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[killer_clank]

National Citizens service sounds utterly shit. I wouldn't go. Waste of money.

Also, people who advocate bringing back actual national service are barbaric cunts. imo.

 

[SapientWolf]

Without legalising drugs the government will never stamp out gangs. Where one gang is arrested and banged up in jail, another will come along as long as there is money to made selling drugs.

If people were able to buy drugs over the counter in Boots or other pharmacies gangs would have no reason to exist and would make no money.

Drug sales aren't the only way for groups of unscrupulous people to make money. Drug sales aren't the only reason people join gangs either. It's a more complex issue than that.

 

[daviyoung]

National Citizens service sounds utterly shit. I wouldn't go. Waste of money.

Also, people who advocate bringing back actual national service are barbaric cunts. imo.

So you don't think there's anything wrong with our country at the moment?

 

[radioheadrule83]

National Citizens service sounds utterly shit. I wouldn't go. Waste of money.

Also, people who advocate bringing back actual national service are barbaric cunts. imo.

I don't think people really think about what they mean when they say it. Are people saying:

1) force everyone to enlist and serve for a period of time - 6 months to 2 years -- they even have to attend theatre.

2) force everyone to experience a military training regime, but they don't attend theatre.

If its 1, do we allow them to be sent to violent conflict theatres like Iraq and Afghanistan, or do we send them out to Rheindalen or something, or have them shadow UN peacekeepers somewhere?

If its 2, what do the military get out of it aside from cheap labour?

 

[SteveWD40]

You know what I learned from The Witcher? That life doesn't have pad support so you should say 'fuck it' and play Borderlands instead. I'm still trying to work this knowledge into a witty aphorism.


Cheers! I was thinking more 'shooting' than 'stamping' though. You can't stamp filthy proles from a safe distance.

I was talking to Cameron, got his speech on in the bg

 

[killer_clank]

So you don't think there's anything wrong with our country at the moment?

Fuck no. There's plenty of things wrong, but being forced to join the army is literally my idea of absolute hell. Honestly, I'd commit crime in order to not go.

And making kids do citizen service is flawed in many ways. For bad eggs, sure, I can see possible benefits. But what are the plans for it in future? For every 16 year old to go? That's an utter waste of money when the vast majority of kids in this country are pleasant, caring individuals and don't need it in the slightest.

 

[daviyoung]

Fuck no. There's plenty of things wrong, but being forced to join the army is literally my idea of absolute hell. Honestly, I'd commit crime in order to not go.

So what do you suggest? Seems like all you're doing is criticizing other ideas. No to national service (it doesn't just mean going to the forces by the way), no to cutting benefits...what would you do?

 

[Wrestlemania]

So what do you suggest? Seems like all you're doing is criticizing other ideas. No to national service (it doesn't just mean going to the forces by the way), no to cutting benefits...what would you do?

Actually look at and analyse the issues before coming up with knee jerk "solutions"?

 

[SmokyDave]

I was talking to Cameron, got his speech on in the bg

Too many Daves in this country.

Actually look at and analyse the issues before coming up with knee jerk "solutions"?

How will you feel if we look at the issues, analyse them and arrive at the same conclusions?

I'd assume you accept that as a possibility, otherwise you'd already know the 'correct' answer.

Also, it's only 'knee-jerk' if you didn't see this coming a while back.

 

[daviyoung]

The idea of reinstating some form of civilian duty has been a long time coming. It's not a knee-jerk reaction, it was part of the Tories' campaign pledge.

 

[nib95]

I'm a HUGE no to cutting benefits and a HUGE no to Military service, but I'm quite keen on the idea of knocking off sentence months by forcing kids to do community service, attend classes that could help them re-climatise to make a positive impact on society, or clean up operation tasks and so forth. Let THEM clean up their own mess. Things of that nature.

 

[Wrestlemania]

How will you feel if we look at the issues, analyse them and arrive at the same conclusions?

