I doubt that subsidising motor fuel has much effect in those parts of India that are still third world.
And those who imagine any of our public facilities are really worse than the developing/third world need to get out more.
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ive been in a 3rd world hospital recently, and ive been in a few nhs ones also
i can confirm the 3rd world hospital is significantly better than the pink fluffy dice of the nhs
quite how this country puts up with it is beyond me
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20 months since a price rise........I use LPG and have seen its price increase every month for the last 8 months.
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The difference with the UK, is that poor people are obese, that's a sign of a sick country.
The whole country is dragged down by lazy people who should be in slums.
How can we (the educated workers) afford proper elevated multilane roads like you see in say Tehran or Bangalore and proper hospitals when we have to make sure people who should live in slums and can't be bothered to work can afford a car and to spend all day on price drop tv buying bulky jewellery and getting even fatter.
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The difference with the UK, is that poor people are obese
In India, it is the rich that are obese!
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>> The difference with the UK is that poor people are obese In India it is the rich that are obese!
As it should be!
MD
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In the past few months I have been to a number of third world countries and numerous others in past years. Without doubt their roads, except in Northern Malaysia, and hospitals were substantially worse, or with much less provision. Although I have to say some of the bush schools I have seen with their amazingly smartly dressed children and strict discipline do give cause for thought. Seeing the rugby playing school children on south pacific islands makes you wonder how we can play so badly with our excellent facilities. I was in India just before Christmas so let's not mention the cricket. Attitude and aspiration is a great stimulus and in such countries education is highly prized. I once met a chap from Mauritius who won the only sixth form scholarship that was awarded each year, otherwise you cut sugar cane just like everybody else. He is now a vice-president with American Express. They may be third world countries, but in many ways not third class.
MGs
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A 3rd world country like India does its best to give its people cheap fuel, a rich country like America ( complete contrast ) also tries to keep its fuel prices low. Yet in the UK, pet / derv prices are seen as a stick to beat us with. strange, isn't it.
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My 2cents worth:
I seem to have noticed that both America and India lack the following, among a lot more on the same lines:
Free council housing, Free social security, Free unemployment benefits, free NHS hospitals, free NHS doctors, free or subsidised prescriptions, state pensions, free schools and subsidised universities, free bus travel for pensioners, free or subsidised nursery school vouchers, free maternity benefits, tax credits, child benefits, free help for refugees and asylum seekers, ......
Edited by jbif on 14/02/2008 at 21:28
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Hardly free when 68p of every £1 we spend on fuel is taken to pay for such things. They ain't free.
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Hardly free when 68p of every £1 we spend on fuel is taken to pay for such things. They ain't free.
So it has all clicked now(has it?) and you have finally answered your own points.
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I don't want the ' free " items on offer, I want cheaper fuel. Where's my choice ?
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>>I don't want the ' free " items on offer, I want cheaper fuel. Where's my choice ?
Maybe you should try the USA or india?
We might even have a whip round to help you on your way.
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We might even have a whip round to help you on your way.
Well said. Good riddance. We could add some fishing tackle, and even a trawler or two, to help him bait more fish over there when he goes on his next trolling expedition.
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From an India perspective
Free council housing - regrettably none - slumlords rule in hand with politicians. Builders only go for middle class and upwards housing
Free social security - none but we have strong familiy values that offer this security. Lame reply but no one is too bothered about it.
Free unemployment benefits - None - but the economic growth means a competent person can find a job but it is competitive
free NHS hospitals, free NHS doctors - Gov't hospitals are availalbe but standards are variable, a lot of charitable hospitals exist - when it comes to expensive surgery etc for the poor then things fail. Again, a lot of companies pay for their employees. I help out if my servants require medical attention
Free or subsidised prescriptions- none
State pensions - provident funds exist but our high savings rates compensate for this
Free schools and subsidised universities - These exist but again quality varies, some corporates have adopted schools. We need to improve primary education. Universities - fees are not killing but I have never heard of anyone dropping out due to lack of finance - someone, somewhere will always help out deserving cades
Free bus travel for pensioners - Buses are pretty cheap and subsidies already. Train and air have discounts for pensioners
Child benefits - none but does the child benefits given in the UK add up to anything significant?
Free help for refugees and asylum seekers - Enough has been done for Bangladeshi's and Srilankan tamils only to find the latter running drug rings / fraud syndicates in India
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we are the best in the world at moaning about our lot in life. Me? I have food in my belly, a tenner in my pocket, warmth, water and a roof over my head, I can see my doctor or dentists pretty much any time I want and I wear clean underpants every day in case I get whizzed off to hospital (which did happen recently....and very good it was too) I remember 16% interest rates, the oil crisis and days when you actually had to get off yer bum to turn telly over by actually pressing a button on it.
I ain't a multi millionaire....just ordinary Joe Soap. Yeah, I like a whinge now and then, but it don't take much to make you realise how cushtie it is here compared to MANY other places in the world..including Europe!
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2cents - I'll give you a typical Indian monthly wage of £30 and charge you the Indian price for fuel. Good news is you will spend very little of our £30 on fuel, bad news is you will be walking or catching a very overcrowded bus everywhere. You won't have your own vehicle because it will be too expensive to run.
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Seeing as Blagger Brown recently gave India £850 million or OUR money, I think it's us that's subsiding their fuel.
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Thats odd because I read recently that car ownership was on the up and up in India.
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Thats odd because I read recently that car ownership was on the up and up in India.
And how is that inconsistent with a low average wage?
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"we are the best in the world at moaning about our lot in life."
Completely agree. A substantial minority of Brits appear to think that the grass is always greener. I have lived abroad for many many years and travelled extensively around the world (excepting Africa and the Middle East). What I have seen has confirmed for me that for all its flaws the UK is a very good compromise. On the other hand, I don't know any other country that slags itself off as consistently and unmercifully as the UK. It's vital to that we have an appreciation, as it were, of our own shortcomings but it's overblown. There will always be other countries that do some things better or worse but on the whole we do very well.
Just as an example, France arguably has better healthcare but then the French pay substantially more per capita for it. If we hiked healthcare costs to the same level per capita as those paid by the French the same people who are complaining about how France has better healthcare would no doubt then whinge about higher costs. You can't win.
Oh, and whoever it was who thinks that elevated highways are a good idea or an indication of national vitality must be mad. They are noisy, dusty eyesores - go look at central Tokyo - that would never be introduced in any country with a sensible urban planning policy.
Suss
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