Category Archives: Economics

George Osborne’s Politicisation of Welfare in Britain 2010-15

Posted on October 30, 2015 by odeboyz

The Coalition government 2010-15 effectively won the economic argument that the British welfare budget had ballooned out of control in the Labour era (1997-2010). This intellectual and political victory produced the brilliant rhetorical flourish from the Chancellor ‘We’re all in … Continue reading →

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Councils

Posted on October 23, 2015 by odeboyz

Just about any Council, be it Local Authority, district, Parish or Metropolitan, usually is only as good as its leadership, strategic planning and the capabilities of its workforce to implement planned decisions. Also pivotal to success, can often be the good … Continue reading →

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Voting for Barbaric Sentences: California’s Proposition 184 (1994)

Posted on October 16, 2015 by odeboyz

Crimes which provoke outrage often lead to demands for draconian punishments from the public. This has been true down the ages. For example 18th century England had an extreme criminal code, more draconian and less humane than even the most rabid Californian … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics, Prison | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Trident Missile System: World Leaders Speak

Posted on October 6, 2015 by odeboyz

Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany): I wish I had my finger on the nuclear button. Safety is my number one priority. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa): A £100 billion for weapons of mass destruction! Is David Cameron a Christian? Former Prime Minister … Continue reading →

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Scholarly Warfare

Posted on September 8, 2015 by odeboyz

“I can be very sympathetic with the author; until 2 years ago I was thinking along similar lines”. George Stigler (Chris)

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The BBC, Diversity and TV Quiz Shows

Posted on August 28, 2015 by odeboyz

Greg Dyke, a former BBC Director-General, famously described the BBC as ‘hideously white’*. This associated the BBC’s recruitment policy with ‘institutional racism’**. His analysis is crassly simplistic, identifying ‘diversity’ only with skin colour. Differences associated with colour are readily identifiable … Continue reading →

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Five Great, Short, Free (or nearly free) Novels

Posted on August 4, 2015 by odeboyz

1) Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Yellow Wallpaper 1892, 80p Feminist story FREE 2) George and Weedon Grossmith Diary of a Nobody 1892, 176p Marvelous comic novel. FREE 3)   P G Wodehouse Psmith, Journalist 1914 154p          Brilliant satire on USA, … Continue reading →

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The Price of Virtue: Bailing out Slave-owners 1833

Posted on July 24, 2015 by odeboyz

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. Key to abolition was the willingness of the British government to compensate slave-owners for their property. The government budgeted £20 million, supervised by the Slavery Compensation Commission. This huge amount of … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Credit Card Competition: British Style

Posted on July 21, 2015 by odeboyz

Barclays             18.9%           Interest charged HSBC                 18.9%                     ditto Lloyds                18.9%                     ditto NatWest            18.9%                     ditto Santander         18.9%                     ditto (Correct 24th June 2015) British Inflation, June 2015 was 0% (Chris)

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Winston Churchill’s ‘Gestapo’ speech (4th June 1945)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by odeboyz

In June 1945, Britain resumed competitive politics for the first time since 1931. Churchill, who had spent five years surrounded by sycophants, reverted to toxic reactionary Victorian conservatism. His wartime rhetoric had been inspirational but his first peacetime broadcast demonstrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments