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Who are you voting for in the general election 2017?

'Smoothing out peaks and troughs' can be doe to some extent though has never been tried. It involves running a surplus during a period of growth which gives spare cash to cut taxes and in a deficit when there is a recession. Never been tried as any government will continue to run a deficit during periods of growth leaving ' no money left' when the inevitable downturn occurs.

Imagine what the media would say if a government were running a surplus (i.e. not spending all the taxes they received) when there were queues in A&E and some people using food banks etc. Unfortunately the gov at the time would rapidly find a surplus politically impossible.

Credit cards are great at providing some wiggle room if your finances take a downturn, but spending up to the limit during good times leaves 'no money left' when it is needed.
The credit card analogy is not valid in the case of Governments. Though you are right that it is politically difficult to take spending power out of the economy at the top of a boom.
The process does not involve cutting Public spending but it does involve running a surplus. This is what the automatic stabilisers - taxation and Public spending - do.
 
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The negotiations haven't started yet! Presumably as a starting point they will say they want all the benefits of membership without the disadvantages. Apart from hints of a big bill, the EU have not said what they want either.
We can expect that they want fair treatment for EU citizens in the UK at least.
 
Negotiating with the EU will be a game of poker. Bluff and counter bluff. Mrs May knows that and is keeping her hand close to her chest. Mr. Corbyn doesn't or he wouldn't have shown his hand, done for political gain and not for the good of the country.
Our hand is more or less empty.
 
I don't know what everyone else's experiences are like today but something big is happening. It is chaos at my polling station, it's never been busy before, even Brexit turnout was low.

Loads of young adults out too, I'm beginning to suspect Corbyn has cut through and the youth have seen through all the nonsense.
 
I don't know what everyone else's experiences are like today but something big is happening. It is chaos at my polling station, it's never been busy before, even Brexit turnout was low.

Loads of young adults out too, I'm beginning to suspect Corbyn has cut through and the youth have seen through all the nonsense.
Now that's an interesting observation. I wonder too, how many of the younger voters felt disenfranchised by the Brexit vote and are picking up the reigns at the ballot box?
 
I don't know what everyone else's experiences are like today but something big is happening. It is chaos at my polling station, it's never been busy before, even Brexit turnout was low.

Loads of young adults out too, I'm beginning to suspect Corbyn has cut through and the youth have seen through all the nonsense.
Personally, I doubt it.
 
Now that's an interesting observation. I wonder too, how many of the younger voters felt disenfranchised by the Brexit vote and are picking up the reigns at the ballot box?
Maybe. I remember last time I went away there were two old guys in their eighties, both voted Brexit. I asked why they voted to make to UK poorer. No answer. I asked them what their grandchildren wanted. They wanted to stay in. I said why didn't you do what they wanted then; after all, it's not going to affect you.
 
Maybe. I remember last time I went away there were two old guys in their eighties, both voted Brexit. I asked why they voted to make to UK poorer. No answer. I asked them what their grandchildren wanted. They wanted to stay in. I said why didn't you do what they wanted then; after all, it's not going to affect you.
Yes I have had similar annoying conversations with a few elderly people too. It makes me wonder if democracy is such a good idea ! (I think I'm joking, but I'm not really sure...)
 
Maybe. I remember last time I went away there were two old guys in their eighties, both voted Brexit. I asked why they voted to make to UK poorer. No answer. I asked them what their grandchildren wanted. They wanted to stay in. I said why didn't you do what they wanted then; after all, it's not going to affect you.
Very similar conversations amongst a number of my friends and their parents where the parents voted out and the children voted in.
 
Yes I have had similar annoying conversations with a few elderly people too. It makes me wonder if democracy is such a good idea ! (I think I'm joking, but I'm not really sure...)
I was just staggered by it all. Why vote to restrict the grandchildrens' future opportunities. It makes no sense.
 
Maybe. I remember last time I went away there were two old guys in their eighties, both voted Brexit. I asked why they voted to make to UK poorer. No answer. I asked them what their grandchildren wanted. They wanted to stay in. I said why didn't you do what they wanted then; after all, it's not going to affect you.

Maybe it will affect them, who knows how long they'll live:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37505339
 
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