If Britain was Greece
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Lost_BMW

Original Poster:

12,955 posts

207 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
One for the lefties who deny the need to cut the deficit before the σκατά really hits the fan...

"PM" on Radio 4 has just replayed an eye opening comparison between us and the Greeks. Apparently done in February, which I missed - and even worse now - it's frightening! Covers stuff like unemployment rates, salaries, benefits, pensions, cost of living including petrol etc. and says what the levels/figures would be if we were in the same position.

Well worth catching on their website (approx. 23 mins in) for anyone who missed it.

martin84

5,366 posts

184 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
If Britain was Greece then Greece would be Britain and Nick Clegg would be their fking problem.

CDP

8,062 posts

285 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
If Britain (or Germany or the USA) were Greece we'd be eyeing up some country to invade and plunder.

The Greeks realistically don't have that option. Macedonia perhaps?

Mermaid

21,492 posts

202 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
CDP said:
If Britain (or Germany or the USA) were Greece we'd be eyeing up some country to invade and plunder.
"We" did well - Iraq, Libya and Iran on the agenda. wink

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

235 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
Most of the huge scary cuts sounded quite sensible to me

100,000 public sector workers fired immediately

Where can i vote for this?

12gauge

1,274 posts

205 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
IF we were greece? IF?

We have similar deficits. FAR higher debts when all private and public are considered.

Our youth unemployment is similar once you strip out all the people we shove off to uni to do non-degrees, and the fact our kids now have to stay on till 18.

Inflation is higher in the UK than any other G7 nation.


The one difference here is enough morons in charge of pension funds and banks actually believe Camerons plan can work. When they finally realize thats BS, and the pound is actually toast, not just a bit toast, Greece will look pleasant compared to here.

Just look at last summers riots. Over a non-issue. Some pond life thug getting what was coming to him. When peoples benefits checks suddenly buy nothing because the currency has been inflated away, then the fun starts.

Lost_BMW

Original Poster:

12,955 posts

207 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
12gauge said:
IF we were greece? IF?

We have similar deficits. FAR higher debts when all private and public are considered.

Our youth unemployment is similar once you strip out all the people we shove off to uni to do non-degrees, and the fact our kids now have to stay on till 18.

Inflation is higher in the UK than any other G7 nation.


The one difference here is enough morons in charge of pension funds and banks actually believe Camerons plan can work. When they finally realize thats BS, and the pound is actually toast, not just a bit toast, Greece will look pleasant compared to here.

Just look at last summers riots. Over a non-issue. Some pond life thug getting what was coming to him. When peoples benefits checks suddenly buy nothing because the currency has been inflated away, then the fun starts.
Is your back up plan revealed in your user name perchance?

Riff Raff

5,462 posts

226 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
Lost_BMW said:
12gauge said:
IF we were greece? IF?

We have similar deficits. FAR higher debts when all private and public are considered.

Our youth unemployment is similar once you strip out all the people we shove off to uni to do non-degrees, and the fact our kids now have to stay on till 18.

Inflation is higher in the UK than any other G7 nation.


The one difference here is enough morons in charge of pension funds and banks actually believe Camerons plan can work. When they finally realize thats BS, and the pound is actually toast, not just a bit toast, Greece will look pleasant compared to here.

Just look at last summers riots. Over a non-issue. Some pond life thug getting what was coming to him. When peoples benefits checks suddenly buy nothing because the currency has been inflated away, then the fun starts.
Is your back up plan revealed in your user name perchance?
If it is, he's had a misfire......

CDP

8,062 posts

285 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
12gauge said:
Inflation is higher in the UK than any other G7 nation.
This is because the UK has taken up the option of printing money. Something Greece can not do. Yet.

Not ideal by any means but at the moment nothing is.

_Al_

5,618 posts

289 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
12gauge said:
IF we were greece? IF?

We have similar deficits. FAR higher debts when all private and public are considered.
One issue everyone forgets. Unlike Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece, the UK has a massive stock of debt but is set apart because it also has a massive stock of valuable assets.

The media take great pleasure reporting one but not the other. That's most of the reasons we kept our AAA while France lost theirs.

CDP

8,062 posts

285 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
_Al_ said:
One issue everyone forgets. Unlike Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece, the UK has a massive stock of debt but is set apart because it also has a massive stock of valuable assets.

The media take great pleasure reporting one but not the other. That's most of the reasons we kept our AAA while France lost theirs.
The other difference is compared with most European countries we have an advanced private pension system. It's not perfect but many of them have nothing like it. Over the next few years this will make a difference.

anonymous-user

85 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
_Al_ said:
One issue everyone forgets. Unlike Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece, the UK has a massive stock of debt but is set apart because it also has a massive stock of valuable assets.

The media take great pleasure reporting one but not the other. That's most of the reasons we kept our AAA while France lost theirs.
What would these assets be, for example?

Lost_BMW

Original Poster:

12,955 posts

207 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
CDP said:
_Al_ said:
One issue everyone forgets. Unlike Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece, the UK has a massive stock of debt but is set apart because it also has a massive stock of valuable assets.

The media take great pleasure reporting one but not the other. That's most of the reasons we kept our AAA while France lost theirs.
The other difference is compared with most European countries we have an advanced private pension system. It's not perfect but many of them have nothing like it. Over the next few years this will make a difference.
As with:





Though there do seem to be a couple of surprises/contradictions in the 'story' given?

Lost soul

8,712 posts

213 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Most of the huge scary cuts sounded quite sensible to me

100,000 public sector workers fired immediately

Where can i vote for this?
150,000 is the number on C4 news tonight

anonymous-user

85 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
Saw that show when it was originally aired, sensationalist rubish. The tone was similar to what you get in the daily mail.

There were plenty of "facts" which reminded me of the story about greek porshe owners
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17702226

eharding

14,648 posts

315 months

Tuesday 8th May 2012
quotequote all
acer12 said:
Saw that show when it was originally aired, sensationalist rubish. The tone was similar to what you get in the daily mail.

There were plenty of "facts" which reminded me of the story about greek porshe owners
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17702226
Saw which show?

anonymous-user

85 months

Wednesday 9th May 2012
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
uk households net worth.

uk household debt is about 1.7tr, physical assets 3.9tr, financial assets 4.7tr, net worth 6.9tr, or
265k per household on average.

even if you think the housing mkt is 50% over valued and strip out the npv of public sector pensions from financial assets, uk households are still net worth 3 times the national debt. a massive chunk of those financial assets are held directly or indirectly in the FTSE, which in turn has enormous foreign earnings and assets...

Guybrush

4,364 posts

237 months

Wednesday 9th May 2012
quotequote all
If Labour had their way, we would carry on sliding towards a Greece-style collapse.