Joensuu

We are not desperate to buy, but are on the look out for bargains. Getting players of quality to drop to league one isn't easy (unless we pay over the odds, which I can't see Cortese doing). As such the chances we will buy anyone in this window have always been slim. As such, bringing in loans is definately a more sensible strategy for the club.

Aww, bless you trousers. You must realise neither the left nor right have a monopoly on being sweepingly judgemental. As an economic centralist I reserve my right to belittle all journalism of the economic extremes, whether the Heil of the SW. Anyhow, returning to the matter in hand. I'm suspicious of journalists, many seen to just make things up. There is an order of accuracy in papers, with the FT and Indy at the top, and the gutter rags at the bottom. The source of publication (and a little common sense) suggests to me that this story is unlikely to be true.

Calm down Alps, we definately won't sell AOC for £5m. I agree with Duncan, the Daily Heil is a tragically inaccurate, sensationalist rag, which seems to be the sole preserve of women in shoulder-padded suit jackets who wonder why they were never promoted out of the lowest tier of management.

No soapbox here... just questions. So if the Home Office is picking up the costs, how are they planning to create a 'real' market? Or is the plan to fake a market - which has proved everso successful with the train operators I'm sure you'll agree.

Feel free!

Yeah, you're right. I was assuming that people wouldn't want hundreds of new boxes from multiple companies appearing on high streets competing for space with our red ones.

Can a real market be created? Definately delivery could function as a real market, but i'm less convinced that collection could work effectively as a market? Would different companies issue different post boxes? If not is collection centralised? How do you ensure that less profitable deliveries are accepted? Regulation? Certainly closer to being a real candidate for privatisation than search and rescue, but I'm still unconvinced that collection can really work as a market.

JB -Looks like we agree...

Who does the paying? The government? The rescued person? An insurance company? Surely to make this turn a profit each rescue would need to be charged in the thousands of pounds. What happens if you can't afford to pay?

Red Dreams: "so how are Southampton these days?" Randall Flagg: "Pretty much the same as they were when we played them 2 seasons ago"

Shhh, they don't like it when you point out their straw dummies...

Where's the competition? Privatisation is great where there is a genuine market. Where a market has to be 'created', it's never worked out to be successful. Are multiple search and rescue operators going to cover the same streach of coast and race each other to the customers? And when the customers are reached, who will foot the bill? "Yer not being rescued untill you show proof of funds or a valid insurance policy"

So long as it is funded by the private sector (more cost effective), and regulated by the state(safe to consume). You are indeed close to the centre of an American political compass. In English terms that leaves you out in the cold with Dune. Still, I'd share a pint with any Saints fan, although wouldn't really want to spend too much time with the nutters like SISA or Stanley.

What about all of us rational economic centralists? Or is this an exclusive club of the extremes?

Is it close to your colon?

I think you've been proven right, suprised it took 50 minutes though...

Whoooah there angel. Let's knock this one on the head. This has nothing to do with wage jealousy, its all to do with what sort of country we want to live in. The 90% least well off don't earn enough money to pay for 90% of the public services of the country. Reduce the tax paid by the richest 10% and the overall quality of our country would be reduced: higher crime rates, more obvious social depravation, significantly impoverished education and health care etc. Would the richest 10% really want to continue living in a country like that? If they do, they are more than welcome to hop on the first flight to the US of A. Question is, what sort of country do you want to live in? One where the richest help foot the medical bills of pensioners? Or one where the poorest are left to fend for themselves? Sure there is a legitimate argument that money is squandered by the public sector (something I've seen plenty of examples of first hand). There is also a legitimate argument about what degree of social support discourages work. Wage jealousy, however, doesn't factor into the thought process. It's a cheap shot, that is regularly recited by those on the right when they find their argument untenable.

Good point. Perhaps bonuses should be capped at say 8% of salary up to a maximum of say £10k?

Not being a socialist I guess I'm not well placed to question you, but, why is this inconvenient? Also, wonder what % of tax the top 1% of earners manage to avoid paying?

Here here! In fact I think that the fact anyone pays tax is a travisty. Of course by 'anyone' I exclude all those workshy types who earn less than £50k, plebs, they should be taxed more heavily for their lazy antics. Of course the plebs won't like it, but someone has to pay to keep the crime rate down, and the roads in good condition so that us banker-class can safely drive back to our estates in our sports cars. So long as we don't mention that bail out nonsense, you know when us lot needed the proles to cough up to balance the books eh, less said about that unfortunate incident the better. Now where did I leave my medication?

Good read... small point "the manager is rotating the back four and the centre of midfield without effecting results." 'affecting' surely?

Did this die in November then? At least it didn't seem to crash completely like the rest of the forum...

+1 Nothing worse than electric doors which jam to slow down boarding. And computerised voices repeating station names to annoy all the travellers. Bring back affordability.

Are you merrington in disguise?

Why would a Tory lower himself to using public transport, surely that's the domain of the proles?