ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by mush_dad

pro bono.

How can you say that? The guy's a twat, especially with those bloody stupid sun glasses he wears. I am very much anti Bono.

A friend of mine works in a call centre that takes calls from people who are having "severe financial difficulties". He says that there are some very deserving and sad cases (almost all single people living in rented accom), often with horrendous illness issues, BUT the vast majority of those who are rude to him (because he can't refund all their bank charges from the year dot) have benefits higher than his earned income, and the vast majority of those have council accom and children. I just texted him for an example, and he said the last one had a tax-free benefit income of £1639 per month (more than he earns), living at home, complained she was in diffs because she had been paying out for her holiday and holiday clothes the month before (£800), and had £268 per month free income. Texted him back for the worst case he had ever seen; a married woman on £70k per year MATERNITY PAY who felt that he should stop her interest completely, on £12k of credit card debt because she was "only paying the minimum payments" and it wasn't bringing the debt down.

Gordon F'ing Brown was responsible for doling out "Child Tax Credits" to reduce "child poverty" (when you read those words, you can hear the c*** saying it, can't you) and my mate says the average child tax credits of people who say they're in dire straits is around £120 PER WEEK on top of no council tax (council tax benefit) and no rent (housing benefit) and all their other benefits.

I'd turn them into Soylent Green, but judging by the condition of some of these dregs, we wouldn't want to eat the final product. Could always ship it out to that bloke who breeds Piranhas for aquarists in Singapore, I suppose.

Originally Posted by mush_dad

Fixed, pro bono.

much as i enjoy a good, Kyle-esque chav-bait, the hipster has a point - there are communities in this country where kids are born whose future can be written because of where they live, the nature of their 'parents', and the influences upon them.

thats not the kids fault, and in-time they become 'parents' because they believe that nothing else exists for them, and the whole sorry story starts another chapter.

i have been to schools where less than 5% of the kids will do any kind of degree level learning, where less than 15% have any experience have any experience of having a parent go to work - indeed more have experience of a parent going to prison than of going to work.

it is not the poverty/whatever that is the problem, it is the way that such a community becomes cut-off from the better things around it, and provides not just no inspiration to their kids, but almost an attitude that to do well in life would prove the crap-ness of their 'parents' who did fuck all.

It appears that the whole thing was a set-up by one of Gordon Brown's old spin-doctors, now working as CEO of "Save the Children":
Guy Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours and conspiracy

"The usual suspects on the left and their cheerleaders on the Labour benches are gleefully celebrating this PR stunt from Save the Children this morning:

“The international aid charity Save the Children – best known for its work with starving youngsters in Africa – has launched its first domestic fundraising appeal, asking the public to dip into their pockets to help UK families plunged into poverty by cuts and the recession.”

Cue mock outrage and hand-wringing about how this is the 21st Century and what a damning indictment of the government it is. There’s no denying it’s a good yarn, but it unravels pretty quickly.

So who is publicly facing this campaign on the airwaves? Step forward Justin Forsyth, recently appointed CEO of the charity and a former spin-doctor for Gordon Brown in Downing Street. Forsyth replaced Damian McBride as the Prime Mentalist’s Chief Spokesman in October 2008 in the wake of Peroni-gate. Remember that other voice on the infamous Bigot-gate tape? That was Justin trying to calm Brown down."

Originally Posted by cokecan

i have been to schools where less than 5% of the kids will do any kind of degree level learning

So has everybody on this site who is older than 40.

Breaking news!!!

It's just been revealed that the new CEO of Save the Children is Justin Forsyth. Before the last election, Justin was Gordon Brown's personal spin doctor, working in No 10 with special responsibility for global warming. Seems he's still batting for the old team.

BBC are frantically back pedalling as I type this.


Edited to add .....

Damn you OldSnowy and your powerful, anti-alzheimers medication.

Originally Posted by Chodmeister

Sat watching BBC morning news whilst having breakfast when they do a report on Save the Children's Report on child poverty. The poor woman interviewed, a single mother as usual, whittering on about rising costs of food, clothes etc. She then makes the statement "I myself have missed many meals to ensure my child has something to eat."

Would have been a fair comment if she hadn't looked like she ate all the pies and weighed 14 or 15 stone. Didn't look a genuine poverty case so why, if it's a real concern, can't the BBC find under privileged people who look the part? Just asking.

Why did she have the sprog if she can't afford to support it?

Perfect example of the shocking state of affairs in the UK....

Legions of welfare class who think they are entitled to everything they want and expect the working class to break their backs to generate the tax returns to pay for that lifestyle!!!

Originally Posted by cokecan

much as i enjoy a good, Kyle-esque chav-bait, the hipster has a point - there are communities in this country where kids are born whose future can be written because of where they live, the nature of their 'parents', and the influences upon them.

thats not the kids fault, and in-time they become 'parents' because they believe that nothing else exists for them, and the whole sorry story starts another chapter.

i have been to schools where less than 5% of the kids will do any kind of degree level learning, where less than 15% have any experience have any experience of having a parent go to work - indeed more have experience of a parent going to prison than of going to work.

it is not the poverty/whatever that is the problem, it is the way that such a community becomes cut-off from the better things around it, and provides not just no inspiration to their kids, but almost an attitude that to do well in life would prove the crap-ness of their 'parents' who did fuck all.

You could be writing about my extended family and myself. I agree with the gist of your argument but suggest the biggest influence over where you are born and influences, is your parents.

I came from the backstreets of Bootle, as did my parents before me. Trust me the influences to fail are still there today. The difference is that my parents gave the values and skills to overcome the place and move on and up. The rest of my extended family are still there today, claiming JSA, methadone addicts, or serving at Her Majesty's Pleasure. My parents are still seen by the 'family' as letting the side down, abandoning their roots, betraying their class!

It's not that a community becomes cut-off from the better things around it, it's the way that anyone within the community who trys to escape is villified and bullied. Whether it's my mother who wanted to teach her kids to count and read before school, a kid who wants to learn and not join in the mindless thuggery of the playground, a parent who actually backs the school when their little 'solja' is detained or punished, anyone who professes any desire to achieve better than their parents, any parent who wants their child to do better than they did, anyone who trys different things, watches different films, eats different food, or actually admits to reading a book.

Sort out the entrenched "we're all in this together/united we stand" bullshit of the chav classes, and you'll find that many people will find the means to escape the poverty trap themselves with minimal state intervention.

Originally Posted by whitecity

Why did she have the sprog if she can't afford to support it?

Perfect example of the shocking state of affairs in the UK....

Legions of welfare class who think they are entitled to everything they want and expect the working class to break their backs to generate the tax returns to pay for that lifestyle!!!

The other questions that weren't posed, "Where is the father and why isn't he contributing?" There may well have been a perfectly acceptable reason he wasn't on the scene but it would have been nice to know.