Starmer's vision quest

[CXRAndy]

Guardian seems more interested in the invasive species of ring necked parakeet.

I wonder if we could apply this to other invasive species

 

[Pross]

It’s interesting how people will accept the views and opinions of a proven liar if it aligns with their own views and opinions.

 

[briantrumpet]

As I've opined about Trump, if your aim is to smash 'the system', it really doesn't matter if you're competent (or truthful) or not. Breaking things is easy; having a plan to make things work better and putting that plan into action is hard.

Musk went and broke pretty much everything he DOGEd, so nothing worked, and now they are having to rebuild, but having lost all the institutional memory and skills. Money saved? Virtually none. It was all just a smokescreen for breaking as much as possible as quickly as possible before walking away, knowing that the already-rich would manage to profit from the ensuing chaos.

Did I mention Chesterton's Fence before? Yes, I believe I did. It's a very useful thing to keep in mind when people don't understand why a fence is there, and so think you can remove it without consequence.

 

[the snail]

...

How can we possibly know if “our” subsidized Agriculture Industry is more or less efficient than an alternative model, if, as you say, the massive input from Government (ie us) skews or indeed controls the market.
...

We sort of did that experiment over the last century. Subsidised regulated farming was a result of WW2.Prior to that farming was subject to boom/bust which makes it difficult to plan and invest. The government regulation of agriculture during the war seen as a success,and I think most western countries adopted a similar approach post WW2. The subsidy schemes were arguably a victim of their own success.

 

[briantrumpet]

We sort of did that experiment over the last century. Subsidised regulated farming was a result of WW2.Prior to that farming was subject to boom/bust which makes it difficult to plan and invest. The government regulation of agriculture during the war seen as a success,and I think most western countries adopted a similar approach post WW2. The subsidy schemes were arguably a victim of their own success.

The Milk Marketing Board was an awful invention in many ways, as it had a complete monopoly over buying milk from farmers and selling it on to processors. Dairy farmers had to account for every litre produced... even for their own consumption and milk they sold at the farm gate, with a system whereby they nominally sold it to the MMB, and the MMB sold it back at the same price. It was a toal anathema to any idea of a free market.

But...

It kinda worked, with none of the big processors able to extort the MMB and farmers, there were some pretty good systems to ensure reliable year-round supply (they had pricing structures that encouraged farmers not to all calve their cows in the spring, which is the natural time, to coincide with spring grass growth) that benefited the processors.

I can see why it had to go, but the system that replaced it hasn't delivered anything much better, as far as I can make out, and the primary producers – the farmers – actually now receive a much lower share of the milk price. With lead times being so long in changing production patterns (measured in years), a very volatile market makes it really hard to plan investment to improve efficiency.

 

[BoldonLad]

We sort of did that experiment over the last century. Subsidised regulated farming was a result of WW2.Prior to that farming was subject to boom/bust which makes it difficult to plan and invest. The government regulation of agriculture during the war seen as a success,and I think most western countries adopted a similar approach post WW2. The subsidy schemes were arguably a victim of their own success.

There may of course be more than two alternative models, or, even three if we include former USSR Collective, plus of course, there is the possibility of hybrid models.

As I have already said, one of the problems with subsidies is, they are very easy (and popular) to give out, not so easy (or popular) to reduce or withdraw.

 

[TailWindHome]

A second disgruntled former advisor has blamed the civil service

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...ing-joke-says-ex-starmer-adviser-paul-ovenden

I don't believe for a second the claim that government ground to a halt over Magandy's Eygyptian friend. Sounds like somethimg retrofit to the week's headline.

 

[TailWindHome]

Starmer should explain what he means by 'pull a lever'. It sounds like bollocks.

If I was PM I'd pull the stop the boats lever and the grow the economy by 3% lever first and then the make me popular lever

 

[C R]

Starmer should explain what he means by 'pull a lever'. It sounds like bollocks.

If I was PM I'd pull the stop the boats lever and the grow the economy by 3% lever first and then the make me popular lever

View attachment 11938

FFS, is Cummings writing his speeches?

 

[CXRAndy]

Starmer acknowledges he was kept in the dark- thank god, he would've snitched

 

[Shortfall]

Starmer should explain what he means by 'pull a lever'. It sounds like bollocks.

If I was PM I'd pull the stop the boats lever and the grow the economy by 3% lever first and then the make me popular lever

View attachment 11938

I am happy to concede the point that Starmer and Dominic Cummings are both proven liars, but then again the same could be said of almost every single politician. Even if you don't want to believe them, the evidence that the government and institutions don't work is their for all to see.

 

[TailWindHome]

I am happy to concede the point that Starmer and Dominic Cummings are both proven liars, but then again the same could be said of almost every single politician. Even if you don't want to believe them the evidence that the government and institutions don't work is their for all to see.

"He says that nothing happens when he 'pulls the levers'. Does he blame himself or the levers?"

 

[C R]

"He says that nothing happens when he 'pulls the levers'. Does he blame himself or the levers?"

A bad workman always blames his tools.

 

[Shortfall]

"He says that nothing happens when he 'pulls the levers'. Does he blame himself or the levers?"

He's agreeing with Cummings point that our system of government, our institutions, and the procurement process are no longer fit for purpose. It's bureaucratic, cumbersome, expensive and delivers dogsh1t like HS2 that is over budget and incomplete , Ajax Armoured vehicles that are over budget and are built so badly that the resulting vibration causes the soldiers inside to vomit, and the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft carrier that was over budget, unreliable and doesn't have enough jets to put on it. I could go on.......

 

[Pblakeney]

I suppose we could try DOGE. What could possibly go wrong?