Quote: "I think these recent posts almost redefine the concept of "thread creep" but all very fascinating nonetheless.
As has been discussed before, it seems that politicians in this country have a complete inability to put short term political considerations aside and focus - and agree - on long term strategic projects whether they be new nuclear power stations or airports. Consequently, every five years or so, policies and programmes are abandoned, delayed, changed. Other countries e.g. France seem to be able to put political differences aside when nationally important issues are at stake and agree on long term national priorities. Also, countries such as France would never countenance selling off the "family silver" to foreign companies which are frequently controlled by foreign governments. Successive UK governments have claimed that this is just the free market operating but foreigners must be utterly slack jawed in amazement that we would let flagship company after flagship company be sold to offshore buyers, not to mention critical parts of our infrastructure. Almost more important than the lost profits is the gradual seepage away of intellectual property and know-how and the dearth of inspirational national champions with which to attract new young blood into e.g. aircraft engineering.
Our politicians just slope their shoulders and say that capitalism means no state interference and it doesn't matter where the IP and technology reside. But they are pretty much the only politicians who do think that way - look how France, Germany, Italy and others support their core technology and engineering industries and would never ever countenance them being foreign controlled - while we just flog them ours.
We once had world-leading aircraft manufacturing, nuclear technology and electronic companies but, in association with bad management on more than one occasion, short term political considerations and deliberate neglect have resulted in the disappearance of many of them. And, to get back on-thread, it is exactly the same attitude by craven, self-interested politicians which has got us into a position where the world's leading financial centre can no longer be connected to emerging world economies because these spineless wastrels have ensured that no new runway has been built in southern england for sixty years and, the way things seem tio be going, may not be built for another 60 years!"
Interesting analysis, it illustrates well the Thatcherite chickens are still coming home to roost. Regretably, there is no indication that the "neo-con" Thatcher-Blair hegemony is over.
Quote: "Thus LHR has stagnated into the dire position it is in now, because of all of the reasons given above."
This is true, but it is not the entire story. It has to be said that the "stagnation" of Heathrow, if that it what it is, started before 1979.
In the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, governments were obsessed with building up Gatwick as a hub for a private longhaul airline, (BUA, Bcal, Laker and Virgin), whilst state-owned BEA and BOAC hubbed at Heathrow.
This "second force" policy was a disaster, as the Gatwick-based carriers all failed except for Virgin. Virgin survived because it was able to shift its hub to Heathrow when this policy collapsed. Back then Heathrow developped a need for a third parallel rwy. Was it forthcoming, was it hell!
Quote: "we need to build an entirely new piece of world-class infrastructure."
Maybe, but not in the Thames estuary. In the intervening fifty years the "new piece of world-class infrastructure" would have to be at Heathrow.
Quote: "then just wait until all the international banks in London jump-ship to Amsterdam, because London has become so difficult to get to."
Frankfurt and Paris would be ahead of Amsterdam, but it won't happen. They wouldn't want to put up with EU regulations and the "banking union", "fiscal union" and "federal superstate" (more Europe) that the Brussels bureaucrats and some heads of government have planned for the "eurozone". Markets and financial industries like stability, there's none in the "eurozone" at present!
Last edited by Fairdealfrank; 28th Jun 2012 at 21:38.