Title duly updated.
Originally Posted by
origin
I dont agree with your comments. Okay there have been cases when the MPs have made mistakes or done wrong. But I dont think they are paid enough.
That's not really the point. Those who milked the expenses system knew exactly what they were doing, and the betrayal of trust is immense. They took what they could out of nothing but greed - sound familiar? Of course, with a couple of minor exceptions, this went unpunished.
The MP's run the country. Who would want to live in country where the debt levels have been allowed to get to levels so high. Why would we want the countrys credit rating to be lowered. Why would we need handouts from other countrys. Why would we want to be in a country that defaults on its debt.
But we pay the best people to do such a good job that they manage the economy in such a way this wont happen. Council leaders get paid more than the PM. So they have an easy life in getting people to work for them. Maybe we need to respect our MP's giving them a salary that they can be proud of. That way the best people will want to do the job and therefore our country will be looked after.
I would argue that this is because council leaders get paid too much, rather than MPs too little. Income disparity is well documented to be damaging, and already far too great in this country.
It's a common mantra (typically among those who stand to benefit most from it) that you need to pay astronomical sums to attract the best people. Naturally, then, with Moir Lockheed and Brian Souter on basic salaries of well in excess of £500k, we have a public transport system that's the envy of the world! Ah.
In reality, what you get is people who are primarily motivated by money. In the case of politics, you get career politicians, with very little to tell between one and another. Not good for democracy.
Sorry, but if you want to stand up and say "opportunistic greed and irresponsibility is wrong", you have to abide by it yourself.
What these riots have shown, in my eyes, is that the country is suffering from a collective sense of excessive entitlement. The looters displayed it in a horrific, violent way, and it is only right that they be harshly punished. But if you think it stops with them (or that this will be the last of it), I think you are sadly mistaken.