Please Sir - I want some more.

[T00ts]

Completely close down whole national economies for months on end, so that the supply chain grinds to a halt from which it can't easily be restarted, while at the same time imprisoning whole populations in their homes and allowing what stockpiles exist to run down to dangerous levels. Do this multiple times, in a "rinse and repeat" fashion, so that shortages of everything become a virtual certainty

Also at the same time, reduce interest rates to virtually zero while dishing out Stimulus cheques and "furlough", also known as "free money", while bailing out business, many of which don't actually exist. Throw in a few "mates rates" deals for the supply of PPE and other "essentials" worth billions of taxpayers money - AKA debt.

Allow oil prices to increase to over $100 a barrel, then simmer the whole lot over a modest heat for 18 months to 2 years. Once inflation starts to accelerate, look the other way and do nothing for months on end. Add an invasion of Ukraine, an 8 fold increase in energy prices, and a badly advised visit to Taiwan by a clueless pensioner posing as a serious politician.

What could possibly go wrong?

Sorry Toots. You're wasting your time trying to make sense of it all. We now live in a "clowns car" world of global politics, where "green" governments close nuclear power stations whilst at the same time having close to zero reserves of natural gas, and the western media is more concerned with "pronouns" and misgendering, than in reporting farmers protests at the lunacy of trying to reduce fertiliser usage in the west at the same time that T72 tanks are ploughing up what remains of the wheat crop on the Steppes?

I've lived on this world for 60 years and I've seen a sh*t load of crazy things. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the spectacles created by the utter imbeciles currently running the planet

Nice to see you DD and a very valid comment. I seem to remember how appalled you were when the lockdown happened. For me of course becoming housebound was pretty essential  to life and in the early days when no-one really knew what to do I guess those in charge thought they were doing their best. Now of course it seems the whole world is on some crazy ride that doesn't yet seem to have an end.

I guess for me to make sense of it is rather pointless but I enjoy the challenge, but from where I sit there is no obvious leader that looks capable of taking the country forward or even able to reach a standstill point. The worry being that the void leaves room for a real nut to jump in. 

Every man is worthy of his hire and cheap labour is a thing of the past. We need to grasp that concept and understand that any profit is better than none or worse. The constant cry for increased growth will eventually implode society altogether. 

[DeppityDawg]

Completely close down whole national economies for months on end, so that the supply chain grinds to a halt from which it can't easily be restarted, while at the same time imprisoning whole populations in their homes and allowing what stockpiles exist to run down to dangerous levels. Do this multiple times, in a "rinse and repeat" fashion, so that shortages of everything become a virtual certainty

Also at the same time, reduce interest rates to virtually zero while dishing out Stimulus cheques and "furlough", also known as "free money", while bailing out business, many of which don't actually exist. Throw in a few "mates rates" deals for the supply of PPE and other "essentials" worth billions of taxpayers money - AKA debt.

Allow oil prices to increase to over $100 a barrel, then simmer the whole lot over a modest heat for 18 months to 2 years. Once inflation starts to accelerate, look the other way and do nothing for months on end. Add an invasion of Ukraine, an 8 fold increase in energy prices, and a badly advised visit to Taiwan by a clueless pensioner posing as a serious politician.

What could possibly go wrong?

Sorry Toots. You're wasting your time trying to make sense of it all. We now live in a "clowns car" world of global politics, where "green" governments close nuclear power stations whilst at the same time having close to zero reserves of natural gas, and the western media is more concerned with "pronouns" and misgendering, than in reporting farmers protests at the lunacy of trying to reduce fertiliser usage in the west at the same time that T72 tanks are ploughing up what remains of the wheat crop on the Steppes?

I've lived on this world for 60 years and I've seen a sh*t load of crazy things. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the spectacles created by the utter imbeciles currently running the planet

[Sheepy]

I'm not sure anyone can answer that. My SIL isn't in it for the money, he actually has little financial need to work, but he loves his job, sometimes, his wife thinks, more than her.

Funnily enough I have been offered a place in many countries over the years with massive pay as an advisor, so the British government decided it was better not to send me a passport back, not that I needed it anyway in the world of the internet. Why pay for something you can get for free?

[T00ts]

You probably do Toots but when is enough, enough?

I'm not sure anyone can answer that. My SIL isn't in it for the money, he actually has little financial need to work, but he loves his job, sometimes, his wife thinks, more than her.

[Sheepy]

You probably do Toots but when is enough, enough? 

[T00ts]

I am beginning to lose patience with the constant demands that the Government gives more. The Government as we all know doesn't have any more money without taxing us greater and greater amounts. Yet in the same breath there are constant complaints about those who are termed rich.

Some companies are attempting to address the current struggles by upping wages/salaries and isn't this the way forward? For too long the Labour way has been to get as many people as possible reliant on Government payouts and then the influx of low pay EU workers dragged pay down yet again. Giving people a top up benefit because their pay is too low was a disaster by Labour (Gordon Brown I believe) and simply let everyone down by letting employers off the hook of paying decent salaries and those without the abilities or care dropped off the payrolls altogether as those who, even in the lowest paid sector, were sending their pay abroad where it bought riches for the locals.

Surely the way forward to a successful economy is to drag ourselves up the ladders with better paid jobs. Yes some appear disproportionate to those of us that don't do their job. I watch from the sidelines while one of my SILs earns huge money, but goodness what my daughter and their kids, although in some ways gaining like private education etc, they lose big time in terms of family life. A kick about in the garden with Dad is as rare as hen's teeth. Not that he doesn't care but his job seems to be pretty much 24/7, 52 weeks of the year. All the time I have known him I don't think he has ever taken his full holiday entitlement. Even this week they are scraping 8 days staycation but I can be certain that his eye will still be on the emails and his ear out for his phone. He has already had a cancer scare I feel sure brought on by the stress that he is constantly under. For those of you who believe the green eyed monster of over pay and see the grass is greener - it isn't all as it seems.