tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post7048948107238001148..comments2024-03-27T09:14:27.496+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Meeting Citizen SmithPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-55170240788162215312016-07-22T17:01:37.372+01:002016-07-22T17:01:37.372+01:00"Corbyn's record on Iran is exemplary. Th..."Corbyn's record on Iran is exemplary. Those who say otherwise are neocon fascists."<br /><br />Well, ATIS now has <a href="http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law" rel="nofollow">Poes</a> abounding. This must be the 'interesting times' that alleged Chinese proverb blathers on about.Lidl_Janusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-77753229300325437862016-07-21T23:09:11.943+01:002016-07-21T23:09:11.943+01:00Corbyn's record on Iran is exemplary. Those wh...Corbyn's record on Iran is exemplary. Those who say otherwise are neocon fascists.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-35870007802237668122016-07-21T20:46:02.641+01:002016-07-21T20:46:02.641+01:00'But, is it not possible to both make strong a...'But, is it not possible to both make strong arguments for defending our health services **AND** not support the propaganda arm of a murderous (near) theocracy.'<br /><br />Sure, it is. I'm not aware that I've indicated otherwise. On the contrary, I specifically said that Corbyn was behaving in a disreputable fashion by associating himself with the propaganda arm of the Iranian regime and deserves criticism for it.David Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16543341419630019419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-59045769039521621072016-07-21T17:22:52.305+01:002016-07-21T17:22:52.305+01:00Britain has one of the most expensive transport sy...Britain has one of the most expensive transport systems in Europe and one of the worst when it comes to service provided. Regarding rail, the workers of this nation spend as a proportion of their income more on travel costs compared to the rest of Europe. Effectively we are working more just to pay for the transport to our jobs and back home again!<br /><br />So highly expensive and delivering a sub standard service. These are 2 pretty good arguments against privatisation! Oh and the rail networks receive huge sums of taxpayer subsidies!!!! The other thing to note is that often our railway system is being operated by other EU nations nationalised systems!<br /><br />The increase in passenger numbers is not necessarily down to demand increasing as a result of a better service but is in part due to policy in other areas, such as more expensive charges and fines for car users in some major cities.<br /><br />In fact the evidence suggests passengers are not satisfied with the service on offer.<br /><br />So there are very good arguments for nationalising the railways. Any honest person would say there are pros and cons to each. Personally I come down on the side of re-nationalising the system.<br />BCFGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-21586671736405181312016-07-21T14:03:23.578+01:002016-07-21T14:03:23.578+01:00David Parry,
But, is it not possible to both make...David Parry,<br /><br />But, is it not possible to both make strong arguments for defending our health services **AND** not support the propaganda arm of a murderous (near) theocracy. My brother in law is Iranian btw - and doesn't really understand what Corbyn is attempting to do by making such appearances??<br /><br />It really makes my brain hurt trying to understand why so many people who have valid concerns about social justice are either supportive of, or indifferent to authoritarian regimes. Why does everything need to be weighed up - strategically balanced - can't we just refuse both? It might actually prove effective in changing some (often deserved) stereotypes about the left. And open arguments up to a wider audience. Alex Rossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-8083216922893657292016-07-21T08:41:08.617+01:002016-07-21T08:41:08.617+01:00@David
Thanks for your reply.
IMO in the debate ...@David<br /><br />Thanks for your reply.<br /><br />IMO in the debate about rail "it was Thatcher" is not relevant. It wasn't Thatcher.<br /><br />Rail travel was in decline throughout the BR period from 1948 to 1995, with a brief blip in 1955-60, and another around 1990.<br /><br />The most significant postwar decline happened in the 1960s and 1970s, not under Thatcher.<br /><br />Since privatisation rail travel has increased to nearly 2.5 times what it was then.<br /><br />I'm not saying that privatisation it was done in the best possible way, but the results speak for themselves.<br /><br />And the subsidy per passenger has fallen to less than it was at privatisation. The story is more complex here with safety improveemnts after Hatfield etc.<br /><br />I don't see how an evidence (as oppposed to ideology) based case for renationalisation can be made, since passenger numbers are up, subsidy per head is down, and safety is the best in Europe - all under privatisation.<br /><br />Date:<br />Passengers travelling<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail#/media/File:GBR_rail_passengers_by_year_1830-2015.png<br /><br />Subsidy per passenger<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_Rail_subsidy_1985-2014_(in_2014_prices).png<br /><br />Safety Euro Comparisons:<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_Rail_subsidy_1985-2014_(in_2014_prices).png<br /><br />Matt<br />Matt Wardmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-37669102485614995092016-07-20T22:57:44.559+01:002016-07-20T22:57:44.559+01:00David
