That was the essence of my new year's eve -and you know how annoying it is when you have to conclude that your host is being a git.

What did we have there? Gordon Brown had bankrupted the economy. If he had not let debt accumulate under his watch there would not be the pressure to reduce it now (hello, Spain there? Besides, the UK public debt was not particularly high on the eve of the crisis -private debt was). This was deemed logically undeniable.

There was the idea that the crisis was the making of Brown. Nevermind that it started in a different continent. Also, I know Labour was in power for 13 years, but a policy you failed to repeal is not exactly the same as "your" policy, and certainly not your signature.

Also, it was of course thanks to the reduction in spending that the UK could borrow at a low rate (moning, Japan, how are you?).

No direct spending could have any positive effect since, you see, it would take so long. Uh? What about not firing a teacher, does that take long?

Deep down, they're not bad people, believe me. But they seem to have got religion. My guess from the wording was that they were Torygraph readers. There was a mention of "I have a problem with the New Statesman, I find it too far left".

Anyway... if you argue, it's rude because it's discussing "politics" (I thought I was talking about economics). And if you don't, you help the meme spread. How do you fight a religion indeed?

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi