Any (post 2008) Economists in the house? - Inflation.

[Phil Pascoe]

It is of course fair comment to criticise private industries, however it is a leap of faith to assume nationalised industries would have done differently or better. Many of us remember what disasters nationalised industries were.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

NHS gets amongst the cheapest medicine prices in the world

The NHS is being “ripped off” by drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical firms who are charging as much as £1,000 a bottle for pain-relieving mouthwash while the government demands efficiency savings on staff and hospitals, ministers have been warned ...

 

[Trainee neophyte]

In theory free markets are more efficient….but they aren’t because capitalism is driven by greed.

oh and have a think about moral hazard

1) UK train operators: massively inefficient, massively expensive….almost none of them run by British companies.

2) how’s carillion doing…..oh it went bust

3) local councils are bringing contracted out services back in house - because customer care goes up and costs go down.

I think that your idea of a free market and my idea of a free market are not the same thing. A free market is a market free from government interference. Your examples are all of government regulated monopoly/cartel systems, which I would say prove my point, not yours. Bankruptcy is a good, healthy and natural part of capitalism - the fact that governments try to stop it happening just means that capitalism ceases to work properly. You have to have both gains and losses, otherwise creative destruction doesn't happen, and failing, inefficient systems keep on going.

This energy "crisis" is being blamed squarely on the alleged free market when it is entirely the fault of European energy planning, and I include the UK in Europe for this. The European Energy Crisis Is About To Go Global | OilPrice.com

The EU dilemma is, however, a special European one. The EU has politicized energy and has been approving legislations, preaching to the world the importance of accelerating energy transition and even taking court measures to force the global oil industry to divest of its fossil fuels. In so doing, it has neglected to fill its own gas storage in anticipation of winter and forced European supermajors to reduce investments and cut production in their core business. Any wonder then why the EU is in such a mess.

The environmental policies of the EU can only adversely affect the production of fossil fuels without affecting the global demand for them thus creating deficits in the market and skyrocketing prices. These policies will weaken the global economy because it will have to spend a huge chunk of funds earmarked for investments on paying for soaring prices these fuels.

Complete nonsense - some of the biggest state monopolies are incredibly cost effective and efficient, NHS being prime example.

Well, I wouldnt dream of getting in between a man and his Guardian article. The NHS is the best healthcare provider...in the world. All the comparative charts put it pretty low in the pecking order, but it is the NHS so it must be good. Greece scores higher in some of these comparisons, and it is not unusual here to have to bribe your doctor to actually get treatment. Still, the NHS must be fabulous, just because. However, do consider a brown envelope of cash next time you use the NHS - it works wonders in most third world countries.

 

[clogs]

I read recently somewhere if u wanna see a UK thief, sorry I mean GP doctor
u need a £100 squids...bet thats only cash and no receipt....
not sure but isn't the average pay around £100,000 per GP....?
I like the NHS.....but not the quack GP's who use google to find out whats wrong....
PS, if u have a life threatening problem service is free....and virtually instant....

Mind, if u bribe ur NHS consultant with cash u can get ur hip replacement within a week.....very fair.....

I needed an injection of 2 drugs into my shoulder joint.....discussed over the phone...needed an X ray....
private x ray supplied for €25 euro...instant ....I walked into a shop like place....out in 10mins.....
the doc said if I pay for the drugs he'll do it straight away....
his surgery is open til 9pm....
so at 8pm walked out a painfree happy man.....
Greece is the place to be....

 

[clogs]

PS, I'm 72 and still paying taxes n social charges on what I earn here.....no problem with that....

 

[planesleuth]

omg! I get these daily emails cluttering up my inbox every day. Most of the posts are about c*** that is completely off topic. Full of old buffers rattling on about stuff seen only through their old pedantic eyes. Off topic facts drawn from wikipedia, social media and newspapers. Competing against each other to have the last say and prove their own virtue. Its the same old philosophy, absolute creator of your 'inflation' and all things aspirational from the white western world. Constant retorts on the same central themes from extreme over poster Jacob. Folks building workshops in private residential gardens with no thought for the neighbours that have to live with the noise, others bemoaning ever rising prices whilst inanely consuming much more than they need. Claiming their rights to travel, producing c*** in their sheds that the world doesn't need, addicted to the demonic internet. Why don't you all go and do something useful for the world? Then there wont any be inflation !!!!!!

 

[Blackswanwood]

omg! I get these daily emails cluttering up my inbox every day. Most of the posts are about c*** that is completely off topic. Full of old buffers rattling on about stuff seen only through their old pedantic eyes. Off topic facts drawn from wikipedia, social media and newspapers. Competing against each other to have the last say and prove their own virtue. Its the same old philosophy, absolute creator of your 'inflation' and all things aspirational from the white western world. Constant retorts on the same central themes from extreme over poster Jacob. Folks building workshops in private residential gardens with no thought for the neighbours that have to live with the noise, others bemoaning ever rising prices whilst inanely consuming much more than they need. Claiming their rights to travel, producing c*** in their sheds that the world doesn't need, addicted to the demonic internet. Why don't you all go and do something useful for the world? Then there wont any be inflation !!!!!!

Apart from that it’s pretty good though

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I read recently somewhere if u wanna see a UK thief, sorry I mean GP doctor
u need a £100 squids...bet thats only cash and no receipt....

You should be more careful what you read.

