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Money v Making Stuff-Should Britain bid farewell to the golden egg of banking.
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Jeremy Bosk
Posted: 10 September 2011 08:15:08(UTC)
#461

Joined: 09/06/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,316
jeff lampert

I should have been more explicit and said, "structurally uncompetitive". Which is to say permanently and unavoidably.

For example steel production is more economical with ready access to cheap anthracite and iron ore. British sources for these tend to be very expensive. It then becomes cheaper to produce things with a high steel content in places where the coal and iron ore is relatively cheap and abundant. That ship building is concentrated in Korea, China and Japan is partly proximity to Australian and other Asian raw materials. Partly it is proximity to major users of shipping - the importers and exporters of both raw materials and manufactured goods.

We are also structurally uncompetitive at growing tropical fruit.

The plastics example is as you said. Was there an illegal cartel?

Where most of the worth of the product is value added from intellectual property and skilled labour, geographic factors matter less. But structural uncompetitiveness can still exist as corruption, an unfit education system, poor infrastructure... in short modern Britain where the scum always rises to the top.

Obviously the argument is more complicated than this forum can reasonably deal with but we probably agree on the core points.
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Moylando
Posted: 10 September 2011 08:40:57(UTC)
#462

Joined: 08/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 28
Jeremy Bosk -

Penultimate para - "scum always rises to the top..."

Regrettably your informed opinions are undermined by crass and intemperate expressions,
What is the point of this contradiction ?
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Moylando
Posted: 10 September 2011 08:40:57(UTC)
#463

Joined: 08/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 28
Jeremy Bosk -

Penultimate para - "scum always rises to the top..."

Regrettably your informed opinions are undermined by crass and intemperate expressions,
What is the point of this contradiction ?
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Jeremy Bosk
Posted: 10 September 2011 09:17:12(UTC)
#464

Joined: 09/06/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,316
Moylando

I suppose the contradiction, if there is one, is the result of a lifetime's disappointment.

I used to trust in authority and believe the lies I was told. As a kid in primary school I remember Britain having a space programme. I remember the brilliant future we were to expect from nuclear power. I remember "the white heat of technological revolution". I remember the public transport system being dismantled for the sake of a quick buck for the road builders. I remember the opportunities wasted by our supercilious attitude to the EU. I remember the coal industry being destroyed to teach the unions a lesson. I remember the Iraq war lies. I remember so many bad things done by our leaders.

I see the social, educational, political and economic mess we are in now. Everywhere I look is a blank refusal to think or learn.

Politicians have lied: aided and abetted by the mass media and by the electorate's poor choices. Our country has been betrayed by leaders and followers alike.

Scum is a very moderate expression for those in charge who allowed or actively encouraged this state of affairs.

My "crass and intemperate expressions" are a result of frustrated rage. Yes, the quiet voice of reason can be more effective in winning an argument. But that presupposes a reasonable opponent. (Here I go again). The enemies of reason generally do not visit Citywire, they read the Sun and the Mail. You could put their heads on an anvil and pound away with a sledge hammer once a second for a million years and still not open a crack wide enough to let in the light of reason.

So please, forgive my howls of rage and despair, just read and think about what you consider to be my informed opinions.
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jeff lampert
Posted: 10 September 2011 10:11:46(UTC)
#465

Joined: 13/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 41
Jeremy

Good answer: but what are YOU doing about it?

Jeff
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 10 September 2011 10:57:34(UTC)
#466
Anonymous 1 needed this 'Off the Record'

jeff lampert at #460
The example of plastics powder manufacturers is just another example ot things wrong w.r.t. industry.
It seems that for a short term gain they were happy to subsidise Chinese industry rather the the UK one.
An example of a reverse subsidy?
How many other examples are there, I wonder?

Prof Eman
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Jeremy Bosk
Posted: 10 September 2011 15:28:14(UTC)
#467

Joined: 09/06/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,316
jeff lampert

"Good answer: but what are YOU doing about it?"

If you are referring to posts 460 and 461 rather than "howls of rage and despair" :-(

Aside from posting here and in other places online, I pester my MP who is quite responsive. I have worked with researchers for quite a few MPs, Parliamentary organisations and government departments.

I discuss with my friends by email and in person. Some of those friends are influential academic researchers and publishers.

I discuss individual companies on bulletin boards and sometimes with the company managers where I am a shareholder. Being only a very small shareholder my voting power is hardly an issue: but still I feel that there is a beneficial effect.

Incidentally, disbanding the regional development agencies and their accumulated expertise was one of the more stupid deeds of the current government. I used to work with some of those agencies and the overseas companies they were bidding to attract.

I correspond with journalists on a couple of national papers and occasionally have letters to the editor published.

I used to volunteer as a tutor in adult literacy and numeracy.

I have friends that work on issues in Higher Education and another who works on attracting inward investment. We keep in touch.

Working with people I know to be intelligent and honestly trying to improve the world I find it much easier to restrain my howls of rage :-) Besides most of them entirely sympathise.

I am too old and tired to be a full time activist or go into business on my own.

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jeff lampert
Posted: 10 September 2011 15:48:44(UTC)
#468

Joined: 13/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 41
"I am too old and tired to be a full time activist or go into business on my own. "


I am almost certainly older (and maybe more tired) than you.

We are attempting to get a better understanding of the law to people who want to use it: access to justice is their right!
Due to the austerity cuts I am scared we are heading towards little access to justice, and therefore possibly civil strife.

The help we need is listed at the bottom of the first page:
www.help4lips.co.uk

When I get time I also am attempting to teach accountants the meaning of value :-) (madlemming me into google).
Feel free to contribute!

I find adrenalin helps with the tiredness!!!
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 10 September 2011 17:45:42(UTC)
#469
Anonymous 1 needed this 'Off the Record'

Dear all
Just came across this article-
the Independent/news/uk/home-news/Slum UK housing that shames the nation 2351015
Dr Stephen Battersby, president of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health- said
"Housing is one of the biggest casualties of the Govrnment spending cuts, with some of the most vulnerable members of society paying the heaviest price for a financial crisis brought on by bankers."
Thought you would find it interesting.

Prof Eman
PS Jeremy Bosk how does the above fit in with your views. Hopefully we can conclude that it is not a just bad landlords that are responsible for poor housing.
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 10 September 2011 17:47:27(UTC)
#470
Anonymous 1 needed this 'Off the Record'

My last post at 469
Fair and reasonable?
We are all in it together?

Prof Eman
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