Better? I think it's unlikely those are the best solutions to the issues at hand though. I don't know what the answer is myself though. The Met taking a good look at Strathclyde Police have tackled gang problems would be a good start.

 

[SmokyDave]

Better?

Good. I'm cool with that. I just wonder if many that say we should analyse this are actually saying 'keep analysing this until you agree with my position'. I can respect the need to think deeply before acting though.

We need to scald these puppies. When and to what degree, I'm fairly flexible.

Cleaned the shooting pipe just in case.

Edit: Just caught your edit. Weren't Strathclyde the force that were criticised for covering up their own investigation into Asian gangs? I can't find the link now but I'm sure it was either Strathclyde or Sterling?

Edit Edit: It was Strathclyde but the incident I was thinking of was when Mike Liddell (former Strathclyde CI) wrote a piece saying that they couldn't effectively police asian gangs due to accusations of racism at every turn.

 

[killer_clank]

So what do you suggest? Seems like all you're doing is criticizing other ideas. No to national service (it doesn't just mean going to the forces by the way), no to cutting benefits...what would you do?

Stop cutting education budgets left, right and centre for a start. Education is the true key to social mobility. I'm fully aware it's not easy to achieve in the slightest, but every school should give people the best chance in life, and engaging children who have no interest in education. I don't know the solutions, but we damn well should be getting that better. In later education, I admit the EMA was flawed to an extent (though Scotland still has it) and it should have been better targeted. There were kids that were from 'borderline' families who had no need for it and spend it all on themselves, but I'm sure for some it was an absolute lifeline, and cutting them out in unfair and leads to shit like this. University wise in England, have more scholarships and things now for talented kids from rough backgrounds to encourage them to go to university and not be scared off by tuition fees. Stop schools from implying that the only success is going to university, and accept that some kids would rather go into training for a trade, and have apprenticeships to deal with these people and get them into work.

But mostly I just fucking despise the the ideology behind things like National Service and Citizens Service or .It treats young people as 'problem' by default and implies only this can sort you out. Most young people don't need it in the slightest. It's so patronising to the mostly behaving young people of this country.

 

[radioheadrule83]

The PM did mention strathclyde police in his statement to parliament, I'm sure they'll be taking cues from them.

I wish parliament would set up better websites and engage social networking or something to encourage policy suggestions / ideas. Their e-petitions website is just a magnet for bitter moaning... barely anything suggested on there is constructive. If you take a look at their rejected petitions page its all "bring back hanging!", "kill young people!" and "I don't like foreigners!"

We've seen a full spectrum of ideas in the wake of this, a lot of radical ones and ones that would cause fiery debate - but I've also seen a lot of sensible common-sense ideas online that I think a lot of people would be happy to +1 or 'like'... but as no-ones really listening, they're already going back to the grind and forgetting that it ever happened. I just don't feel like the government ever has its finger on the pulse, they just pretend to... badly. I don't know for sure what metrics they use to decide policy, but the three big parties just seem to listen to their partisan core vote, their lobby groups (rich people and unions) and are only able to follow popular sentiment when something reaches the point of moral outcry. At that point they're just trying to win favourable headlines. I think there's a bigger vote out there waiting to be won if they use the right methods and technology and listen.

 

[Queen of Hunting]

if they take their benefits do you think that will stop them rioting even more lol it wont help the situation at all. in fact they would proberlly do it even more knowing they dont have much else to lose.

 

[killer_clank]

Can I suggest one proposal where England could very much benefit from a Scottish thing?

I England I always hear about applications to certain secondary schools, and trying to get into the best one. THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Up here, you go to your local high school (and you really don't have much choice about it) unless you want to shell out to a private school or go to a catholic one (Which I am also against). This seems terrible to me, and only leads to rich kids feeding certain schools that are seen as the best as far as I can see. All high schools I know of in Scotland have a real nice mix of pupils, poor, rich and in between, and there are no league tables.

