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OK, so what happened here? Why are you getting all this flak over the '10000 lorries' comment?

You wanted to make a point (presumably) that because of Thatcher's actions we now import to much. Fair enough.

Now the way to do this, is by firstly deciding how you measure 'import too much'. One way would be to look at the trade balance figures for the trade we do with Continental Europe since the War, the show how the trade deficit developed during and after Thatcher's reign - suggesting that from a nation of net exporters we have become net importers, and that the time-line can be linked to Thatcher's actions.

That would not have 'proved' your point a such, but it would have constituted a well-connected argument.

It would also have been a good basis for discussion - for example other members could dispute the trade figures, or suggest an alternative explanation as to whey they are what they are, or suggest that a trade deficit is actually good for the economy, etc etc.

But you didn't do any of that. Instead, you ran a quick Google search, saw the number '10,000' next to 'lorries' and 'Dover Port', then posted that because of Thatcher we now have '10,000 lorries come through Dover a day'.

Firstly, this figure is wrong - it's 10,000 both ways, hence about 5,000 incoming.

And it's not daily - only on peak days. In this sense, the figure above actually relates simply to the workload distribution across the year at Dover Port, and possibly also to the Port's max capacity - but it tells us nothing of how many 'truckloads' we import as nation every year.

But, even if you quoted the actual figure - which is around 1m lorries incoming per year - it still has absolutely nothing to do with the argument you tried to put forward. This is because we don't know if the incoming lorries are empty or full, if they are brining goods in or returning from an export trip, or if they are coming-in empty to collect goods in the UK, etc etc.

So apart from being factually wrong, the '10,000 lorries' comment does not support or add to your argument in any shape or from. It only 'sounds' plausible, but in reality, it's nothing of the sort.

So why use it then? Here's the formula - find a large number that you can 'prove' on Google - mention it in relation to your argument - make an emotional impact - connect the large figure and the emotion with your argument - and you have 'created' a fact out of thin air, that people will repeat.

Why am I writing this? Because this mirror's Corbyn's political argumentation. This is exactly how he and his shadow cabinet work.

Take some facts and figures, bundle them to together with a totally unrelated argument, and make the whole thing look and sound like it's a sound political policy.

Then make a few more of these, bundle them together, and call it a manifesto. Remember, whenever mentioning the manifesto, to call it 'the fully-funded manifesto' - this expression will stick in people's mind and make them believe that it's a 'fact'.

And this is exactly the issue I have with your '10000 lorries' statement - that it is a mirror-image of how Corbyn's brewed his 'fully-funded manifesto'.
 

Corbyn tactics ;)

I just fabricated a fact, that if repeated frequently enough, will stick in people's minds :thumb:

Setting that aside.... is this the only point in my post that you disagree with?
 
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The man is a god, happy to be compared with him.:thumb:

No, I meant I was the one using Corbyn tactics.... or are you comparing me with Corbyn? Coming from you, I'll take it as a compliment.
 
Yes they do. And the sum spells 'Venezuela'.

Is this where we pretend that it's somehow something to do with him??

It seems that Venezuela is a 'country-of-interest' for more than one of Corbyn's friends... first 'Red' Ken, now Sean Fain...:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...fectly-fair-says-sinn-fein-observer-b2dvxjn09

What is worrying is that no one at Corbyn's Labour seems to think that Venezuela's problems stem from out-of-control socialist policies - are they planning the same for us?
 
It seems that Venezuela is a 'country-of-interest' for more than one of Corbyn's friends...

The Venezuela thing is just the tories trying to deflect attention away from their lame duck government.

What has happened in Venezuela is nothing to do with Labour or Mr Corbyn, and the electorate are bright enough to realise that
 
The Venezuela thing is just the tories trying to deflect attention away from their lame duck government.

So the Tory's are responsible for the mess in Venezuela......?

What has happened in Venezuela is nothing to do with Labour or Mr Corbyn, and the electorate are bright enough to realise that

What happened in Venezuela, is that a far left party leader was elected. So you are quite right - nothing to do with Mr Corbyn - who did NOT get elected....
 
So the Tory's are responsible for the mess in Venezuela......?

The Tories are demanding that Mr Corbyn cuts short his holiday to return home and comment on the Venezuelan election, something that's nothing to do with him.

Rather than lame smears, Tories would be better off coming up with some policy and getting their act together over Brexit.
 
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What has happened in Venezuela is nothing to do with Labour or Mr Corbyn, and the electorate are bright enough to realise that

Nobody is claiming that the current situation in Venezuela has anything to do with the British Labour party or Mr Corbyn.

What has and is happening is of International interest as there is significant doubt as to the validity of the electoral process as claims are being made that over a million additional votes for the successful party were "added"

It is not unreasonable to expect that Labour and Mr Corbyn would express their discomfort at this possible tampering with democracy or does he wish to give the impression that as long as it is an ultra left wing party in power none of this matters?
 
The list of Corbyn's 'can do no wrong' groups is steadily growing:

1. Any benefit claiments

2. Anyone employed in the Public Sector

3. Any far left party or regime anywhere in the world

4. ....
 

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