Wednesday 5th April 2023

[refitman]

Morning all.

[tinyclanger2]

Morning

[tinyclanger2]

The sun is shining and later today we will be discussing Austria's Eurovision entry.
In Clangerworld at least things are looking up.

[tinyclanger2]

In Covidworld, on the other hand it does seem an unusual decision to stop monitoring the thing. I keep thinking about shingles (the potentially devasting reappearance of the chicken pox virus in later life) and the fact that we know nothing about this virus in the long term. Still at least the UK is doing another round of boosters for the over 85s. Tory equivalents in Europe aren't even bothering with that.

[gilsey]

In Covidworld, on the other hand it does seem an unusual decision to stop monitoring the thing.

They're totally incapable of dealing with it, so head firmly in the sand is the way forward.

[gilsey]

Was austerity worth it?

Prospect article in which Ann Pettifor fights the good fight on austerity after 2010 against Nick Macpherson, he of the Lawson guff
'One of the great Chancellors of the 20th century. His microeconomic reforms particularly on tax were both daring and substantial, and have stood the test of time. His intellectual energy and openness to debate was inspirational in the Treasury of the 1980s.'

He can also do understatement

It’s fair to say that, at that time, the less well-off in society perhaps bore a greater burden than was desirable. There was definitely a case for the better-off taking more strain.

and

I also wonder whether cutting the benefits of the poor is terribly good economics, because the poor tend to have a higher propensity to consume, so their money is put to good economic use.

Pettifor:

Investors want what you and I want: a prosperous economy, not what we have had since 2010, which is an economy that is gradually sinking into the mud, with virtually no growth, with cuts to real incomes, and with a worryingly unskilled workforce.

Economists blame productivity, but it seems to me that productivity is a fig leaf. The fact is that we have low levels of productivity because we have low levels of investment. The government has to invest to encourage and support the private sector. In the event of the private sector losing confidence in the way it did in 2008, that’s when governments have to step in. And austerity was about saying, “No, governments should consolidate the crisis by cutting even further.”

[gilsey]

Macpherson:

what drives growth is not the size of the public deficit. It can have some impact in the short run, and I agree with Ann that, if you’re in a slump, there’s a case for using fiscal policy to support activity. But we are not in a slump. When we next have a general election, my guess is that we will be in circumstances broadly similar to those now. So whoever wins that election will need to have quite an honest conversation about how to pay for their spending pledges.

So there it is. Starmer can't support the economy with higher public expenditure after the next election because that would only be justified in a recession and we're not in recession. Really.



Macpherson is actually much better at articulating Reeves' policy than she is.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Oh dear, looks like the entire Scot Nat edifice might just be about to come crashing down.

How sad, never mind.

[refitman]

[tinyclanger2]

Meanwhile in Austria.

Many may like Austria's "Who the Hell is Edgar" simply because it doesn't involve writhing, pouting or the modern equivalent of "whining about ducks flying off to Russia" (Withnail and I 1987). Teya & Salena are vaguely reminiscent of a modern-day French and Saunders, treating us to a selection of frumpy blouses and fake moustaches - though never wearing both at the same time. This time the theme is overtly literary, the Edgar of the title being a reference to one Mr Poe, whose ghost has taken up occupancy in either Teya or Salena. While the consequent unleashing of literary genius sees both of our protagonists arrested, they are soon freed through the magic of lipstick and manage to conserve sufficient energy for a quick remake of Thelma and Louise.

Clanger rating:
Was it fun? Somewhat somehow
Was it dancey? In a mindless techno kind of a way
What would Terry have said about it? Quite possibly not much one way or another

[frog222]

Post-truth world USA

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3VZtyN5GQM

[tinyclanger2]

[AnatolyKasparov]

That could apply to a few things at the minute.

[tinyclanger2]

the other side of covid

[refitman]

[refitman]

Trans people should just trust Labour, eh?

[refitman]

Greens with a good statement (thread)

[AnatolyKasparov]

That headline is Times spin, mind.

(you do know they are the TERFiest paper around, right?)

All the party *actually* said was they welcomed a review if it brought clarity, and they would consider any actual proposals from it in due course.

[refitman]

That headline is Times spin, mind.

(you do know they are the TERFiest paper around, right?)

All the party *actually* said was they welcomed a review if it brought clarity, and they would consider any actual proposals from it in due course.

Well, the intended 'review' is to remove rights from trans people. That's the only thing that has been mentioned. Why would you use the term 'welcome' when that's all that is being talked about?

The guidelines at the moment are perfectly clear.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Well if that is what the "review" actually proposes, I am sure *all* the non-Tory parties will respond appropriately.

But let's not forget - not everybody in the Tory party agrees with all out war on trans people. Even for cynical culture war purposes, it is arguably better to stick with vague vibes based stuff rather than concrete proposals that might cause genuine resistance and problems in their own ranks.

[refitman]

It's good to see not all MPs are as cowardly as the party leader