The Off Topic Topic

[Richard Hakluyt]

My baby won't stop saying Earl Grey.
I'm not sure if he is referring to the tea or the prime minister.
And why.

Maybe he is deeply impressed by Grey's monument 

[Richard Hakluyt]

Most places in the Western world has both, as I understand it. That is, unemployment insurance linked to what you've paid in/ your previous income and then a basic safety net one once that runs out.

Yeah - the UK is just the latter.

I can't think of any bit of our welfare state that is linked to what you've paid in. I don't know about the rest of the west but I had a job that involved some research into social security systems and the lack of any link in the UK was unusual in Europe.

I think it's possibly because of the post-war Labour government - my understanding is that the inter-war and pre-WW1 era Liberal-influenced welfare state was developing on broadly social insurance lines (with a strong localist/municipal bent - with local councils providing services national government didn't, like universal healthcare). But with Labour in 1945 there was a shift to a strongly universalist model that was far more centralised - and is, I think, probably a lasting legacy of the war. Over the last 70 years (with many Tory governments) that universal welfare has become lower and lower and more centralised (Tories and Labour are equally to blame for that bit). With New Labour we moved to a more means-tested/targeted system that was delivering very good results but was also incredibly vulnerable once they lost power while the universal bits of the welfare are generally more difficult to cut.

The only partial exception is state pension which is tied to the fact that you made payments in a tax year (I think you need 30 years for the full state pension) but it isn't tied to the amount.

Back in the 1970s there was something called "earnings related benefit" which one earned by having full NI payments for the previous year or two and lasted for (I think) 9 months. I was on it in 1977 for a little while and got 70% of my previous wage. Unemployment benefits were not taxable in those days so there was also an income tax rebate; a net result for me of 90% and giving me a truly delightful summer.

Now, I don't want to trigger Tyr, but shortly after Thatcher got in the earnings-related component was abolished. later on unemployment benefits became taxable so there were no rebates for the recently made unemployed. For the reasonably well-off unemployment benefits were more trouble than they were worth (getting nagged at the job centre by a 21 year old kid when you are an accountant between jobs for a basic payment...not worth it). The middle class thus lost its stake and interest in unemployment benefit and government was free to squeeze it and introduce humiliating hurdles for those ghastly people...the undeserving poor.

A sad story really.

[Syt]

More private chat messages of Austrian politicians have been published, and while I'm generally not a fan os such gossip they do reveal the mindset of some of the top deciders within the government. Like Mr. Schmid who got onto the board of directors of a state holding managing 20 biillion EUR in assets through questionable means (he hand picked the supervisory board members who would appoint him and hand crafted the job description for the position, all with tacit approval by chancellor and finance minister). He complained about not receiving a diplomatic passport and having to travel with "the common riff-raff". When he had to go to a police station to obtain proof he has no criminal record for his board position (something you have to do in person) he moaned that he had to "be here with the animals."

Mr Pilnaecek who supervised the federal prosecutors for 10 years and is being investigated for passing out confidential information (i.e. warning political friends of investigations and impending raids) complained bitterly that the prosecution for white collar crimes and corruption was being removed from political influence by the new Greens justice minister (something his party decries as undue political influence) and suggested that the vice president of the Austrian Constitutional Court, Verena Brandner, an Austrian born black woman, should be sent with an export of garbage trucks to Cuba; "they would probably like here there."

[Tamas]

I fell down the stairs today.  My ankles are real pain and I can barely walk.

If you can do so without financial ruin, have them checked out.

[Syt]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/27/the-french-must-drink-less-wine-say-health-officials#:~:text=A%201950s%20health%20campaign%20urged,It's%20part%20of%20French%20history.

The French have a complicated history with wine, considered a vital part of their national cultural heritage. A 1950s health campaign urged the public to cut down and drink less than a litre of alcohol per meal. School canteens could serve half a litre of wine, cider or beer to pupils under 14 until 1956. Alcohol was banned entirely from schools in 1981.

