Bugger...

[Guest Parry aka GOD]

This is more about a restructuring of the global economy than the end of the world. There's a neat little video going round SE Asia of three drunk English prats mocking a 76 year-old Singaporean rickshaw driver for not pedalling fast enough. Then they refuse to pay him, etc.

This will look very odd to future generations that will be more used to English people trying to get the grades and experience to emigrate to Asia so they can earn the big bucks. All the money is going East - that's where the labour is, it's where the initiative is, and most important it's where the passion is. The West is flabby and unmotivated. When this sucker finally goes down, and it's going, all right, life will never be the same in the West.

You're witnessing real history now!

I've been witness to similar many times out here. It's vile and ugly. It's not just you're typical chav thug either, often times it's 'educated' middle-class early twenties types. They are often the worst.

Being accepted by your community here takes time, mainly because this sort of behaviour from western people is what these people have experienced before. But once accepted I can tell you now there is nothing like it in the world. Very nice people and a very kind lifestyle.

[AvidFan]

This is more about a restructuring of the global economy than the end of the world. There's a neat little video going round SE Asia of three drunk English prats mocking a 76 year-old Singaporean rickshaw driver for not pedalling fast enough. Then they refuse to pay him, etc.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/902251/brits...ickshaw_driver/

Edited to add:

Hardly "bullies" though are they? He went about 10 metres and asked for 10$, I assume SGD, which is what, 4 quid? Even oil at $200 a barrel would get you further than that.

Edited August 12, 2009 by AvidFan

[kilroy]

1. Yes

2. We import a little more than we export

3. We import a little more than we export

So it looks good, better than most other countries in the world . On points 2 and 3, if the pound falls further we will export much more than we use. In synopsis, if the pound falls the country will be saved?

1. If the pound falls, domestically-produced-goods prices rise as domestic producers will sell it abroad, unless gov intervenes with price fixing / export duties etc. Prices of imports will also increase, of course.

2. See 1.

3. See 1.

[huw]

A few questions

1 can we in this country produce enough food to feed ourselves.

2 are we a net importer or exporter finished goods

3 are we a net importer or exporter of energy

These quetions are important as the answers determine our direction as a nation

Q1 and Q3 are relevant to many industrial countries -- food and energy will become problematic for many in the coming decades, we don't have a monopoly on that. Q2 is only relevant to the extent that we are (1) congenitally incapable of furnishing our own consumption and (2) incapable of foregoing it. Our cultural values/aspirations will need to change; so what? Change <> Failure.

There may well be migration eastwards, though personally I'm not convinced of it. To the extent that people leave this island, the true asset that we have here (land, water, minerals and so on) will be less stretched as the current overcrowding is shifted elsewhere. The biggest danger is that other countries won't let our surplus population in

[Darkman]

Andrew Gavin Marshall is a Research Associate with the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is currently studying Political Economy and History at Simon Fraser University.

So the author is basically a student?

[Laughing Gnome]

What utter rubbish.

I honestly don't know where to start. What you have posted here typifies what passes as believable on here amongst some of you. Its completely over the top, I don't know where you live or what your situation is, but things are honestly not as bad as all that. Flame me if you want but I think you need to come away from the internet for a bit.

Oooh, fear and denial. Exactly what exceptional quality makes "Westerners" a special case in this beautifull competitive global marketplace.

Reach for some platitudes about creativity and education, freedom perhaps. And of course free markets and the non-interference of governments. That's worked out rather well then hasn't it.

And the only "freedom" we are lacking is the freedom to starve.