 

[Bleepey]

Can I suggest one proposal where England could very much benefit from a Scottish thing?

I England I always hear about applications to certain secondary schools, and trying to get into the best one. THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Up here, you go to your local high school (and you really don't have much choice about it) unless you want to shell out to a private school or go to a catholic one (Which I am also against). This seems terrible to me, and only leads to rich kids feeding certain schools that are seen as the best as far as I can see. All high schools I know of in Scotland have a real nice mix of pupils, poor, rich and in between, and there are no league tables.

All my local schools were garbage, i went to a school about half an hour away by train and the transport was paid for by the government for everyone that lived far enough away.

 

[killer_clank]

All my local schools were garbage, i went to a school about half an hour away by train and the transport was paid for by the government for everyone that lived far enough away.

There are indeed bad schools in Scotland as well, but I'd hazard a guess and say there's probably less than in England. Schools up here can't discriminate based upon anything, and it leads to a situation where more schools are relatively equal in quality than the wild variations you see in England.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

It's time for the Lib Dems to pull the plug. Let's have a GE and get Ed Miliband in. Cameron may have some good intentions but he doesn't have any good ideas or political judgement.

 

[SmokyDave]

It's time for the Lib Dems to pull the plug. Let's have a GE and get Ed Miliband in. Cameron may have some good intentions but he doesn't have any good ideas or political judgement.

I think a GE right now would be a handy win for the Conservatives. The last thing we need now is Labour.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Can I suggest one proposal where England could very much benefit from a Scottish thing?

I England I always hear about applications to certain secondary schools, and trying to get into the best one. THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Up here, you go to your local high school (and you really don't have much choice about it) unless you want to shell out to a private school or go to a catholic one (Which I am also against). This seems terrible to me, and only leads to rich kids feeding certain schools that are seen as the best as far as I can see. All high schools I know of in Scotland have a real nice mix of pupils, poor, rich and in between, and there are no league tables.

Middle class and rich people game the system by buying houses near the best schools. It's not fair to poor and working class people.

Allowing access to everyone it makes sure that poor and working class kids aren't excluded from applying to the best schools.

It's time for the Lib Dems to pull the plug. Let's have a GE and get Ed Miliband in. Cameron may have some good intentions but he doesn't have any good ideas or political judgement.

Labour would lose. Heavily. Any GE today would result in a landslide Con victory.

 

[daviyoung]

Let's have a GE and get Ed Miliband in.

Miliband is just as much of a gurner as the two monkeys we have in now. He won't be able to change a thing.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I went to two high schools... I was in quite a strict religious school, then another neighbouring school. The varying experience was shocking really...

At the religious school I behaved like a right bastard - looking back, I often wonder if I had ADHD or something. I was often no worse than some other kids, but because I've got red hair I was always easily noticed... I used to have this sense of righteous indignation over not getting away with what other kids did, so I always used to escalate things and get in more and more trouble. Basically I got told to leave or I was going to be expelled...

The religious school was full of nice buildings, it had good facilities, it was a Microsoft and CISCO partner, it churned out kids who got straight A's. The school I transferred to was run down, full of tearaways and although I found the teaching staff to be quite good - the school churned out kids who got C's at best. Kids were truant more, there were more fights on the playground, it was just a rougher all round experience.

It was experiencing these two schools, in close proximity, and knowing that kids were fated to go to one or the other depending upon which parish they were brought up in that made me realise how this country is no meritocracy and that these early decisions, these early categories, these geographical boundaries -- they have so much influence on the path a person will take through life. I know that my parents fought to get me into a certain primary school purely because they knew it was a feeder school for the 'good' secondary school. That is the kind of thing that parents really shouldn't have to be doing, but they are.

Kids spend more time in school and with peer groups than they do with their parents, so while I agree that parents need to accept more responsibility for their childrens' actions, I also agree with killer_clank that there is a structural problem with our school system.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I can't tell people how to vote but a GE feels necessary to give the country a chance to get better leadership.

