Benefits cut for 3 years....

Well the headline today 'Party is over for Benefit Scroungers' does grab the attention, but more interesting was the front page heading 'Global Warming IS Slowing Down' with the full story outlined on Page 3.

I spotted years ago that Global Warming is a myth and is a left wing plot to destabilise democratic government.

The Daily Express should be congratulated for keeping the insidious tactics of the left under close scrutiny and having the courage to bring such matters to our attention.

Disgusted from Tonbridge Wells

Firstly I have never posted anything on this forum that I did not write and try to claim as my own. I should have put up the source of what I posted and gave the credit where it was due. Jon pulled me up over it and posted up the links and I thought that sorted out the problem. But then Nick posted I was rude to do what I did, fair enough and there was no defence I could offer and so decided the best thing to do to bring matters to an end was delete the offending post. If you have brought this into the debate in an attempt to try and discredit me, then you are going to have to come up with something much better.

What’s wrong with being proud? No one should never put it before a fall, but we now live in a world where it seems to be a forgotten word, a world where as everyone else seems to be doing it, then it’s OK for me to do it, even when doing so you still know it’s wrong.

There are so many proud people, who do now find themselves living on benefits and hate the stigma it wrongly brings, having to put up with being called scroungers when nothing could be further from the truth. The system was set up to help such people along with those who can’t work due to illness etc, it was not set up to be a good alternative to working.

Yes I have paid in for 43 years and if and only if I have to, I will have no problems putting my claim forms in, but I choose to work as that is the way I was brought up. Taking out just because you felt you had paid in is not always a good thing. I know someone who used that argument when they needed a new TV and set about claiming one on the house insurance. Yes they had paid their premiums, but if we all did that then the cost of insurance would go up so high that the very people who do need it due to having none or little money, could never afford it.

I have not in any way claimed you were some sort of hypocrite or hold that view, on refection it was wrong to mention your earnings or the fact you will receive a good pension, nor was it my intension to try to misrepresented what you do for a living so for that I do apologize. I happen to think on the whole social workers do a very worthwhile job; they do try and make a difference, but as they are only human like the rest of us, do get things wrong from time to time, but I'm not saying that is the case as far as this debate goes.

I did spend three hours reading your book, granted I did not read every single word, but read enough to learn that there are a number of things we do not share the same view on. I’m sorry Barton Downs is not enjoying this thread, but you started it and I have simply added my own views points that seem to be a million miles away from yours. I’m not claiming I’m right to hold the views I do, but I have read nothing that has gone close to wanting to change them, if I do then I will be more than happy to do so. On that note I think its best that we both agree that on this subject we do disagree and move on.

Lambie I do not believe that cutting welfare payments will improve my situation, why would it? Are those cuts going to be handed back to me, or my tax reduced? I just happen to agree with the argument that benefits can’t keep on rising faster than wages. Sorry to hear you would not enjoy sitting in a van with me, while we have had many a good argument on here, we have always been civil to each other and that would not change just because you ended up sitting next to me. Just think what you could be missing, those wonderful views looking towards Portland from Abbotsbury Hill

Dave


No Dave, it would never work, especially when you insist on switching on the Jeremy Vine show at lunchtime. I think the only solution is that you should join Lambie in his transport instead

Well I do hope you reconsider as the site will be less without you.

I have seen several times it mentioned that one should scroll past if a particular poster irritates the f@ck out of you. On one of our other sites today it was completely impossible, as the poster who I will call only AAG was the last post on the seven main threads.

How the hell do you scroll past a last post?

;D

If Dave agrees to put Woody Guthrie on all the way up, I'll agree to fetch the brews in and let him have 20 minutes with JV

You wouldn't see me in that though, Joe. Expect to find me on one of these outside Hillsborough in 2036:

There is nothing wrong with the TFF Nick, it still has a good number of very good members who when they do contribute to the forum, add good well thought out posts. Many of them I have met and they are all very decent people and very good fans of Torquay United into the bargain.

You sung Robs praises on here very recently, said you were glad the forum did not end up going in the direction, your thought it was heading in, but then I’m sure you were referring to the time I ran the forum and not Rob.

I may be wrong but I feel the problem you have with the TFF is me, I spoke with Jon at a recent home match and asked him if he was aware of anything I have said or done to upset you, but he could himself come up with any answers.

Since you moved away from this area you have confused me a number of times, there has been a few times where you have praised me, but others when you have has a number niggles about posts I have made, views I have held, or threads I have started.

I do not have your knowledge, brains or command of the English language, so I’m never going to be able to converse with you in the way I would like too. When I write I give my honest views, but never claim those views are right and am more than happy to be challenged and proved wrong. I often fail due to my poor use of the English language to make the points I’m trying to make, but I love the challenge writing gives me and who knows one day, I might get it right.

I have always made it well known on the TFF what an important and valued member you were, I have never said or down anything intentionally to upset you and have more than often praised you for the wonderful content you have so often added to the forum.

It goes without saying I’m bitterly disappointed that you now feel you no longer want to post on the TFF, there is nothing I can do about that, I only wish there was. All I can do is say sorry if I have made posts that have grated with you and hope the day will come when you feel you would be happy to post with us again. Thanks for all the great posts you have made over the last four and a half years.

Dave

Well, I just hope Barton comes back soon.

When I first logged on to this forum early last summer the reason it captivated me was the marvellous history section, for which Barton takes a huge amount of credit. To me, Barton, Jon and Timbo are the elegant midfield dynamos who make the team tick; the Cruyff, Neeskens and Van Hanagem of Torquay. Barton Downs taking a sabbatical is like Cruyff deciding not to go the 1978 World Cup. What are we going to do without him?

Dave has mentioned once or twice that it was me who started this thread. God, do I regret it now? It was only supposed to run for a few hours while my early morning indignation at the grinning fools in the photo made its way out of my system. I thought the forum could handle a column from a Northern leftie. I have learned my lesson, big time.

The biggest problem with the internet is that it is too easy for anyone to add their two pennorth to a conversation, resulting in disagreements becoming arguments and then name-calling. The examples of people inadvisedly tweeting and facebooking in haste and then repenting at their leisure are many. A football fans forum which includes a section, like the Popside, for non-football related matters, is always going to be at risk of degenerating into a kind of virtual night in the pub, where everyone thinks that everyone else needs to hear their opinion, whether it's informed and rational or not. And, while in the pub insuting someone you disagree with is unwise because you might end up outside with a thick ear, on the net you can lay on the sofa in front of the fire and chuck out as many barbs as you like.

"For the duration" as Barton himself put it in his farewell message, I shall be reading more than writing, and contrbuting to football discussions only. I might not know what I am talking about but it's a level playing field since none of us, unless we have played professionally, actually knows more about it than anyone else. And chatting about our team is one of the main reasons for following them in the first place since, in all honesty, at our level at least half of the games we see are so bad that we need to talk about them afterwards to make up for having wasted an afternoon.

I shall not be making any more social or political comment even if someone should try to provoke a reaction from me, and that is a promise I intend to keep for ever so if I fail to keep it feel free to throw this particular entry back in my face. This should make the forum as enjoyable as it was when I first discovered it but only if the talented trio are brought back together. So, Barton Downs, my good friend Nick, please come back and entertain us some more.