[Syt]

I fell down the stairs today.  My ankles are real pain and I can barely walk.

If you can do so without financial ruin, have them checked out.

Yeah, take care Raz, we need you

[Josquius]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/27/the-french-must-drink-less-wine-say-health-officials#:~:text=A%201950s%20health%20campaign%20urged,It's%20part%20of%20French%20history.

The French have a complicated history with wine, considered a vital part of their national cultural heritage. A 1950s health campaign urged the public to cut down and drink less than a litre of alcohol per meal. School canteens could serve half a litre of wine, cider or beer to pupils under 14 until 1956. Alcohol was banned entirely from schools in 1981.

Man. To be a student in those afternoon classes.

[Syt]

We made mulled wine with our English teacher around Christmas (running Glühwein through the classroom coffee machine, plus a shot of schnaps added afterwards). The whole building smelled of it, but being a small course (8 people), and being in our final year gave us some leeway

[Duque de Bragança]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/27/the-french-must-drink-less-wine-say-health-officials#:~:text=A%201950s%20health%20campaign%20urged,It's%20part%20of%20French%20history.

The French have a complicated history with wine, considered a vital part of their national cultural heritage. A 1950s health campaign urged the public to cut down and drink less than a litre of alcohol per meal. School canteens could serve half a litre of wine, cider or beer to pupils under 14 until 1956. Alcohol was banned entirely from schools in 1981.

If one read Pagnol, that is no news.

University cafeterias/restaurants still offer wine fortunately however, as a supplement. 

[PDH]

I try to cut down myself and I usually manage to drink less than a liter of alcohol per meal.

[The Brain]

I try to cut down myself and I usually manage to drink less than a liter of alcohol per meal.

Not sure if serious.

[Syt]

I try to cut down myself and I usually manage to drink less than a liter of alcohol per meal.

Less than a liter of alcohol, or less than a liter of alcoholic beverages?

[Josquius]

Now, I don't want to trigger Tyr, but shortly after Thatcher got in the earnings-related component was abolished. later on unemployment benefits became taxable so there were no rebates for the recently made unemployed. For the reasonably well-off unemployment benefits were more trouble than they were worth (getting nagged at the job centre by a 21 year old kid when you are an accountant between jobs for a basic payment...not worth it). The middle class thus lost its stake and interest in unemployment benefit and government was free to squeeze it and introduce humiliating hurdles for those ghastly people...the undeserving poor.   

And people still doubt she is the source of all that is wrong in the country.

It's interesting that you don't see any political push for reintroducing the paid part. It seems to work well for both parties positioning. Helping hard working tax paying folks whilst not helping scroungers.

[Sheilbh]

Back in the 1970s there was something called "earnings related benefit" which one earned by having full NI payments for the previous year or two and lasted for (I think) 9 months. I was on it in 1977 for a little while and got 70% of my previous wage. Unemployment benefits were not taxable in those days so there was also an income tax rebate; a net result for me of 90% and giving me a truly delightful summer.

But isn't that similar to the state pension - what matters is whether you've paid NI or not? Which is sort of linked to earnings but not in the way that I think is more common in Europe where the amount of unemployment benefit you get relates to your previous income because it is replacing part of that income.

Now, I don't want to trigger Tyr, but shortly after Thatcher got in the earnings-related component was abolished. later on unemployment benefits became taxable so there were no rebates for the recently made unemployed. For the reasonably well-off unemployment benefits were more trouble than they were worth (getting nagged at the job centre by a 21 year old kid when you are an accountant between jobs for a basic payment...not worth it). The middle class thus lost its stake and interest in unemployment benefit and government was free to squeeze it and introduce humiliating hurdles for those ghastly people...the undeserving poor.

And yet the 1980s dole is now seen as a bit of a golden age - especially in terms of the creativity it enabled.

Having been to those job centre sessions in 2010 And it will only have got worse in the last decade.

[Zanza]

A CH-47 Chinook just flew over my house.