At last the scientific truth about the GERS figures. How the royalist, fascist police state wrecks Scotland's knowledge economy. For every £1 the Scottish government spends on science and technology, they spend nearly £6 on police, prosecutors, courts and prisons, to spy on scientists, to assault scientists, to torture scientists using rigid handcuffs, to take scientists political prisoners, to seize scientists' technology, to fit scientists up on false charges, to obstruct scientists from doing our duty to humanity (which is a disservice to and a crime against humanity) and otherwise to abuse scientists. Peter Dow, Science and Politics, Aberdeen SCOT.TK
As for this years GERS figures, these are not merely "some" improvement, but MORE THAN SUFFICIENT improvement to represent a SUSTAINABLE DEFICIT of 7.9% of Scottish GDP. I REFUTE the fiscal conservative claim of the BBC's "Business/Economy editor Scotland" Douglas Fraser that 7.9% notional deficit would have to be "halved" to be sustainable. Actually, the UK government borrowing was sustained for 5 years at an average 8% of GDP from 2008. So I'm relaxed about a 7.9% GDP deficit but ANGRY that this deficit is not being managed by the Scottish government, but mostly on our behalf by the UK. We Scots should DEMAND a NEW DEAL Fiscal Framework Agreement for the Scottish government granting new powers to borrow interest-free from the Bank of England up to 8% of Scottish GDP, every year. ELSE we should set up a new Scottish currency and central bank, beginning now. Economics 101. Excluding the government, the rest of the country saves more than it borrows. Those net savings threaten a reduction in the money supply and a recession. To avoid recession the government must re-inflate the money supply and to do so it has two possible methods, * one responsible, * one irresponsibly funding the banksters' (not "bankers" but BANKSTERS - members of the banking industry seen as profiteering or dishonest) high life of luxury and debauchery. (1) the responsible - government borrowing from its own central bank to fund a fiscal deficit, spending more than is raised in tax (2) the irresponsible - loose monetary policy of the Bank of England - very low interest rates, easy loans if you know the right people, no need to turn a profit with a successful business, just having the right connections to the bankers is all that you need to get that big loan, a membership of the Tory party helps a lot - and quantitative easing - blatant giving away of £100s of billions by the Bank of England, buying "assets" or IOUs from the best (Tory bankster) friends of the Governor of the Bank of England. And that's how the Tory banksters steal the people's money. Any budget surplus simply adds to the cash that the Bank of England can give away to the banksters. The lower the borrowing, the greater the surplus, the greater the cuts, the higher the taxes, the more intense the austerity, the more the people's money is robbed by the government for and on behalf of the banksters. And it is daylight robbery, in front of the noses of the people, with the full connivance of their (Tory) elected representatives.
Peter Dow, with all respect, you are off your rocker. It's understandable you may feel they way you do with the unfair thing you experienced, but I'm not seeing that logically carry over into the beliefs/opinions you are expressing. You really think the problem is how much they're spending on police? I'll tell you what you should really worry about: Scotland turning into England, with the legal climate down there. From what I've seen, Scotts are naively ignorant about it and don't see it coming. The people are going to loose their independence and freedom before they even realize what's happening.
That is not true. That is what they are teaching in economics, but that doesn't make it true. I do agree (2) is more irresponsible than (1), but I don't necessarily whole-heartedly agree with (1) in the first place. Ideally the government would have a balanced budget and be more careful where it allocates money. If the government wanted to stimulate the economy they should have saved up money for a rainy day in the first place. (I started a thread with more thoughts on that here: Tax cuts don't make basic economic sense )
Budget surplus = proof against downturns. Able to invest. All the rest = maximum stupid. Couldn't be dumber if they tried. We make a profit. As we get older our stake grows. We get to make bigger profits because we have more capital to invest. We don't as we grow old get into bigger an bigger debt. Become worth less and less unitl we die, Making ourselves a larger and larger burden on other people in society. Because....this is nihilism and nihilism if ****ing stupid
It is more how much more they are spending on bad police, bad prosecutors, bad judges, bad prison officers etc. in relation to how little they are spending on good scientists. There's no problem with spending on competent officers of the law but the problem is that a lot of them are not competent and charge in to political situations where heavy handed policing and arrests are not needed but are in fact very counter-productive to good government. For example, bad managers would rather call the police to arrest anyone complaining about bad management, but what's really needed is a political process that addresses the bad management problem. The police are trained to be hammers and to a hammer every problem is a nail that needs to be hit. Governing a country is not that simple. People have legitimate complaints that need intelligent handling, not arresting.
It is true in every affluent country where people or the companies they work for, save a lot of their earnings. Typically more is saved than is borrowed and those net savings mean that money is being removed from the money supply which will cause a recession. Balanced budgets would mean money leaving circulation, recession, less spending, business struggling, people working less, getting sacked and you end up with an economic crisis. The rest of the country IS saving up for a rainy day - and that causes a problem of less money in circulation and a recession if the government doesn't spend more new money to stimulate the economy.
Recession for the government = boom for the rest of the economy. It is the nature of taxation that this relationship is a zero sum gain. Austerity. Austerity for parasites is good for the host.
