Wednesday
London is today in the grip of a tube strike. Tube as in underground railway. For a brief summary of the anti-strike arguments, try Burning Our Money. (Burning Our) Money quote:
Here we have a reeling dispirited government who no longer care if they give away the shop. They're way beyond that. Their main aim now is to minimise the scale of their defeat, which definitely DEFINITELY means no Winter of Discontent style public sector strikes.Sure, if they give in to big union demands they'll be increasing the problems facing the next government. But why should they worry? They don't care if they make life more difficult for Dave and George in 12 months time - in fact, that would be a positive bonus.
And the union bosses ain't quite so dumb as they look ...
In other words, another bit of earth will get scorched.
This Labour govt is the worst ever. It will land Britain with a 30 year legacy of debt and a ruined society.
Posted by Working Class Tory at June 10, 2009 04:39 PM
Of course, strikes by government employees of any sort should be illegal, and grounds for automatic, immediate and permanent termination, but no one dares say that . . . .
Posted by Laird at June 10, 2009 05:28 PM
I like what Reagan did to the air traffic controllers. Sacked the bastards.
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at June 10, 2009 06:30 PM
Except that this is TfL, so the mayor gets a say. It isn't quite in HMG's gift to throttle Mr Crow with gold, though I'm sure they'd like to.
Posted by guy herbert at June 10, 2009 09:05 PM
Hey Samizdatistas - you must watch the video here. Guido Fawkes even rates a mention. This deserves a post.
http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/2009/06/10/brown-and-the-lefts-demise-in-eu-elections/
Posted by kentuckyliz at June 11, 2009 12:29 AM
Whilst things seem dark, someone, somewhere, has light. I wandered into a bookstore yesterday and discovered "A Brief History Of The Future" by Jacques Attali. (I was expecting Dr. Who)
The book is a serious look at history, and where the longterm trends will take us. his conclusion, put in the forward, is "....from century to century, humankind has asserted the primacy of individual freedom over all other values." He uses history to back up his ideas.
Posted by Nuke Gray! at June 11, 2009 04:14 AM
Sell the "tube" system for whatever it will fetch (which will not be much - the money has gone on making the stations look like the mansions of dictators - whilst the deep underground lines are neglected) and allow the private owners to decide these matters.
Posted by Paul Marks at June 11, 2009 07:57 AM
Another reason to keep your automobile. The drivers aren't likely to all go on strike.
Posted by Dr. Ellen at June 11, 2009 03:34 PM
The previous Labour govt was a farce and this one is a tragedy. Labour cannot even get their failures the right way round.
Posted by Tim Carpenter (LPUK) at June 12, 2009 05:51 AM
