Views on the news: Cadbury's deal, while Obama takes it to the bank

Forget Cool Britannia: any last vestiges of national pride appeared to be dead and buried this week as bloggers lined-up to condemn the UK. And what was the final nail? Chocolate. "Welcome to the United Kingdom where everything, and I mean everything, is for sale," wrote sinisterfootwear , condemning the decision by the Cadbury's board to recommend a £12bn deal from US group Kraft . "Only Britain sells itself short like this," said damandblast . "The shareholders have no regard for heritage, British jobs, respect or integrity!" "Why do I get the feeling that a debt-laden company taking on more debt to acquire another is going to end badly for everyone not able to trouser millions as a result of the sale?" asked dippy . "Kraft bought Terry's in York with very, very similar promises," warned MrsBadger . "Sixteen months later, the factory has been relocated to Poland, all staff are redundant and we're getting more unsaleable apartment blocks on the former site. Brilliant! Good luck Bourneville and Cadbury's staff from York …you're going to need it." "I wonder what George Cadbury, the religious (Quaker) founder, would have made of this mercenary deal, made in the narrow interests of the shareholders alone ?" asked tomnorton . "'Money talks,' they say – yes, and money impoverishes, too." "Greed, chocolately greed, how appropriate, eh?" wrote IraKowalski . The general mood of disappointment in the UK was not helped by the news that President Obama was taking on Wall Street by announcing plans for stringent rules on the banking sector . "Over to you, Brown, Darling, Osborne, Cameraman et al," said Self . But, warned Koolio : "The devil's in the detail and the banks are adept at evading regulation." Snowflake had an interesting thought: "There is nowhere for the bankers to hide now. They keep threatening to go abroad – where will they go? Dubai has collapsed, the Americans are tightening up. Perhaps they can go to Shanghai – though they execute them in China if you bring down economies and businesses don't they?" News that US officials will visit the UK to discuss how Obama's reforms might be implemented in the City did not go down well either. "Following America again," said Xiol . "When can we take the lead on something?" However, US bank Goldman Sachs, did get nil points after saying it was displaying "restraint" by cutting bonus payments to top-earning staff. The bank's average pay packet of $498,000 (£306,760) left most bloggers distinctly unamused. "Phew, only $500,000 each?" said snoopy65 . "Thank god. What a relief. Just the half a million then. The banks came good after all … If I had downloaded that new 'sarcasm' icon, I might add it here." "If you feel sorry for these guys and want to help increase their bonuses next year, just work harder so you can pay more tax," suggested cg1234 . Not an option for Billy Bragg clearly. The singer said he is to withhold his tax in protest at RBS bonuses, but the stand did not get universal support on the message boards. "Starving schools, hospitals, pensioners, benefit claimants etc of funds to make a protest is a particularly infantile form of toy throwing," said stevehill . "No, you're not an anarchist. But you're not being very smart." 'Empty, gesture politics," declared Vlamgat . While Pat1968 had a friendly warning: "Protest about wars, racism, animal welfare, whatever, and the state doesn't give a damn but the moment people start non-payment of tax then the government will come down of them like a tons of bricks. "No doubt every tax return that Mr. Bragg's submitted for the last 25 years is being combed through at the Inland Revenue as I type!" By the time it was announced that inflation is at a 10-year high, bad news fatigue had clearly set in. "There's no need to review what has happened and how – we've already seen this movie," wrote RBislington . "After 2000, the Bank of England and the Fed pursued a policy of super-low rates to create an economy based on house prices and banker's bonuses. We already know how that plays out – IT DOES NOT WORK. How much more evidence do you need? The United Kingdom needs a fundamental economic realignment away from the financial services industry. Open-ended, poorly targeted subsidies to that industry that create huge distortions in the wider economy are never going to get you there." But what about the Office for National Statistics' revelation, on Wednesday, of a surprise fall in unemployment ? "Lies," declared Halo572 . "All they have done is get people off benefit in any way they can, irrespective of if they have a job to go to or not. "And they have made it so unpleasant and difficult for anyone made redundant to register and get any help that they aren't bothering. "Labour will not allow unemployment to rise before the election, whatever it takes." "Funny how Gordon/Alistair need three quarters of "bad" data to convince them of recession, but one quarter with a bit of good news and they declare it is all over!" noted liamnsw . The spectre of another British Airways strike loomed again this week and there was little sympathy in evidence for either side, but WINGSPAR had some harsh words for the would-be strikers. "To all BA cabin crew who vote for strike action ask yourself where have Pan Am, TWA, Sabena, Swissair and Globespan gone. JAL is about to go bankrupt, as will BA unless cost savings can be made. It is time for BA cabin crew to be honest with themselves and realise they are very well paid for a job that is mainly handing out pre-prepared food and collecting people's rubbish." "Strikes in March. Bankruptcy by May," predicted ardennespate . It doesn't sound good for GB plc, does it? Keep them coming.