Stolen !

Fuck, bugger, commiserations and sympathy.

I know how you feal.......they took my Disco couple weeks ago. I extend the curse I used for mine to yours...bastards!!!!

Crime's going down - the government told us!

Yes, this is obviously an example of media panic, backed by the forces of conservatism. The Landy hasn't been stolen at all, as car theft is now non-existent, along with burglary and mugging. I suspect the OP will by now be having his emails intercepted, looking for more evidence of vicious anti-state propaganda.

Seriously, much commiseration, and I hope you get it back.

If you have a photo you can post showing anything out of the ordinary you have the subscribers of AFL on the lookout for you motor . Derek (Timperley, Cheshire and across the NWest )

Hmm, I think you've obviously missed the very fine distinction between "crime isn't actually rising" (according to the police and other organisations, not the government) and "crime is zero, we're in utopia".

Easy mistake to make...

Those blasted Illuminati again!

Indeed, although shame you can't resist trying to make stupid political points off it.

Modern Economics mate -Derv/petrol increased by 38% , Council tax 4.5 % Gas an leccy by 40% (and more in some cases) food +10-25% = inflation 3.8% Derek

Sure but fuel, power and food are the three things that no government can really control rises in, hence the protests about the prices of such things all over the place, including some quite nasty violent ones in Spain over fuel prices. We're not even the most expensive by quite a long stretch, and we're also quite far behind commonly mooted utopias like Australia on things like crime, oz is the most burglarised nation in the civilised world for example. The way the usual suspects whine on given the slightest toe-hold, even the theft of someone's landy, you'd think we're in the 7th circle of hell and it's all the fault of whoever happens to be in power right now. It's just a handy catch-all scapegoat to trot out and beat for all its worth at every chance. Bad weather on mars? Nearest star system too far away for you? Whine on about MPs!

Is it possible to get a point across without the accompanying abuse I wonder?

the day politicians stop massaging figures to prove their flawed point of view I will say they have no control over fuel prices remember 63% goes straight to the exchequer. Remember I was brought up in an era when gas and electricity carried no tax as they were deemed to be essential to life and the clever idea of a fuel tax escalator would have got them sacked in a heartbeat - pulling nebulous figures from the ether to justify a tax will not wash any longer . If I am cynical it is because I am sick of being lied to by trough swilling backstuds who are skimming off my taxes.BTW dont get me started on that tw4t and his big Manc CON charge ideas.

Derek How to tell if a politician is lying to you during an interview (it is fool proof ), look very carefully into the politicians face making note of facial movements - ok so far? now the good bit if you detect his lips are moving then he is telling lies

Self interest is the entire purpose of government. If a gov't doesn't address the cost of commodities it's either becasue ... # they don't want to # they're ineffective

Can't really blame the individuals - they're simply playing with the toys we gave them. One of the problems with a democracy is that you get the gov't you deserve.

Fuck no.

Addressing the cost of commodities doesn't necessarily mean reducing them though.

Just imagine the pickle we'd be in if we were able to vote in intricate matters of policy!

Truth is, all over, people know f*ck all about most things, most of us in this group have some speciality of some kind, and we're painfully aware of how ignorant about that subject those outside of it are, and what a mess our own industry would be in if those outside of it had control over it. Everyone however seems to be able to run a country.

which is the 1st option above.

Imagine the reduction in costs if gov't didn't concern itself with 'intricate' matters.

Yeah - and everyone is an IT expert / Racing Driver / Doctor / etc. too - just because most folk aren't the experts they may think they are doesn't mean they're not entitled to ask questions and have opinions.

No fuel duty is a fixed amount per litre not a percentage of the pump price. IIRC the exchequer currently gets 50.35p/l plus VAT on the duty + oil price. The vast majority of the recent pump price rises is down to the world price of crude oil, over which the government has no control.

The government has control of the amount of duty but when you look at the figures fuel duty accounts for something in the order of 25% of the treasuries income, they can't do much to it without having serious implications on the nations budget.

On or around Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:04:27 +0100, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

Nige? Is that you?

On or around Sun, 3 Aug 2008 22:21:50 +0100, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

DERV in the UK is either the most, or second-most, expensive in Europe, though. And petrol is among the highest.

The comment though was that the official inflation figure is meaningless, and I agree. Unfortunately, it's used by people to decide things like wage and price levels - so for example, the council have frozen the price on my school contract for a year (from May, when I requested an increase) because the requested increase is above the RPI. The fact that the reason for the increase was over 30% on the price of DERV since the contract was initially priced up is neither here nor there.

On or around Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:23:16 +0100, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

Ahem.

Brown kept it until he'd raised duty thereby to as high as he thought he could get away with at the time, and THEN scrapped it. It didn't go in

Not at all, not wanting to address the cost of a commodity isn't the same as addressing the cost of it by raising it when required. It's certainly not to the benefit of any nation to continually try to reduce the cost of everything, sometimes they have to go up, and sometimes there's just no choice.

Imagine the advantages people would pull by exploiting the lack of control over those intricate matters, which is why the government is involved in such areas, and is one of their most important roles, regulating the country to prevent chronic abuse of things like staff, child labour, pensions and pensioners, food safety, safety at work and so on. Not doing a perfect job doesn't mean they're not doing an important job.

Certainly not and I never suggested that should be the case, but unfortunately inexpert opinions shouted loudly enough can make a difference, and that's a shame. Manipulation of inexpert opinions by politicians and most often by the newspapers is even worse, which is why I don't read the papers much these days, I know how they lie about things I do know about, and I don't want my ignorance of the health service, european policies, foreign policies and so on, exploited by the newspaper editors for their owners' gain. That after all is what the papers are about (those of them that have owners at least).