It was experiencing these two schools, in close proximity, and knowing that kids were fated to go to one or the other depending upon which parish they were brought up in that made me realise how this country is no meritocracy and that these early decisions, these early categories, these geographical boundaries -- they have so much influence on the path a person will take through life.

In this country the only moral consideration is the common interest of keeping real estate prices up in more well off areas.

 

[Meadows]

An election would be disastrous. The politicians are actually doing a good job in reducing the deficit and putting aside their political differences for the country's benefit. Honestly I think in 2 or 3 years we'll be in the clear and ready to prosper once more.

Also, I can't see Labour doing well, Ed Balls is hated by many and consistently wrong on economic matters, proven by Osborne's good economic record, and people still have a problem with their benefits/work policies which end up costing tax-payers a ton.

Still, I won't vote Conservative, they are not in line with my beliefs (outside of the need to balance the deficit) and some of the old boy's social policies such as Capital punishment and ending civil partnerships go 100% against my beliefs.

I can see myself rewarding the Lib Dems with my vote due to them making the country have a decent government instead of a shite "rainbow coalition" (LAB, LD, PC, SNP) that wouldn't get anything done or forcing the Tories into a minority governments that would have killed the markets. Or if Plaid Cymru get into better shape and I'm voting in Wales then they're also a possibility. Damn good party, just need to sort out their leadership problems.

 

[Psychotext]

Labour would lose. Heavily. Any GE today would result in a landslide Con victory.

It's funny, most of the polls show Labour pretty well in front but I also can't help thinking that they wouldn't win an election.

I don't think the Conservatives would win either though, I think it would end up with another co-alition of sorts.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Also, I can't see Labour doing well, Ed Balls is hated by many and consistently wrong on economic matters, proven by Osborne's good economic record, and people still have a problem with their benefits/work policies which end up costing tax-payers a ton.

Osbourne is a hack. A person with moderate abilities who only got the job because he was seen as an ideologically safe pair of hands by the Tory backbenchers. In reality he has no good economic record to speak of other than not totally fumbling the ball and appearing confident enough in his position to not scare anyone.

 

[killer_clank]

I think there's a gap in the market for a civic nationalist party in England. Nationalism is a dirty word down there and for good reason with the BNP and EDL, but a party like the SNP or PC could have some success.

Non racist, social democratic and advocating for a proper English parliament which you guys badly need and deserve could be a vote winner. The UK parliament just doesn't serve anyone particularly well, what with scottish MPs voting on English only issues, or Conservatives technically running Scotland even though they only have one seat here. A truly federal UK could work wonders in sorting out our social problems.

 

[Prine]

The FT have to have it wrong. They are probably 'considering' it in the sense that they are going to give it a debate, which is what they promised for all petitions with over 100k signatures. Any one of us here can tell that the proposal is empty rhetoric and can't actually be implemented. Giving popular angry sentiment a bit of acknowledgement and 'considering' it would be a very populist move, and make them sound tough even if they don't actually do it. I bet that's what they've been advised. I also bet that barely anyone in parliament actually has the desire or will to see it done.

If any of the rioters were claiming disability allowance though and things like that -- things which getting up off your ass and looting proves as bullshit -- then those benefits should be taken away. And I bet there's good odds that some of the people convicted were. If by booting in a door they found multiple claimants for housing benefit, or some other fraud like sub-letting going on -- then they should address that too. Those are the kind of benefit fraud clamp downs they should be doing anyway.

Agreed. Your in a implicit contract with the state if they're paying for you, in some form.

 

[SmokyDave]

I think there's a gap in the market for a civic nationalist party in England. Nationalism is a dirty word down there and for good reason with the BNP and EDL, but a party like the SNP or PC could have some success.

