[Castle Farm]

Benifits.
Iv'e never claimed any because I got of my arse every day for the last 55 years and earned my keep.

I get really angry that people think they have a right to handouts to keep them.

Stop these bloody breed sows having kids to get more benifits. All fathers should be forced to pay for thier children not the British taxpayers.

Another goverment who seem to have thier heads up thier arses.

[MAK]

People rarely talk politics or social matters these days so I'm pleased that my original post developed as it did.
Me - sorry to say that I left a lot behind in the UK but my brothers share the same opinions as others have posted. My family have wealth but I chose to take a bit and set up home so I can live like a peasant ( no benefits except health care becuase I pay French Tax on overseas bank accounts).
I am a socialist at heart ( rember them) but then that is maybe becuase I can afford to be one.
keep it coming - as long as we don't get personnel we should upset anyone.

[deepinthewoods]

should or shouldnt? 

[Lesley Silvester]

CF, I too have worked hard all my life because I'd rather be earning myh own living than claiming benefits.  However, when I was made redundant last year, a month after my sixtieth birthday, I had to claim JSA so we could live.  My husband is totally blind and has poor co-ordination so cannot work.  I haven't had so much as an interview for all the jobs I have applied for over the past year despite applying for eveything I was capable of doing.  Meanwhile, my advisor at the Jopb Centre was advising me that, because of my husband's disability, I could claim Income Support and Carer's Allowance.  I preferred to continue to look for work but what chance do I honestly stand?  Ok, employers are no longer allowed to ask for DoB or age, but they can ask for education.  I left school in 1968.  It doesn't take much working out to see that I'm not in my early thirties.
 
I am now old enought to be on State Pension but I'm still looking in the jobs pages in the paper, still registered with a number of agencies.  I agree that there are those who don't want to work and manage to bleed the system for every penny they can, but most of us aren't like that.

[yankieGirl]

Actions have consequenses....this is the message that is missing here in the U.S.  (and a lack of basic economic understanding, ie. nothing is free, someone is putting up the $)
 
Live responsibly and things usually work out fine.  (Stop dwelling on the unfairness of things.  Life has never been and will never be fair.   But life can be good!)
 
The freebies that the gov't doles out allow the irresponsible to continue their irresponsible ways.
 
Women get knocked up....no worries, no judgement just $ and an unintended insentive to have more kids to get more $$ (yes they do have more for that reason).
 
Divorce because someone isn't "happy"... don't worry you can sign up for this program and that to cover expenses.
 
Man is a druggie...$ for his "addiction disability" (Everyone gets a label over here.  That entitles them to even more free $$)
 
And so it goes!

[Simple Simon]

Reverting to MAKs question about who is buying top-end jewellry the answer is tourists.  Luxury brands have been doing extremely well but they don't cater for you or I, unless your farming is a great deal more profitable than mine.


The international shopper comes to London and spends heavily.  She, and it mostly is a she, maintains several houses around the world and comes to the UK for its political snd financial stability relative to home.  Rich Gulf Arabs, Russians and Greeks are very familiar with the risks of political instability so they spread their assets around.  London is a nice place to live and also has nicer weather than Doha at this time of the year.  Usually.


The most-visitd tourist destination in Oxfordshire isn't Oxford or its universities, nor is it Blenheim Palace.  It's Bicester Village, an outlet centre occupied by Prada, Gucci and the like, which sells more stuff per square foot than any other shopping centre in the world.  Children Railways is moving the line and building a new station there because of the volume of tourists.  Station signs are in lots of languages, particularly Chinese.  200 million newly minted Chinese middle class people want to travel and buy authentic goods, not Chinese rip-offs!


Mulberry, who make bags, just had a 22% drop in share price because of a blip in sales.  They didn't fall, but in the last few months didn't rise as fast as the analysts hoped.  They were still up 38% on the year though. 

[robert waddell]

you intrigue me simple Simon a one time banker or involved with the banking industry now turned to the soil but you keep up to date with the relevant movers and shakers

[MAK]

Yes as Simon says.  I read that Paris is loosing millions of euros becuase of the ban on the burka - many rich midle easterners are now going to London ( and I guess Oxfordshire - not for raincoats I guess). My son's future employers did say that they will be targetting the far east with high end stuff.

[Sylvia]

Thank God, I say for the haves! Without them where would the have not's be

[RUSTYME]

The elite will be fine , as always , the so called middle class will have the biggest change and the rest will have to do or die . This is what i think is about to happen any minute now .
The Greek thing is about to implode , now that the uk , germany etc etc have had time to get their money out of Greece . The Spanish thing is a total joke , as will be the Italian one about to kick off .
The whole system is going down faster and faster . All they can do is throw ever bigger amounts of non existant money at the crumbling corrupt banks , and the corrupt governments that just want more money via taxes , and to pay out less and less on services those taxes are meant to provide .
The welfare state is just about to end . There will be nothing !
The thieves , crooks and fraudsters , otherwise known as mp's , bankers and big business , just got so greedy they just fecked it all up . Yet still they want more !
 The western economy is about to collapse and tptb are looking for another get out of jail card , WAR !
That way 'they' win all ways . 'they' make billions of £ $ € and they get to get shot of a few million scroungers in the process .
If it doesn't kick off beforehand , keep your heads down when the olympics begin !
They can't keep inventing silly amounts of money to give to themselves , the 0's will just run out !
Corruption and greed is endemic , pandemic even . The greed for money is on their scale , now a joke . The greed is now for power , control . War is the only answer  . Who pays the price ? , the scroungers , the benefit claimants , the so called middle classes .
 Is there any way to avoid it ? , nope ! the only way would be to hang those responsible , the mp's , the bankers and the big corp bosses , the elite . Won't happen , so war it is !
Then it all starts again , the corruption and greed because the same cnuts will still be in charge , and the plebs will be wanting their bit too .
For my part , i say feck it all ! i am out of it  , i want no part of it .

[Berkshire Boy]

Blimey Rustyme exactly how many chips do you have on your shoulder.

[RUSTYME]

rofl , in reality bb none . Any i may have had i left behind when i stepped off the merry go round .
Judging by some of the comments on this thread already , there are some with more chips than Mcdonalds , let alone any i may have .

[robert waddell]

aye more chips than the mccain chip factory could produce

[Victorian Farmer]

Well I do think all will go dawn very soon.not a happey world we live in

[Berkshire Boy]

Have any of you ever heard the word OPTOMISTIC if not look it up.