 

[Jameshow]

I think that your idea of a free market and my idea of a free market are not the same thing. A free market is a market free from government interference. Your examples are all of government regulated monopoly/cartel systems, which I would say prove my point, not yours. Bankruptcy is a good, healthy and natural part of capitalism - the fact that governments try to stop it happening just means that capitalism ceases to work properly. You have to have both gains and losses, otherwise creative destruction doesn't happen, and failing, inefficient systems keep on going.

This energy "crisis" is being blamed squarely on the alleged free market when it is entirely the fault of European energy planning, and I include the UK in Europe for this. The European Energy Crisis Is About To Go Global | OilPrice.com





Well, I wouldnt dream of getting in between a man and his Guardian article. The NHS is the best healthcare provider...in the world. All the comparative charts put it pretty low in the pecking order, but it is the NHS so it must be good. Greece scores higher in some of these comparisons, and it is not unusual here to have to bribe your doctor to actually get treatment. Still, the NHS must be fabulous, just because. However, do consider a brown envelope of cash next time you use the NHS - it works wonders in most third world countries.

Depends on how you judge it?

If you say for the majority it is a pretty good system. If you compare it to a US system where you paid then the care is of lesser standard but you stuffed if your poor.
Compared to Germany and France we run a very tight ship in terms if Dr + nurses + beds. Management needs to be culled imho.

Cheers James

 

[Jameshow]

You should be more careful what you read.

Hasn't been in UK since 1947!!!

Cheers James

 

[Spectric]

Yes, if our energy companies were state owned, Russia wouldn't have put the price of gas up, would it?

I think Russia will do what Russia wants to do, they do not respond well to threats or provacation and diplomacy is really the way forward not bumbling Borris's idea of restarting the cold war because that is just going to hurt our economy big time and now he is having a go at the Chinese and their response is

"China state media warns Australia could become ‘potential target for nuclear strike’ due to new AUKUS pact" so well done Borris. I believe a strong economy is one where there is little conflict and everyone gets on together not the american way where war sells munitions and is a good boost for the economy.

 

[Spectric]

I think that your idea of a free market and my idea of a free market are not the same thing. A free market is a market free from government interference. Your examples are all of government regulated monopoly/cartel systems, which I would say prove my point, not yours. Bankruptcy is a good, healthy and natural part of capitalism -

Agree, if a company is viable it will survive without needing to be proped up by government or anyone else and if it sinks then let it, that is survival of the viable and gets rid of the lame. Problem with the UK governnent is they help companies that fund them, buddies, golf freinds and others who are willing to keep their bums clean, lame or otherwise so yes they should step right back and let it be a free market.

 

[AlanY]

Free markets are not an efficient way to deal with this.

Free markets create businesses whose purpose is to maximise profits for the shareholders not the customers.

I always thought the 'free market' was supposed to be a way of regulating the economy without taxpayer intervention.

The UK has somehow found its way into believing in the free market but ensuring it is propped up with taxpayer money. Banks? Okay for them to rake in cash and distribute it to shareholders right up until there is a crisis when, suddenly, the taxpayer has to bail them out. Why? Where have the shareholders gone? What happened to the 'free market'? Small energy supplies companies? The same! Railways?

The 'free market' is a myth. Time to renationalise.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, we all remember how hugely successful nationalised industies were.

 

[Spectric]

Many of us remember what disasters nationalised industries were

Yes they had problems but it was bad management, to much of the blue or white collars, the them and us syndrome and not working as a single unit and creating lots of internal friction, probably a throwback to the so called class system. With railways it is always going to be a problem, one company owns the tracks and then others run their trains on them wheras it would be better if everything was under the control of one company then when things go wrong they cannot blame anyone else. With power you have the national grid producing, the DNO's distributing and then many companies selling what is in effect someone elses product through someone elses network, so no control over anything. In conclusion we are in a right mess in all departments with people pulling in all directions and no one at the helm, just drifting from one mess to another.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

With railways it is always going to be a problem, one company owns the tracks and then others run their trains on them wheras it would be better if everything was under the control of one company then when things go wrong they cannot blame anyone else.

From everything I've read that was done to suit the EU. It defys common sense.

 

[AlanY]

Yes, we all remember how hugely successful nationalised industies were.

Well, as one who worked for a nationalised utility from 1975 to when it was privatised, I have to tell you that, in my humble opinion, they were successful. I have always believed that energy and water are essential commodities and should never have been placed in private hands. What do we have now? Essential industries that are foreign-owned cash cows, up to their eyes in debt and which can no longer be relied upon to supply affordable products to the British public. Yes, the water, gas and electricity industries should be re-nationalised.

 

[RobinBHM]

Your examples are all of government regulated monopoly/cartel systems, which I would say prove my point, not yours

No, it really does not.

. Bankruptcy is a good, healthy and natural part of capitalism

No

Bankruptcy is absolutely not good or healthy for privatised public services.

ou have to have both gains and losses, otherwise creative destruction doesn't happen, and failing, inefficient systems keep on going

that doesn’t work with public services.

privatised public services are driven by shareholder profits not customer service.

carillion public construction contracts
train operators
care homes
energy companies
privatised prisons
privatised probation service
test and trace

All abject failures….because they are all driven by shareholder projects and for mates of Tories…..capitalist greed does not benefit the users only the shareholders.

 

[RobinBHM]

All the comparative charts put it pretty low in the pecking order

That’s complete tosh.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... you have to have both gains and losses, otherwise creative destruction doesn't happen, and failing, inefficient systems keep on going ...

...............................................................................................................
that doesn’t work with public services.
......................................................................................................................
Of course it doesn't. Nationalised industries aren't allowed to go bust, they just take bigger and bigger subsidies.