h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Goodness gracious don't tell me you are being very selective about what aspects of Tory rule you want to discuss, SWL?

Bottler's only reverting to type. For years he sniped from the sidelines at Bliar or set the Brownites spinning against him. And, if the proverbial hit the air conditioning he did a MaCavity.

But, he was caught out good and proper this time and somebody hid his invisibilty cloak. Hoist by his spinning petard. I can imagine Cherie Bliar being so upset at his little difficulty.

Ha ha! It's funny because you call the PM "Bottler" and his predecessor "Bliar"!! It's not at all immature!

Rofflcopters! Lolzors!

Where do you start if you want to do a comparison? I figure looking at which party kills more people is as good a start as any.

Not just me old thing, go and read some of the political columns in the serious press.

Well in that case the Tories (WW2) have narrowly beaten the Liberals (WW1). Of course Labour is a realatively young party but given another couple of centuries we might be able to compare their performance to the Tories ("Warmongering since the French Revolution" would be a wonderful Tory slogan )

Hmm - I thought British casualties were higher in WWI? Who was in charge for Korea?

"Not just me old thing, go and read some of the political columns in the serious press"

I do. I find them incredibly tedious. Besides, if the serious press jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?

I'll try again. I read and sift evidence and come to a conclusion, then attempt to post in an erudite, succinct style to make a positive contribution to the debate.

I believe you are wasting your time WA.

I remember Labour MP's constantly leaping to their feet in Majors time, shouting SLEAZE! and similar, without even knowing his penchant for spicy dishes.

Now they are New Labour, and still cannot see wood for trees, so they snipe at Tories, ( both in and out of Parliament), and try to shout you down because they are a tad upset by GB' behaviour themselves.

I am not surprised. The most intolerant parties worldwide are those of socialist persuasion.

Novo

I still like Nicholas Soames' heckle whenever John Prescott stood up "A whisky and soda for me, Giovanni. And a gin and tonic for my friend!".

Novo

Sorry SWL I don't find your post 44 very convincing. When wars happen its very much about the context of politics going on in other parts of the world. The UK has a long tradition of alliance with the Americans and whatever party is in power it uasually ends up that we go with them. Labour or Tory. Everyone knows that. So figures on people dying are utterly irrelevent.

In the present situation its about how believable the Tories are in what they say, given the evidence of history of their record in power. What the electoate believes is in the best interests of the country. And also how efficient they might really be at running the country again. I mean are people seriously suggesting that Dave has genuinely whipped all of them into line over Europe. Have all those deep divisions that led to utter disaster of the Major government all magically disappeared? Have people realy forgotten the total humiliation they heaped on this country on black wednesday and their unbelievable decisons over ERM.

I think the Tories still have a lot to prove before the electorate once again thinks they are fit for governement. A lot of whining about Bliars and Bottlers, just doesn't cut it.

"I am not surprised. The most intolerant parties worldwide are those of socialist persuasion."

Shakes head in disbelief.... Novo have you taken leave of your senses recently?

I would say that to a state, the most tolerant country are ones where the social adgenda has been driven by socialists and social democrats.

Small "c" conservative parties in democracies are almost all illiberal and intolerant on Social issues.

Hard left goevernment are often intorant I will grant you. But certainly no more than the hard right and nationalist dictatorships aorund the world. The contras for example.

Nor does the most disastrous foreign policy cock up since Suez, a benefit dependent society with record numbers of sick note scivers, overflowing prisons, record gun and knife crime levels, record levels of personal debt, a massive property bubble about to burst, record low levels of new housing, pension funds robbed to the detriment of pensioners, crumbling transport infrastructure, NHS crisis despite frittering away record ammounts of cash and civil liberties erroded by an almost Soviet need for control by central government.

Seems like quite a record to defend in an election contest.

Right as I said earlier to you, WA, if its all as certain, clear cut, black and white, and true as you say WA, that all our woes and troubles are down to this abominable socialist government, the pressure on the Labour government will be impossible to resist. The Tories will romp it at the next election, and non dithery Dave will lead us all into a much brighter tomorrow!

I had a chat to my parents the other day. Both Tories and pensioners. They've lived through a lot. And even they had to laugh about ol Dave, in terms of him being genuinely fit to make the really hard decions it takes to actually run the country. Mind you he does have a rather sexy old Etonian plum in his mouth. Its hard not to believe every word he says.

Really hard decisons err...November election? errr...polls..errr..err. No, bottle out. Phew that was a really hard decision.

Is it impossible for you to post WA without saying the word 'bottler' or 'bottle'?

Which perhaps only goes to show that there are three sides to every disagreement.

Yours, your opponents's, and the one in the middle which is usually the right one.

In your current industrial dispute, the lunchtime news mentioned the 'Spanish Practice' of a postie going home before his finish time if he had completed his prescribed job.I don't know if it is true, but I presume it was one of the perks you referred to in the T&C comments?

All of your comments so far have Denigrated the RM management, as indeed they have been denigrating your Union. But this dispute will in the end be settled by men and women of common sense, not strking poses, but sitting down and working out what is best for the future of ALL the employees of RM. I wish you luck because the outlook for your industry looks bleak unlesss BOTH sides are prepared to budge.

As to the most intolerant govts or parties, I wasn't referring to social democrats and well you know it. Rather I was thinking of Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba etc etc.

Novo

"job and stop" has been the operational way of doing deliveries for *ages*, I imagine it was bieng done like that back when SWL used to be a postman.

Up until recently the management encouraged it on the gounds that posties would come in before their shift was due to start and get the masil out earlier.

I agree that this is a wokring practice that will need to change going forward, but once again I feel that this change in the way we work has to be negotiated and not just imposed form on high at a whim.