Non racist, social democratic and advocating for a proper English parliament which you guys badly need and deserve could be a vote winner. The UK parliament just doesn't serve anyone particularly well, what with scottish MPs voting on English only issues, or Conservatives technically running Scotland even though they only have one seat here. A truly federal UK could work wonders in sorting out our social problems.

Agreed. The gap is there but I can't see anyone filling it. Comparisons to the EDL and BNP will be immediate, it'd never get off the ground. Besides, the UK can't afford for England to have a civic nationalist party, we might start pulling rank.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

An election would be disastrous. The politicians are actually doing a good job in reducing the deficit and putting aside their political differences for the country's benefit. Honestly I think in 2 or 3 years we'll be in the clear and ready to prosper once more.

Also, I can't see Labour doing well, Ed Balls is hated by many and consistently wrong on economic matters, proven by Osborne's good economic record, and people still have a problem with their benefits/work policies which end up costing tax-payers a ton.

Still, I won't vote Conservative, they are not in line with my beliefs (outside of the need to balance the deficit) and some of the old boy's social policies such as Capital punishment and ending civil partnerships go 100% against my beliefs.

I can see myself rewarding the Lib Dems with my vote due to them making the country have a decent government instead of a shite "rainbow coalition" (LAB, LD, PC, SNP) that wouldn't get anything done or forcing the Tories into a minority governments that would have killed the markets. Or if Plaid Cymru get into better shape and I'm voting in Wales then they're also a possibility. Damn good party, just need to sort out their leadership problems.

100% sure that isn't Conservative policy. DC whipped the vote in Parliament to introduce civil partnerships and the Cons have got more gay MPs sitting in Parliament than all of the other parties put together.

 

[Meadows]

Thought this was pretty funny:

Our father, who art in prison, my mum knows not his name, thy Riots come, read it in the sun, in Birmingham, as it is in London, give us this day our Welfare bread & forgive us our looting, as we're happy to loot those who defend stuff against us, lead us not into employment but deliver us free housing, for thine is the telly, the Burberry & the Barcardi, forever and ever...Innit

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Osbourne is a hack. A person with moderate abilities who only got the job because he was seen as an ideologically safe pair of hands by the Tory backbenchers. In reality he has no good economic record to speak of other than not totally fumbling the ball and appearing confident enough in his position to not scare anyone.

That's not true, the Tory safe pair of hands is Philip Hammond, and many, many backbenchers would have preferred him to take the position of chancellor. Osborne has a good record though, and he and his team have helped take Britain from being the sick man of the G20 to one of the stronger nations in the group. Deficit reduction and early austerity has given the UK a headstart and keeps us ahead of the game, the bond vigilantes have no case against us.

The problem for Osborne is that housing equity withdrawal has gone into reverse which has killed domestic demand. When people are paying off their mortgages they aren't spending on the high street which is tough since the basis of our last boom was masses of HEW spent on the highstreet.

 

[DSN2K]

thought this was quite accurate and amusing.

 

[SmokyDave]

I can't help but feel there's a slight inference that we shouldn't be too outraged about poor people rioting as bankers got away with more. Almost as if we weren't aware that the bankers were making out like bandits before these riots. I don't like that. Some of us are (and were) well aware that we're being fucked from both ends and we want both groups holding responsible for their respective crimes.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

That's not true, the Tory safe pair of hands is Philip Hammond, and many, many backbenchers would have preferred him to take the position of chancellor. Osborne has a good record though, and he and his team have helped take Britain from being the sick man of the G20 to one of the stronger nations in the group. Deficit reduction and early austerity has given the UK a headstart and keeps us ahead of the game, the bond vigilantes have no case against us.

The problem for Osborne is that housing equity withdrawal has gone into reverse which has killed domestic demand. When people are paying off their mortgages they aren't spending on the high street which is tough since the basis of our last boom was masses of HEW spent on the highstreet.

Managing to not scare the bond vigilantes off is what I mean by not fumbling the ball and appearing confident. How long he can manage that is to been seen. It's a magic trick that the Tories do not have a 100% record with and the current global crisis moves it's focus from country to country at an unbelievable pace.

