren't allowed to look at Singapore residents, let alone eat in the same places as them. They are kept 'hidden' from view, so as not to upset tourists.

Housemaids are as common in Singapore as washing machines are here. She normally lives in the basement with the ironing board. She could well have a degree in her own country, but the only work she can get is to be a live-in 7 day cleaner, sending money home to her family.

It's a shame the programme didn't show this side of "the ideal economy"

[Jeanied]

The youngsters of today are to used to a throw away society, wear it once fashions changed throw it away.

I wonder how many of the youngsters of today really resemble this portrayal. The ones I meet today are more worried that the term throw away society means that society is just about to throw them away.

[bubblewrap]

Pay people a decent wag and they would buy a quality product.
Who can afford a £300 coat on a £6 per hour wage?

The youngsters of today are to used to a throw away society, wear it once fashions changed throw it away.

It's ll down to education then.
It's the fashion industry that's to blame.
But there again if everybody was like me we would all be wearing chairman Map suits.

[Two_Sheds]

It's the fashion industry that's to blame.

The throwaway mentality isn't restricted to the fashion industry: it's everything. We want cheap, we don't care about quality. Cars, carpets, toys, white goods, food, entertainment (back onto X Factory)

[bubblewrap]

The throwaway mentality isn't restricted to the fashion industry: it's everything. We want cheap, we don't care about quality. Cars, carpets, toys, white goods, food, entertainment (back onto X Factory)

My Hi-Fi is 26 years old(still going strong) the TV is 15 the micro wave 12 & the house 112

[Jeanied]

I was going to start a new thread about this - but might as well add to the debate here - what's the oldest piece of clothing that you own and still wear regularly?

[bubblewrap]

I have a jumper (have it on at the mo) is about 15 years old.

[Glutton4...]

I was going to start a new thread about this - but might as well add to the debate here - what's the oldest piece of clothing that you own and still wear regularly?

Now, that's funny you should ask. Last week I wore a pair of high-heel boots that I've had about twenty years. They've just come back into fashion!

[SarzWix]

I was going to start a new thread about this - but might as well add to the debate here - what's the oldest piece of clothing that you own and still wear regularly?

A pair of very long suede boots, about 20 years old I reckon. I only wear them mebbe 5 times a year, but they look fab still. Should do though, they cost me a week's wages at the time (£55.00).

Still got my big, heavy, tasselled biker jacket from back then too, but I don't wear that - my kids would disown me