Aardvark

I watched the video. Is that really the best you can do? Two comedy magicians have become the world's experts on recycling?

You're right Matt, amongst other things, 150 is 3 x 60 as they say and we have 3 times more trees than we did in 1920 (no source for those 'facts'). The 'facts' are presented from the position that 'Recycling is B@llsh|t' and nobody who has been interviewed, in good faith, has had the opportunity to present a counter argument or to correct the edited version of what they allegedly have said.

The criticism levelled at the work created is that it is dirty and pays badly (no figure was given). That is in the USA without a minimum wage. It is not a fair criticism since the video doesn't point out that the landfill workers are in an environmentally hazardous and poorly paid environment as well or that landfill owners make money. The figures quoted are $60 for collecting and taking waste to landfill, but don't include costs of processing and $150 for collecting recyclables (3 x 60 apparently) and taking them to plants, but no figures for processing or income made from sale of recycled goods are presented (even the video accepts that aluminium is profitable as is copper, platinum and a host of other metals).

There are a lot of statements presented in Matt Davies style - disagree and you're a moron approach. The video is full of abuse, bad language and name calling. Nothing, and I repeat nothing for the hard of thinking, is presented in an objective or unbiased fashion. There is a whole series of similar Penn and Teller B@llsh|t programmes, they are intended as parody and not as factual accounts of the real situation, but humour was never a strong point of yours was it Matt?

The only figure that is dwelt on is the $8 billion subsidy (about 50c US per week per US citizen) - no account is taken of any financial return and the 'products' produced by recycling are lampooned. The video ignores the fact that most cardboard and toilet paper is from break even/profitable recycling depending on the market conditions. At present metal prices are so high that lead and iron is being stolen from rooves, cemeteries and parks in this country. Metal smelters in this country cannot get enough recycled material, but let's not let facts get in the way.

Matt, you cannot really take this video as 'fact'. It relates to the USA, is factually wrong and is presented in an amateur and offensive way that patronises those who are genuinely interested in this issue. If that is your idea of 'facts and figures' then you are, IMHO, lamentably ill informed and lack the capacity to understand or debate the issues of the day.

I note that rather than attack me with facts you attack my membership of a political party which I joined when I was 17 (I am now approaching 51) because in the la-la land of MKPD once you have made a mistake as a teenager you have to have it thrown at you for the rest of your life. You say that because of my uninformed views when I was 17 you don't value my opinions now - your logic is flawed and most grown ups would not accept that a person's views don't change in life. I campaigned for the People Party (modern Greens) when I was 16 and when the NF split I went with the moderate NFCM before joining the Young Conservatives. Oddly Matt, as I have matured my views have become more informed by reading widely, gaining a couple of degrees, serving as a commissioned officer in a conflict zone, experiencing more of the world and life and generally growing up. It might happen to you, but I'm not too optimistic at the moment if you genuinely believe what you say. If the first views a person has are to be considered to be their only views for the rest of their life then, Matt, you must see the futility of political campaigning as nobody will be persuaded by any arguments you have made, much in the Matt Davies 'don't confuse me with facts my mind is made up' approach.

I have never hurt or attacked anyone because of the colour of their skin, even when I was in the NF I had coloured friends and we debated the issues of the day. We even drank together. Strange but true.

I didn't accuse you of smoking or littering, I said 'someone like you' spoke to a street cleaner. Do you really believe that if you were ever elected you wouldn't cause a strike of the local authority workers with your attitude to the opinions of others. You'd be calling all of your paid enforcement officers 'little Hitlers' or 'fascists'.

You might not believe in 'running' society, but when you have a budget and a workforce and an electorate to consider then you have to take those matters into consideration. Somebody has to make the decision whether or not to collect waste weekly or fortnightly for instance - the decision not to collect waste and let individuals make their own arrangements might not be fascist and we wouldn't be jumped up little Hitlers, but the country would collapse within days.

Matt, IMHO, you should stay away from politics. You are not capable of understanding the posts of others, you are not fit (IMHO) to be an elected representative and you would make an appalling councillor or MP with your ignorance and lack of objectivity. You think you're clever, but (IMHO) your posts demonstrate that you are not.

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When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008