Dispatches

Comments

1. I can understand Labour supporters being upset but, even if Sam Johnson's lengthy contribution had been reasoned, he spoilt it by describing David Cameron as "ignorant". As regards Maggie and Ronald Reagon, he should be reminded that New Labour have now been in power for more than 12 years to sort things out.

   Posted by Bill on 09/06/2009 09:18:58

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2. The thing which annoys me most about the crisis is when they say 'no-one saw it coming'. A lot of people warned about the hugely inflated housing market and the colossal amount of debt UK consumers were racking up, for several years, so plenty of people saw it coming.

   Posted by simon on 08/06/2009 22:03:30

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3. Good Chancellor? Am I the only person to fail to understand this oft-repeated assumption? A very lucky one, yes, until the luck ran out. And to go on record as having abolished boom and bust says everything!

   Posted by Bill on 08/06/2009 21:48:47

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4. Thatcher and Reagan should be taking the blame for the current economic crisis, only a disgusting corruption of history is letting them off them both of hook. We now have the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The restrictions and regulations that were put in place in the 1930s by political leaders who had just experienced a frightening financial crisis, and were trying to prevent another. But by 1980's the memory and lessons of the Depression had some how faded away. The more you look into the origins of this crisis it has to be clear to anyone with half a brain that this crisis became inevitable after the Thatcher Reagan deregulations. Thatcher and Reagan had ignored the lessons of history in favour of short term greed of their financial backers. Surely this should be regarded as treason. Their time in office ushered in rapid rises in inequality and financial irresponsibility. Thatcher and Reagan allowed a few, none to honest individuals, to become vastly rich while working families saw little or no gains. Thanks to privatisation of our utilities etc. and the loss of jobs and huge increase in prices that went with it. It was an era we are still paying for now, with the asset stripping of our nation and it should be a national scandal that Thatcher made herself a millionaire out of our nations oil reserves. Another lesson from history wasted, this goes way beyond anything that is happening in the expenses scandal. With getting rid of credit controls debt began to rapidly rise for both countries under the Thatcher Reagan. You could borrow but you could not earn. Thanks to their stewardship Britain and the US economies became debtor economies. Most of our economy was wilfully sacrificed in favour of banking and services. The means of making stable honest money simply thrown away. This has to be Thatcher and Reagan's terrible legacy to the world. The greatest financial disaster since the 30's. Their deregulations gave the financial industry a license to gamble with people money and pensions at the best, at worst to simply loot it. This financial house of cards built on Tory deregulation was always going to collapse as soon as the slightest dip in the economies of the UK and the US occurred. Whether it was the rising price of oil hastened by speculators, still going on even today, irresponsible borrowing or the housing bubble I am not sure but one thing I am sure of is that Brown should not be taking all the blame for this because Thatcher and Reagan's deregulation of the financial world would certainly and eventually wreak havoc on both our economies and many other economies who copied their lethal, disastrous, divisive policies. It is absurd and extremely dangerous that history should be corrupted in such a way and that the public are kept in ignorance of history. That the Tories under Cameron are in the clear to carry on Thatcher's evil deeds to this country and wreak further havoc on our economy and lives. You people in the information industry should have duty to tell the truth and inform the public correctly so another disaster like this one will not happen again. As it is we are heading for an even deeper recession under an ignorant Cameron, who can apparently get away with anything, even a tax payer sponsored mortgage when he already has numerous houses. Unless we learn the lessons from history, history will repeat itself yet again in such a terrible cruel way. We only pass this way once, you people in the media are culpable in the extreme. Dispatches only went some of the way in this, blaming the Tories seems to be out of the question.

   Posted by Sam Johnson on 08/06/2009 21:26:26

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5. Excellent programme, spoiled only by Andrew's closing comments which seemed to pass a negative judgement on the Prime Minister. Instead of being content to present a valuable and balanced view of events, Andrew appears to have wanted to influence public thinking instead of leaving us to make up our own minds. What a shame he couldn't resist the temptation of trying make his own personal opinion seem important.

   Posted by Brian Mayhew on 08/06/2009 21:06:24

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6. Excellent programme, personally struggling to re orientate my political views, I must say that the programme left me feeling sympathetic with Gordon Brown and doubting that others would have managed the crisis as well. Why do we expect our politicians to be everything to everyone? Faults yes, but isn't that why any organisation has a team?

   Posted by Joe Godden on 08/06/2009 21:05:42

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7. well well, now that 3/4 of the uk have cashed off the benefit of the Labour golden days..now that the baking money have finished...Go! Gordon go!! bit unfair isn't it? I become a British national to vote Labour, in Europe i voted Labour and hopefully if Gordon keeps strong and stand in the next election I will vote for him!!!

   Posted by CLM on 08/06/2009 21:05:14

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8. A very fair and well balanced programme, although no mention of Brown appearing to be in total denial, or just ill.

   Posted by Dennis,Richmond on 08/06/2009 21:03:24

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9. well done!!!

   Posted by liam on 08/06/2009 21:02:30

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10. I am a Conservative supporter. Gordon Brown has not actually done anything wrong, except annoy the lightweight Blairite types in the Cabinet. He has also been unfortunate enough to be in the public's firing line when it has tired of Labour. My grandfather helped to found the ILP: it was never intended to represent a load of middle-class 'chattering' types, rather hard-working people who aspired. Brown has not been allowed to get back to Labour's roots, and it is true that, even had this happened, the dwindling 'true' working class would not have been able to re-elect him. David Cameron has, on the other hand, been supported by his 'Westminster Village' 'elite' in returning the Conservatives to their roots!!! The next General Election will be bewteen a true but minimal Labour Party (if Brown is allowed to impose policy..) and a true but increasingly influential Conservative Party. Incidentally, the Liberal Democrats might rue their failure to emulate the success of LLoyd George in 1918.....

    Posted by Monica Waters on 08/06/2009 20:47:42

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