And yes, finance is a mess in this country because of the massive house price bubble that was started in the 80s by the Tories and inflated to ridiculous levels by New Labour and global finance. Why don't we have some investment in the real economy and trash this silly idea that owning property and juggling debt is some economically creative activity?

 

[killer_clank]

What I've never understood is why having high house prices is seen as an indicator of the economy being good. People being priced out of getting on the housing ladder sucks.

I'm sure there is some form of reasoning behind it, can zomgwtfbbq explain?

 

[Tim the Wiz]

http://premium1.uploadit.org/dsn2000//brokenbritain2.bmp

thought this was quite accurate and amusing.

Someone else managed to capture things in similar fashion:

...

Since I write for a newspaper, I am now legally required to write an agonised hand-wringing article in which I attempt to explain why the riots happened. Which is tricky because I don't have a clue. Some blame the parents. Or the education system. Or the economy. Or our unequal society. Or just the rioters themselves. I'd guess at some soupy combination of all the above.

Aside from the sheer mindless ferocity and violence, one of the most depressing aspects of the protracted smashup was the nature of the looting: time and again, shops selling trainers or gadgets were targeted first. Fancy shoes and electric widgets mark the peak of ambition. Every looter was effectively a child chanting: "Give me my toys, I want more toys. Look at the prick captured on video mugging the injured Malaysian student. Watch his unearned swagger as he walks away; the size of a man, yet he overdoes that swagger like a performing toddler. That's an idiot who never grew up.

Why the obsession with trainers? Trainers are shit. You stick them on your feet and walk around for a while 'til they go out of fashion. Whoopie doo. Yes, I know they're also status symbols, but anyone who tries to impress others with their shoe choice is a dismally pathetic character indeed – and anyone genuinely impressed by said footwear has all the soaring spirit of a punnet of moss. There's no life to be found in "look at my shoes". There just isn't.

In the smouldering aftermath, some politicians, keen to shift the focus from social inequality, have muttered darkly about the role of BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter and Facebook – frightening new technologies that, like the pen and the human mouth, allow citizens to swap messages with one another. Some have even called for the likes of Twitter to be temporarily suspended in times of great national crisis. That'd be reassuring – like the scene at the start of a zombie movie where the news bulletin is suddenly replaced by a whistling tone and a stark caption reading PLEASE STAND BY. The last thing we need in an emergency is the ability to share information. Perhaps the government could also issue us with gags we could slip over our mouths the moment the sirens start wailing? Hey, we could still communicate if we really had to. Provided we have learned semaphore.

If preventing further looting is our aim, then as well as addressing the gulf between the haves and the have-nots, I'd take a long hard look at MTV Cribs and similar TV shows that routinely confuse human achievement with the mindless acquisition of gaudy bling bullshit. The media heaves with propaganda promoting sensation and consumption above all else.

...

 

[zomgbbqftw]

What I've never understood is why having high house prices is seen as an indicator of the economy being good. People being priced out of getting on the housing ladder sucks.

I'm sure there is some form of reasoning behind it, can zomgwtfbbq explain?

The idea is that as house prices rise the owner has more equity and is somehow better off, but in reality since the person lives there there is no real increase in wealth. Our last boom was built on housing equity withdrawal enabled by rising house prices, in fact that was true all over the world especially in the US. So when house prices crashed the wheels fell off our money supply and spending went down.

The problem is that houses have become a commodity while they shouldn't be as people need somewhere to live. It all started with Thatcher really and right to buy, while that wasn't a bad policy, it was the aftermath where the proceeds of right to buy wasn't used to build new social housing and low income housing. That trend continued under Labour and this government aren't really doing much to combat it either.

Increasing house prices aren't really the sign of a growing economy more than they are the cause of economy growth in countries with large trade deficits.

