Cynical and Hypocritical Timing?

[johnriley1uk]

Things aren't going well for Gordon Brown, so, desperate to find something to distract us, he announces an Inquiry (behind closed doors of course) into the Iraq War.

In other words, a secret investigation that will declare that no-one has done anything wrong.

Is this how we all view it, or is this quite wrong and he's a Pretty Decent Chap after all?

[mr_e]

Well, he's certainly an intelligent chap, but this inquiry won't be distracting most people from the economy at all. Seeing as it's not public so no-one can really cover it in the news. Being cynical, it is pretty well timed though, not sure if anything's a coincidence these days.

I can't really forgive him for the mistakes he made as chancellor/prime minister with the economy and public spending.

[Mike]

350,000 civil servants to loose their jobs over the next 5 years. I think most of these will be from Natural Wastage (from what mr_e has previously said) but I wonder how many people will be actually moving jobs at the moment?!

To be fair it was not just Brown who made the errors, it is all tied up in a zeitgeist which believed that massive risks could be evened out by clever mathematics. Unfortunately as clever as we were the consequences were rather larger than expected!

[liz.brownlloyd]

350,000 maybe by natural wastage, but where does that leave university and school leavers in terms of jobs if no one is recruiting.

Will this be the generation of the employed?

Also, random fact, there is 200 people in second year architecture. So the putting up the fees has increased the number of applicants.

[Mike]

Also, random fact, there is 200 people in second year architecture. So the putting up the fees has increased the number of applicants.

Either that or people have become stupider. . . .

[stimpsonslostson]

Alex and I expect to have the following conversation in the not to distant future.

A:I've got a degree you know!
P: Shut up and give me my burger.
(they are currently searching for ANYTHING in architecture... its slim pickings. Of the last years dundee MArch graduates (100?) only 2 have held onto their jobs to now- one is in the UAE, and the other is SERIOUSLY talented.)

Degrees are being devalued to a dangerous point. Having a BSc is akin to having an extra A-Level at best. Even the MSc doesn't really seem to hold its value.

I've ranted on enough about the governments stupid degrees for everyone program.

[liz.brownlloyd]

The best thing I've got out of 2 degrees and a diploma is good friends and my independance.

The worst is £25k in debt at peak.

I wonder what the proportion of the Student Loans will eventually be paid back. Or whether people should now just run them up and then ignore them. And is this really what we want to teach the next generation or, indeed, ours.

Also what the f*ck is a general studies degree!

[johnriley1uk]

Also what the f*ck is a general studies degree!

Presumably what a general Studies A level was, a total waste of time that had very little if any academic merit. I was so bored with mine i only got an O Level pass in it, so it hardly grabbed my attention.

[Mike]

I read an article about in the AJ100 where a partner in a firm actually said Part 1 and 3 students should work for free to get their experience. His reason was what is a few more thosand debt as an investment in their future. It is ironic that he had free education and was paid for his wok experience. What a stupid idea! Shocking attitude really.

[mr_e]

Well, looking at the news coverage it's still all expenses, not much about the enquiry at all. If it was a devious plan, it hasn't really worked.

Part III students working for free? They effectively have two degrees! That would completely devalue it. My initial position was that it could be okay in times of economic hardship but Mike has convinced me otherwise, seeing as the time is still billed to the client.