What you don’t mention, Mary, is that when a businessman does not give a receipt it’s because he is in cahoots with the client who gets a discount. If everyone had to demand a receipt there could be no tax evasion.

This is a good example of the so called socialism Joseph embraces: with the public he boasts that he was on the forefront fighting against the high roaming prices of mobile telephony in Europe (including GO). Then we saw him today telling GO workers that he will be doing everything possible to help them even though they are being offered a golden handshake to leave. Doesn’t he realise that for every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction? Could it be that the ‘high’ roaming prices of GO were the result of having far too many people on the payroll?

And isn’t he also the leader of the party which owns Red, which competes with GO? Is he going to employ these GO employees with Red?

“Mary”: You’re only emphasising my point – single mothers are not the source of all evil.

Who, anyway, are all these businessmen who are not obliged to issue VAT receipts?

[Daphne – Only doctors are not obliged to issue VAT receipts.]

Pat, I don’t think the world is better or worse than it ever was.The world is always different and constantly moving by nature. It’s just, that I don’t see so many happy people around. I notice stressed out and frustrated people, people who can’t cope with making a living anymore(in our part of the world) or dealing with the daily push and shove mentality. I notice greed and indifference and an ‘all you can eat’ mentality. Your above mentioned (obviously fantastic and important) modern comforts and achievements are not necessarily a proof or a premise for a better life or at least not for one’s subjective feeling of happiness. Every progress(somwhere on this planet) seems to include or imply a regress(somewhere else on this planet) and all that progress didn’t really change some of our human character defects.
And don’t get me wrong: I consider myself as a quite happy and content person (not rich and not successful in a general grasp at all) but I have my doubts when it comes to human nature, sometimes. Especially when we talk about political flip flopper.

Oh, so Kev’s back here as “Kev”! I was beginning to think that he had taken flight with the pink “Sharon Ellul Bonici” balloons, never to be seen again until he landed … splat! …. in the gravy train in Brussels.

-We live longer
-We have a higher standard of living
-Things that only a few decades ago were considered luxuries are now affordable to the masses
-Better healthcare leading to more comfortable lives
-A higher knowledge of the world around us
-Increased charity
-Increased care for the misfortuned
-Better life for disabled, elderly and the impaired
-A global information flow which was considered science fiction when I was born (and I aint exactly an elder person)
-Global travel is now a reality for most contributors in civilised countries
-Less tolerance for intolerance
-Increased awareness against animal cruelty

This just off the top of my head. Now please explain why the contrary would hold true. You tell me that a child born a hundred years ago had a better prospect for the future and a higher chance of a good life, than my daughter born six months ago has. Of course there will be downfalls and temporary setbacks, but I shudder everytime I hear people say that it was better before as that is, as I said before, complete and utter bullshit. The world is great. Could be better, but still great.

The world is getting better every day?
Pat, that’s a completely new aspect to me.
What makes you think that?

Bullshit, the world is getting better and more sensible every day. I’ve had that discussion a billion times now and no one seems to contradict it.

Unless you made a pun when you said there isn’t much commonsense “left”.

Daph, I’m butting in on your reply to Ettore Bono:

One important thing you did not mention was computers. He states that his first Pentiium cost Lm1,2000 – That must have been in the early 1990s, and yes, they are cheaper now because of advances in technology.

What he fails to appreciate is that in 1983, computers were virtually inexistent in households, due to ridiculous regulations set by the man in the drainage-inspector outfit ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ-rnd6cds ).

The few people who managed to import one would have had to fill in endless rounds of forms (and probably pay a bribe or two) … and this for a basic ZX 81, Sinclair Spectrum or BBC Commodore – Pre-historic computers, when compared to the ones that are around today.

When I sat for my computer studies O-level in 1984 it was by having “practical” experience on a PC at sixth form for a few minutes every couple of weeks (after school hours, and shared with other students).

You also mentioned clothes. Up to the mid/late ’80s, the most popular shop was probably Square Deal – not because it was particularly great, but because they probably had the most affordable choice.

Shoes? We had Sanga, if we were lucky. I clearly remember splashing out on a pair of Lm38 Missoni tennis shoes around 1987, when my monthly salary was not more than Lm128. I wouldn’t dream of doing it today – There’s so much more choice and you can still get good shoes for much less.

Brilliant cartoon? While billions in taxpayers’ money is being flushed down the bankers’ drain and while more billions are being created out of thin air through ‘quantative easing’ (debasing the currency and undermining its purchasing power, not to mention the onslaught on currency investment), ‘the people’ are made to fume over the few thousands syphoned off a system long due for reform.

So while the magician’s left hand fiddles with billions, the right hand has the media instigating ‘the people’ against the powerless, but greedy, politicians over a few hundreds of thousands. That’s what this cartoon is about.