 

[SteveWD40]

Indeed, the raise in equity pushed a ton of cash into consumers, hell I made £30k when I was 23 buying a terrace in Macclesfield and selling it 6 months later (did nothing to it), it went into another place but the fact is I am sure I skimmed some off to spend on shiny things, as were millions of others.

There was a great perception of wealth country wide but it was fucking over first time buyers in one way, but assisting in gentrification in another (forcing people to buy in the neighbouring "shit" area).

Honestly, we don't want to get back to that level, consumer spending should increase due to rising wages built on that back of a growing private sector, not fake wealth and debt.

The French and the Germans never fell into this trap, the French had a saying back in the boom when we were growing fast and they were "stagnant" at 2% growth (who's laughing now):

"The British think that wealth is something you can get from the bank"

We had many "millionaires" who borrowed their way into that title and owed as much back to the bank in mortgages, loans and credit cards.

 

[fabricated backlash]

I can't help but feel there's a slight inference that we shouldn't be too outraged about poor people rioting as bankers got away with more. Almost as if we weren't aware that the bankers were making out like bandits before these riots. I don't like that. Some of us are (and were) well aware that we're being fucked from both ends and we want both groups holding responsible for their respective crimes.

I guess this is more a jab at the political acceptance of high level "looting" if you will. One robbery is accepted while the other calls for censorship and reinstitution of military service, when in fact, like you said, both groups should be held accountable to the fullest extend.

Wonder when the bailout talks for looters will start. Guess no one is too small to fail.

 

[SmokyDave]

"The British think that wealth is something you can get from the bank"

Not all of us

It's been more than a decade since I've had a credit card, loan or overdraft. Oddly, that makes me pretty toxic credit-wise.

 

[SteveWD40]

Yeah not all of course, but it was pretty prevalent early last decade.

 

[SmokyDave]

Yeah not all of course, but it was pretty prevalent early last decade.

Oh, I know, I spent that time as a sub-prime mortgage broker (98-02). It was a depressing time. I'm the exception, not the rule.

Your credit rating improves when you show you are creditworthy, that can be done by having a lot of cash or by paying off your loans or credit cards on time and never missing a payment.

Yeah, I know how the game works, I just don't want to play it. I'd rather owe money to drug dealers than a bank.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Not all of us

It's been more than a decade since I've had a credit card, loan or overdraft. Oddly, that makes me pretty toxic credit-wise.

Your credit rating improves when you show you are creditworthy, that can be done by having a lot of cash or by paying off your loans or credit cards on time and never missing a payment.

 

[Psychotext]

Your credit rating improves when you show you are creditworthy, that can be done by having a lot of cash or by paying off your loans or credit cards on time and never missing a payment.

Cash is meaningless to your credit rating... at least in the UK.

Without a solid payment history you really don't have a credit rating here. As the records get wiped after 6 years, he wont really have any sort of meaningful rating to speak of... well, short of those records from his gas / electric / phone bill.

 

[Meadows]

This is pretty awesome!:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14536870

 

[Dead Man]

Riots: magistrates advised to 'disregard normal sentencing'

Magistrates are being advised by the courts service to disregard normal sentencing guidelines when dealing with those convicted of offences committed in the context of last week's riots.

The advice, given in open court by justices' clerks, will result in cases that would usually be disposed of in magistrates courts being referred to the crown court for more severe punishment.

It may explain why some of those convicted have received punitive sentences for offences that might normally attract a far shorter term.

In Manchester a mother of two, Ursula Nevin, was jailed for five months for receiving a pair of shorts given to her after they had been looted from a city centre store. In Brixton, south London, a 23-year-old student was jailed for six months for stealing £3.50 worth of water bottles from a supermarket.

Seems a bit rough, and missing the point.

 

[travisbickle]

Riots: magistrates advised to 'disregard normal sentencing'



Seems a bit rough, and missing the point.

Especially considering politicians were getting off the hook for swindling £1000s.