junior Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Politicians need .... a desire to do the best for their country. Easy tiger, thats getting a bit hopeful isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnSaxon Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 I don't care whether he smoked pot or not - lots of people I've known have done so without ruining their lives or health. It should be legal anyway (see separate thread!). Politicians constantly nose into our lives. Absolutely. The political class are responsible for millions of CCTV cameras around the country, keeping records of the - mostly innocent - doings of all of us. They create giant, leaky databases full of data we're not allowed to check, often even to see. They tell us that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear" from continual surveillance. And while they're doing that, why the hell shouldn't we subject them to a bit of surveillance of our own? (NB This is NOT to say that I think journalists are perfect, far from it. But if "they" have the "right" to know everything about "us", then "we" have the same rights over "them".) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Politicians need .... a desire to do the best for their country. Easy tiger, thats getting a bit hopeful isn't it? Maybe not. Lots of people stand for parliament because they believe that they can do something positive when they get there. And if anyone doubts that politicians have principles they are not prepared to compromise then consider the resignations from the governments front bench over Iraq. Would also like to mention that a good number of MPs gave up very well paid jobs to enter parliament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Absolutely. The political class are responsible for millions of CCTV cameras around the country, keeping records of the - mostly innocent - doings of all of us. They create giant, leaky databases full of data we're not allowed to check, often even to see. They tell us that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear" from continual surveillance. And while they're doing that, why the hell shouldn't we subject them to a bit of surveillance of our own? (NB This is NOT to say that I think journalists are perfect, far from it. But if "they" have the "right" to know everything about "us", then "we" have the same rights over "them".) Do as I do every so often, and as I do with any public servant who gets above themselves, just remind them that they are here to serve me and not the other way around. It has an amazing effect on them. Focuses the mind when they are getting just a little too puffed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Damn Saxon wroteAbsolutely. The political class are responsible for millions of CCTV cameras around the country, keeping records of the - mostly innocent - doings of all of us. They create giant, leaky databases full of data we're not allowed to check, often even to see. They tell us that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear" from continual surveillance. I think I would argue that thieves, bullies and other assorted evil persons are responsible for a good many of the cameras rather than the "political class" with motorists being responsible for the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junior Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Politicians need .... a desire to do the best for their country. Easy tiger, thats getting a bit hopeful isn't it? Maybe not. Lots of people stand for parliament because they believe that they can do something positive when they get there. And if anyone doubts that politicians have principles they are not prepared to compromise then consider the resignations from the governments front bench over Iraq. Would also like to mention that a good number of MPs gave up very well paid jobs to enter parliament. I was being a bit flippant, but I can't resist responding anyway(). I assume you are talking about Robin Cook, who took an extremely admirable stance over the war. But he took a slightly more selfish one when, a few years ago, he tried to turf me out of my student flat with new legislation limiting the amount of HMOs per building. Not a principled stance, rather one founded solely on the fact that he didn't like living near too many students. All a politician "needs" is the ability to win votes, it is that vote winning policy making which I think dominates politics today. Thats all I was getting at with my original comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnSaxon Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 I think I would argue that thieves, bullies and other assorted evil persons are responsible for a good many of the cameras rather than the "political class" with motorists being responsible for the rest. Can't agree with you, JustMe. Even the government's own research shows that the cameras don't reduce crime noticeably, all that stuff about them "making the streets safer" or whatever is to gull the population into thinking they're a good thing. There seem to be a lot more thugs and ruffians around than there used to be before CCTV, not less. The whole surveillance business is the state (define it how you will) collecting masses of data about us (the mostly non-offending citizens). And if "our" politicians are going to treat us like that, then let's see how they like their dirty linen being chuckled over. Fair's fair. Like I said, I don't give a fig whether DC smoked pot or not, but if we ain't private, why should he be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Robin Cook and others. I would have assumed that legislation concerning Homes in Multiple Occupation was intended to improve life for everyone including the people in said homes but I confess that I have no knowledge of the legislation to which you refer. In fact I am rather saddened that many seats in Parliament (UK or Scottish) would go to a well mannered chimpanzee as long as they were standing for the "right" party for that constituency. Only in the marginals is the ability to win votes that important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnSaxon Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Actually, thinking about it, perhaps it should be made mandatory for all MPs to be stoned out of their trees whilst legislating. They'd probably do a lot less harm, and "Today in Parliament" would be a lot further up the comedy charts than it is today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Para Handy Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Now we know what you have to do to become leader of a political party Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marjolein Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Borris Johnston admitted to snorting coke when he was younger, however he said it didn't really count as he sneezed straight afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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