sparks

I appreciate what you're saying All1, but it is as you say, not much... And how much of those winter payments/bus passes/tv licences etc go to people who don't need it? I know my mum doesn't, but it's hers to claim so she does...that amount just for one person would probably build several houses in pakistan! The 'sparks philosophy' is that for every £1 you use on aid (if correctly administered), you save £10 in the war/peace keeping you end up doing instead! And that is simply because you pay for weapons at western rates, but aid buys so much more at third world levels... I'm happy to put my £1.20 in...

I was replying to the point about defence spending, and some of the reason's for it...and as for 'when is enough enough', we're doing our best to create more instability in Pakistan right now due to our activities over the border! But imo it doesn't really come into it whatever the timescale, as almost every country in the world has some form of defence spending...should any country not give aid to another just because it doesn't like their shopping list? And guess who sells the best part of £50m ayear of weapons to pakistan anyway... :Winky: But besides, do you think the average pakistani who actually gets to choose what weapons are bought? - because we sure as hell don't here! And although our lives could be eased somewhat, everyone one in this country has access to basic facilities that they could just dream about even before the floods! So I'd rather see a paultry amount of aid going there, rather than the billions wasted on our indigenous scroungers!! (I could go on about why a lot of countries need aid because of the unfair way they are dealt with by the developed world, but that's another topic... :Winky: )

Does that mean that any country which wishes to defend itself gets no aid? Pakistan is particularly interesting, since it was the British that caused the pakistan/india conflict in the first place with it's indiscriminate partioning of the country...and who are part of the coalition that has driven the Taliban to be more of a threat within the country ! Plus their military is at the forefront of any disaster relief, as ours is in times of need because they are the only ones to have the expertise. The UK spends £35billion on 'defence', although a lot of that is being used 'offensively' atm - and yet we are reliant on aid too... Oh of course it's not called that, but we are £3 trillion in hock to mainly foreign countries who very kindly allow us to continue to borrow whilst we engage in sometimes illegal wars! It's not always black and white!

pakistan aid money is ok imo, since we all get 'aid' despite our 'outgoings'...What about the benefit claimant who spends his/her dosh on booze/tv's/fags etc? What we should be doing is making sure that the money gets to the right people, and that is no more relevant there than here in the uk! But the pope can pay for himself out of the vaticans f*cking pocket money... after all we're talking 'god's bankers' aren't we?... :Winky: Link

Unfortunately derren, despite assurances to the contrary, the NHS debacle is continuing... I have no reason to believe that this idea will not be implemented because it has so many other 'benefits' to the government... What about that disputed fine - just deduct it... disputed child maintenance - just deduct it... etc etc... And hands up anyone who knows exactly how something like child tax credits are worked out...would you know if you were underpaid £10 each month? It would be a nice little earner if everyone's payments were a bit over, but not enough to raise suspicion, wouldn't it... :Winky: Above all, it means the government has even more control over our lives - so much for a less centralised system! Of course it won't work properly, but the big software companies wield too much influence...despite all their cock-ups, don't be surprised if EADS gets the nod...

That is incredibly dangerous! Giving the government control over OUR wages and bank accounts is like letting GG loose in a playground! And it was their 'calculations' that caused the problems in the first place...cynical me thinks that cock-up may well have been engineered with this proposal in mind...

can you post it then...

A bit of perspective needed here... There are millions of people with absolutely nothing in Pakistan, and we donate £70million... EVERY day the UK government borrows £480 million, and EVERY day over £200million is handed out in benefits to keep up to 7 million people watching their widescreen TV's... And funnily enough for £70million, you can just about buy a Eurofighter - without a pilot or running costs of course...! I know where that paltry amount of money is most needed... :Winky:

lol...

And both planned to introduce treasury dollars in competition with the federal dollars.... :Winky: How many know that the American financial system (in the form of the federal reserve) is actually in the control of a very few private hands, not the American government?

ASFAIK they don't do them anymore.... Mind you, I found them a false economy myself - never seem to get the shade quite right, and since it's mixing with a cheap emulsion (presumably) you tend to need more coats, especially in darker tints. Acrylic artists paint would do the same thing though.

Just out of interest, since when was the Full Monty an 'american musical'?

Here we go then... What we owe.. Why do I take this as the real figure? Well I happen to know Mark Littlewood, as he was a founding member of No2id - and he has been saying this for years! Only now is he in a position to be heard! (he also told me a hilarious alcohol related story about charles kennedy before his 'problem' was revealed...ML was lib dem spokesman at the time!) So, given the debt (which is still rising), does anyone have a clue as to how we will be able to pay it back? It's only a matter of time before chaos descends, which will be shortly after UK plc is declared bankrupt! And we only have to look across the pond to see who is orchestrating things... My link

Cdex

Watch it to the end... The next driver pulling up as if nothing has happened, and the fact he/she still gets their order is hillarious!.... :Laugh:

If anyone is looking for the best response ever to "if you've got nothing to hide......." Link :Thumbs_Up1:

Maybe someone should tell obama that... I gave him a chance, but he's just like all the rest - with his tongue up the arse of multinational business....american multinational business that is :Winky: And I wonder why he hasn't mentioned the Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone', created by american companies and farmers? Dead Zone But then it's 'good ole USA pollution', so that's ok... :Laugh:

Our condolences DJ...

Oh dear Mr Obama.... Most of BP oil spill has gone, says US So will BP get most of their $32bn back?.... And will that committee still want that inquiry?...Winky:

What lousy timing... I just cleared out my old cable box, and there was one of those in there..! However I have a male s-video to phono, and you can get female to female s-video adaptors. Link So it's yours if you want it.

Can't see many going for that !

So after dragging BP (or 'British petroleum' as obama erroneously calls it) through the type of media campaign usually reserved for the members of the 'axis of evil', the US is trying to haul UK citizens (including MP's) in front of a kangaroo Court - or senate hearing as it's otherwise known. Now why should anyone from the UK be bullied into attending when... 1. Remember how the US refused to let a pilot attend an inquest, or even send over full information, regarding a friendly fire incident. 2. What right has the US to lecture us on 'deals' and 'corruption' given the following revelation - just the latest in a long line of such 'events'.... US unable to account for billions of Iraq oil money It appears our 'Ally' is being a bit hypocritical again... That's 95% of Iraq's own oil money in a UN account that has 'disappeared'... We know ALL oil companies are guilty of some form of corruption, and collude with their own governments, so if we have to send someone, personally I'd nominate George Galloway...love him or hate him, he can certainly tell a 'kangaroo court' where to shove it and make them look stupid, so is worth it purely for entertainment value alone ! Another thing.... Cost of one oil spill = 3x 2012 Olympic Games...! Rather puts things into perspective doesn't it....

Julian Assange that is...for exposing this! The war logs/crimes

Now sadly departed... Snooker legend Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins dies at 61 Thanks for some great memories...