Last edited:
You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off
"Hang on a minute, lads - I've got a great idea."
HONK
IF YOU
LIKE MY
PLAN B
But she got the japanese car makers in which showed the rest of the uk how to make stuff, perhaps her plan was to force firms and unions to see there was a new way to manufacture stuff without constant strikes, over manning and useless managers, its just a shame she didnt do the same with civil servants and bankersI doubt the comparison to Maggie Thatcher was unintentional.
She drove the UK away from a manufacturing economy towards the finance based tertiary service sector that has been so profitable for a few for so many years.
Unfortunately the UK now imports just about everything it needs to produce the small number of physical products that are still assembled here. We have to import nuclear knowledge when we once lead the world, we have to import the labour to pick our fruit because being on the dole for generations of the same family is now the norm for millions without any stigma or guilt.
I could go on, but it would be too depressing.
But she got the japanese car makers in which showed the rest of the uk how to make stuff, perhaps her plan was to force firms and unions to see there was a new way to manufacture stuff without constant strikes, over manning and useless managers, its just a shame she didnt do the same with civil servants and bankers
If you read what I posted you will see I put useless managers, they were as much to blame as was the government in allowing the unions too much power. The products were sh!t, I think we can look back and put the blame on winning the war, while there was a huge desire for change it resulted in believing that the average bloke in the street should be given more than before( which was fine) but without earning it, the UK and in some ways the USA thought because we had won the war our industry would be world beating, Germany and Japan on the other hand knew they had to rebuild their society and reputation and would face huge resistance selling into countries that they had invaded. If you think that UK cars were bad look at the rubbish the USA produced, build quality was appaling but they kept telling thwmselves they were world beaters, when I went there six years ago I was shocked by the state of the infrastructure yet they really believe they are the best stillWe always hear about the strikes in British industry, never about the crap management which just wanted to asset strip the place. Triumph, for instance, was still using an engine designed in the 1930's when the Meriden co-op was forced to close. That's not the fault of the shop floor, but lousy or non existent investment by the directors. Did Thatcher recognise that and set out to put it right? I'm not convinced that she did, but there is a telling tale of her as a young political activist in Grantham (I think she was still at college at the time) and her encounter with a rather colourful industrialist who stood for the seat. They crossed swords on several occasions and since reading about this I have wondered whether that ever coloured her view of industry.
If you read what I posted you will see I put useless managers, they were as much to blame as was the government in allowing the unions too much power. The products were sh!t, I think we can look back and put the blame on winning the war, while there was a huge desire for change it resulted in believing that the average bloke in the street should be given more than before( which was fine) but without earning it, the UK and in some ways the USA thought because we had won the war our industry would be world beating, Germany and Japan on the other hand knew they had to rebuild their society and reputation and would face huge resistance selling into countries that they had invaded. If you think that UK cars were bad look at the rubbish the USA produced, build quality was appaling but they kept telling thwmselves they were world beaters, when I went there six years ago I was shocked by the state of the infrastructure yet they really believe they are the best still
Might be wrong but didnt the allies also pump money into germany to rebuild the place tooIt is easy blaming lack of investment, but one of the big issues was the taxation rates draining the money to pay war debt, the cost of maintaining a huge military thanks to the cold war and a desperate rear guard holding the colonies. And further reconstruction andthe NHS/ social services.
Germany had only war debt and reconstruction to worry about. All moneys were pumped into reconstruction and this included developing industry to releve unemployment. Germany recognised that keeping people working on the land to feedthemselves and working part time in factories often also using factories as dormitories to alleviate mass suffering schools likewise.
While the UK was suffering tax rates of 95% on investment income the indutrialists and investors in Germany had far better treatment. also UK investors were given tax breaks to import german equipment in the belief encouraging German success, lowered the liklihood of a repetition of the situation Germany after the first WW.
Might be wrong but didnt the allies also pump money into germany to rebuild the place too
There was a veery different attitude in the American and British reconstruction efforts in their respective sectors
Hence in the British sector , there companies like VW Mercedes Claas were reconstructed as German companies, the product given export opporunities here.
In the American sector they encouraged American companies to come in and run them, hence Opel/ GM, Lanz / John Deere. Ford just walked back into their factories.