Al. You miss my point completely. Akenaton was complaining that no matter what you do, you're stuffed.

I go out of my way to ensure the youth of today doesn't listen to such attitudes. We already have three sometimes four generations of families who have never had work. But you know what? The coincidence of it all being not for the want of trying is beyond reason. If you listen to doom mongers, you are impressed by them.

You are right about the past. At my school, it was the pit, Batchelors or Co-op glassworks for the boys, Bairnswear for the girls. The careers teacher hadn't the vision to look beyond.

By bringing out my own experiences, I am not perpetuating privilege, I'm not even trying some old rags to riches shit, I'm saying that blaming governments for situations can only go so far. It amazes me how everybody thinks governments are effective at bad things and incompetent at good things. You can't have it both ways.

No such thing as Tory. No such thing as Labour. You vote, you get the government. Whether you make what you can out of life is as much down to yourself and those who put themselves forward as role models for you as much as policies decided a couple of hundred miles away.

It isn't about you, me or Akenaton. It's about encouraging people to do something about their lives rather than accept the lazy option of blaming politicians.

Scotland won't do better or worse by removing a layer of legislative decision making yet poor ignorant chumps such as Akenaton are taken in by weasely worded jingoistic claptrap from politicians, who prove their point by blaming err... Politicians.

I'm rather saddened to see you falling for political jam tomorrow. Yes, the present Conservative party is dangerous, especially post reshuffle and yes, Labour do not seem fit or ready to form a government yet.

But worrying about it just gives them influence they don't actually have... I've held positions where I have seen how deluded they are about their influence. The NHS in England alone has a million patient to clinician decisions each and every day, yet a junior minister sits agonising how much their decisions really change things. My time as an advisor was short because, in so many words, I kept saying "fuck all difference minister, just like your predecessor and probably like your successor." Not the best way of keeping your post...

If it helps I can either waffle endlessly about the bailiff telling us we could keep the pram or pushchair but not both, or how I was knocking on doors trying to sell "maintenance chemicals" on commission only with fuck all sales and a family. I decided to get off my arse instead.