Corbyn has been a shill for the fascist, th...David<br /><br />Corbyn has been a shill for the fascist, theocratic Iranian state for years https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2016/7/19/corbyn-and-the-lefts-misguided-foreign-policy<br /><br />He appeared on Iran's Press TV after Ofcom banned it for filming a torture victim http://uk.businessinsider.com/jeremy-corbyn-paid-iran-press-tv-tortured-journalist-2016-6<br /><br />Phizer doesn't hang gay people from cranes.<br /><br />Carry on making excuses or deploying whataboutery. He is not a 'nice man'.paulocanninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17499916652508144662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-91633898437832370292016-07-20T21:53:44.254+01:002016-07-20T21:53:44.254+01:00Was he behind the 53,000 funding of progress.Was he behind the 53,000 funding of progress.Gary Elsbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-58972461974578954562016-07-20T20:55:00.584+01:002016-07-20T20:55:00.584+01:00"Who can seriously argue for renationalising ..."Who can seriously argue for renationalising the rail, given its performance when nationalised / not nationalised"<br /><br />Well many surveys and polls say most people though the railways were better when nationalised. Most of the best railway systems, France, Germany are nationalised, of sorts. Britains rail problems are one of lack of investment not nationalised v provatised.<br /><br /><br />As for Smith, he is a complete fraud, pretending to be Blair lite in the hope that he can persuade some deluded impressionable people to support him. But no one will believe anything that comes out of his mouth. Support for him will kill progressive politics and ensure the Balirites have complete control of the partyBCFGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-75084619700039655452016-07-20T20:31:31.748+01:002016-07-20T20:31:31.748+01:00The thing about Smith is that we all know that whe...The thing about Smith is that we all know that when normal front benchers talk about how radical they are and how committed to equality or whatever, it doesn't make a difference. They'll still go along with the Thatcherite consensus, by and large and when the chips are down they will sell us out.<br /><br />Corbyn won't sell us out. That's the thing. Maybe Smith is more electable, maybe not. I don't care. I care about the long game, about rebuilding socialism, not beating the Tories in 2020 or 2025.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-73871993997633104632016-07-20T16:12:38.300+01:002016-07-20T16:12:38.300+01:00Matt Wardman
British Rail undoubtedly had its fai...Matt Wardman<br /><br />British Rail undoubtedly had its failings, due mainly to the fact that successive governments prioritised roads over rail* (though in the case of Thatcher and Major, there was also an ideological drive to purposely starve BR of cash in order to soften it up for privatisation), but do you seriously think that privatisation has turned out to be much better, what with inflation-busting fare hikes, lack of investment in additional capacity resulting in overcrowding, shoddy punctuality, fragmentation of service such that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and there's endless buck-passing when things go wrong etc etc etc?<br /><br />*A mistake that won't be repeated by any government in the 21st century, or at least not one with any modicum of sense, given the imperative to incentivise the use of public over private transport in order to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate anthropogenic global warming.David Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16543341419630019419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-10348631018100484942016-07-20T15:18:21.922+01:002016-07-20T15:18:21.922+01:00Paul Canning
Corbyn certainly does deserve to be ...Paul Canning<br /><br />Corbyn certainly does deserve to be criticised for taking money to appear on Press TV. I'm not sure whether agreeing to give interviews, necessarily counts as 'shilling', but it is associating oneself with and acting as fodder for the propagandistic arm of a murderous, theocratic dictatorship and is indubitably a disreputable thing to do. That having been said, a few paid appearances on Press TV are hardly equivalent to lobbying continuously on behalf of a corporate parasite that wants to milk the NHS for profit at the expense of people's healthcare standards.David Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16543341419630019419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-37059610562692663922016-07-20T15:10:30.140+01:002016-07-20T15:10:30.140+01:00Puzzled.
Who can seriously argue for renationalis...Puzzled.<br /><br />Who can seriously argue for renationalising the rail, given its performance when nationalised / not nationalised?Matt Wardmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-91926824154051103672016-07-20T08:10:49.341+01:002016-07-20T08:10:49.341+01:00Pfizer? Jez shilled for Iranian state TV. Got £20k...Pfizer? Jez shilled for Iranian state TV. Got £20k for it. But that's not 'Western' so he walks on water? He went on air despite knowing they show tortured people on air. This *happened*. All the bubble memes cannot deflect the fact it did. Much of his support would block you if you told them this. Your anonymous guy probably would. This is post-fact politiking, driven by socmed bubbles, in a way I don't think left analysts have yet grasped.paulocanninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17499916652508144662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-51427336499084185232016-07-20T07:46:57.058+01:002016-07-20T07:46:57.058+01:00I thought that it was a bit odd, but decided to tr...I thought that it was a bit odd, but decided to treat it as an invitation to an 'open thread'!!!!Igor Belanovnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-71080774345290743622016-07-19T23:16:21.126+01:002016-07-19T23:16:21.126+01:00This was posted by regular commentator Igor Belano...This was posted by regular commentator Igor Belanov when a draft post earlier appeared by accident. So as not to lose it, here's what he had to say:<br /><br /> <br />He appears to be an opportunist of the first order, but a bit sharper at least than the likes of Angela Eagle. In contrast to last year's leadership campaign, we will hear very little about 'aspirational voters' and a lot about how Nye Bevan is his hero, he is every bit as radical as Corbyn, etc. On the bright side, he will find it very difficult to fight a dirty campaign, as he has quite a few skeletons in his closet *cough* Pfizer *cough* fan of PFI *cough* lobbyist *cough*.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.com