The Tory Party Conference...

[madibe]

I am suprised no one has mentioned this bowl of hogwash... just catching Cameron's final speech on Beeb2.... grief.

Whatever your political persuasion you *have* to agree this is total bollocks.

There are too many cases of mind blowing rhetoric to list...

and the look on the faces of the party faithfull is enough to make your toes curl.

No mention of course of the true nature of the situation, just more of the same.

Help me before I destroy my TV

[Snail]

But "Remember: it's not the size
of the dog in the fight ? it's the size of the fight in the dog. ..."

[JohnB]

Help me before I destroy my TV

That would be rather a waste. Give it away, or sell it

[emordnilap]

Help me before I destroy my TV

Go ahead, join the enlightened.

[jonny2mad]

haven't had a TV for so long barely remember what one is... get rid of yours you will feel better

[biffvernon]

No mention of course of the true nature of the situation, just more of the same.

What! You mean that he didn't explain how peak oil will lead to the end of economic growth and the collapse of capitalism?

Still work to do for PowerSwitch, then.

[DominicJ]

The "Party faithful" arent there....
The Official events are dom inated by the Quangocracy.
The members establish their own events outside the security perimter, and shout abuse at the hippies who are "on strike" outside the library.

[emordnilap]

maudibe, I've no idea what words these guys (Cameron et al) are actually using but I can imagine the same old same old, given a shiny new coat of rhetorical spin. They are the band on the Titanic.

They are bereft of ideas and are carried along by party jingoism and there's no reason for us not to expect that. They and the people who put them there wear the same blinkers.

There will be no new ideas until the crash - and even then, they'll still believe their ideas were right and were not given a chance.

Blaming is an evolutionary trait.

[clv101]

I've watched most the conference, BBC Parliament Channel are looping all the main sessions. I've been struck by how unoriginal the speeches have been, very formulaic, full of rhetoric, very partisan. I guess that is to be expected.

It's also clear they are betting everything on BAU, on this 'global' recession being an aberration, from which we will bounce back with strong economic growth. Adopting this position is understandable, but also a risk. There is a chance (some would argue near certainty) that the UK won't come back with strong conventional growth, and that Westminster (no matter what colour the ties) can't do anything about it.

It's a shame that our government isn't able to articulate that possible future trajectory, to have contingency for that.

I was at a meeting with David MacKay (DECC's Chief Scientific Adviser) last week where he was presenting their 2050 Pathways tool. It came up in discussion that Westminster wouldn't allow the tool to produce pathways that didn't include both population and GDP growth. Those parameters were outside the scope of the scenario analysis. He saw this narrowed scope as a shame.

[madibe]

It's a shame that our government isn't able to articulate that possible future trajectory, to have contingency for that

You putt it better than I did Clv

It's the old 'blame the other party' stuff and 'return to strong growth' and the total lack of any mention of other possibilities / scenarios. Yes, BAU.

But how much longer can that notion be force fed to people...

[Blue Peter]

I've watched most the conference, BBC Parliament Channel are looping all the main sessions. I've been struck by how unoriginal the speeches have been, very formulaic, full of rhetoric, very partisan. I guess that is to be expected.

That fits in quite nicely with the Archdruid's post this week (and for a few weeks):

Drill, baby, drill!

It's a shame that our government isn't able to articulate that possible future trajectory, to have contingency for that.

'Shameful' I think rather than 'shame'.

I was at a meeting with David MacKay (DECC's Chief Scientific Adviser) last week where he was presenting their 2050 Pathways tool. It came up in discussion that Westminster wouldn't allow the tool to produce pathways that didn't include both population and GDP growth. Those parameters were outside the scope of the scenario analysis. He saw this narrowed scope as a shame.

Again, 'shameful'.

Did he say how 'Westminster' had achieved this narrowing?


Peter.

[extractorfan]

I haven't seen any of the conference but just back from the barbers where I picked up the daily mail.

Apparently they are saying everyone needs to pay off their debts. They're about 10 years too late I think, many people are in an ungetoutable situation with debt.

[emordnilap]

I haven't seen any of the conference but just back from the barbers where I picked up the daily mail.

Apparently they are saying everyone needs to pay off their debts. They're about 10 years too late I think, many people are in an ungetoutable situation with debt.

This is more like it:

I am not interested in policy (nor are policymakers interested in me). But I am interested in making a specific prediction: that government and central bank efforts to stabilize the financial system and restart economic growth will do the exact opposite: they will destroy that which they are trying to save more completely although a little bit later. They are living on stolen time.

The alternative (in case policymakers suddenly decided to pay attention and were capable of taking on board such a radical notion) is a jubilee: full repudiation of all debts public and private and a ban on all repayments, repossessions and collection activities. This would force a full shutdown and cold restart of the financial system. But it will probably have to happen anyway.

I'd go along with that.

[PS_RalphW]

I'm glad Mackay is at least considering non-growth models. It always struck me that he was wedded to a BAU model, and was simply looking for a 'sustainable' method of getting there.

[biffvernon]

(some would argue near certainty)

Sign me up for that party.

We do still seem to have a mountain to climb before politicians move from blaming the other lot and from assuming that normal growth will resume sometime.