Fuel Prices - again

Originally Posted by philipMac

And what is the actual problem again?

Nothing mate, see first sentence in the OP. I have stated that I am accepting it now. Just waned to see what others think.

Originally Posted by northwind

...stuff...

2) To drop fuel prices to 90p by cutting tax would cost approximately 10 billion pounds, which would have to come from somewhere. 1/8th of the total school budget, 1/10th of the NHS. Will it be your local school that closes to provide you with cheaper petrol?

No. We can start by cutting off overseas aid that is unnecessary and exceptionally generous. Like the £850m announced recently to train teachers in india. Oh of course, we shouldn't actually do this, it's some sort of compensation for colonialism and making the place civilised. And the £50m to help the odious Chinese (bunch of commies with zero respect for human rights, democracy, and other freedoms we take for granted) to develop clean burn fuel technology. Like they really need it. It'll end up being spent on researching more innovative means of repression.

And the millions we give to the equally odious Sudanese, who encourage ethnic cleansing and genocide in Darfur and lock up British teachers in the name of Allah.

There are many other examples. You just look at the website for the Department for International Development, it tells a lot about the gun runners and other blood-sucking parasites we bankroll.

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/statistics.asp

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by Ed

No. We can start by cutting off overseas aid that is unnecessary and exceptionally generous. Like the £850m announced recently to train teachers in india. Oh of course, we shouldn't actually do this, it's some sort of compensation for colonialism and making the place civilised. And the £50m to help the odious Chinese (bunch of commies with zero respect for human rights, democracy, and other freedoms we take for granted) to develop clean burn fuel technology. Like they really need it. It'll end up being spent on researching more innovative means of repression.

And the millions we give to the equally odious Sudanese, who encourage ethnic cleansing and genocide in Darfur and lock up British teachers in the name of Allah.

There are many other examples. You just look at the website for the Department for International Development, it tells a lot about the gun runners and other blood-sucking parasites we bankroll.

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/statistics.asp

oooo such a contraversial post, I feel like i should be inclined to agree, but shouldn't. Charity begins at home as they say

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

Charity begins at home as they say

Too right. Consider your own household budget. Do you spend money on overseas scroungers that should really be spent on your son? No of course you don't. You provide for your son first, and if there's anything left over then you'd save it for a rainy day or if you were feelinggenerous you might give some to a favourite charity.

So why don't we follow this model as a country? Why do we give away what is far better spent at home? This is just one example of misplaced spend priorities.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Ed

Why do we give away what is far better spent at home?

Marshall Plan.

If you take Sudan as an example, the total aid we send amounts to (very approximately) .2p per litre of petrol. It keeps 2 million people alive. It also helps stabilise the region, reduce corruption, and prevent the refugee situation from snowballing further.

Sudan's not a good one for you to bring up, Ed. Why were the sudanese at war? Why did the sudanese government displace those people into the camps? Foreign oil investment.

Originally Posted by northwind

Marshall Plan.

If you take Sudan as an example, the total aid we send amounts to (very approximately) .2p per litre of petrol. It keeps 2 million people alive. It also helps stabilise the region, reduce corruption, and prevent the refugee situation from snowballing further.

Sudan's not a good one for you to bring up, Ed. Why were the sudanese at war? Why did the sudanese government displace those people into the camps? Foreign oil investment.

I agree with Ed, we should scrap all foreign aid to anyone, charity starts at home.

I for one would rather see 2p a L off my fuel than 2m Sudanese alive who I don’t give a sh*t about!!
Lets face it their government wont use it for the peoples benefit.

It f**ks me off the government is happy to shaft its own people just to look good on the world stage!!

Personally I think we need to tax forgen truckers who come on to our roads, with there dodgey HGV's, bald tyres and overloaded cargo's rippin up our roads.

Originally Posted by northwind

Marshall Plan.

If you take Sudan as an example, the total aid we send amounts to (very approximately) .2p per litre of petrol. It keeps 2 million people alive. It also helps stabilise the region, reduce corruption, and prevent the refugee situation from snowballing further.

Sudan's not a good one for you to bring up, Ed. Why were the sudanese at war? Why did the sudanese government displace those people into the camps? Foreign oil investment.

Completely disagree with you. Why do we fund corrupt failed states that appear to fund terrorism? And look at the money we give to DR Congo. And all the other snouts in the trough - just look at the list.

I filled my car last evening. £70 for a tank of diesel. I too am making economies. I turned off the aircon

Its unfortunate that what happens on the other side of the world can have such a massive effect on our day to day lives here in the uk.

We have had it good for a long time here and frankly we like it that way but to ignore problems overseas will only sew the seeds for bigger problems in the long run, look at Nev Chamberlin in the early 30s declaring peace in our times. The goverments learned not to stand by and let things slide in other countrys cos they know it can spill over into others long term.

Its unfortunate we all pick up the bill in the long run.

Ps. the "stupid war" you refer too has so far cost 100+ uk servicemens lives and they deserve all our respect for doing a job many of us simply couldn't.

You also have to consider where this 'foreign aid goes'. It's acknowledged up to 80% is likely to get 'lost' in the process; most of which ends up funding government regimes which force terror and don't support the poor.

If we want to save these poor countries we need to open up free trade, and abolish the subsidies to EU farmers. Make a fair playing field rather than keeping them in poverty.

As for saving money, how about saving some of the £100 billion spent by unelected government quangos. [ source ] And whilst you're saying we would have to account for this £10 billion, the government are £10 billion up a year as a result of the price hike.