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Michael

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Everything posted by Michael

  1. With sadomasochism, it's only illegal if you are harming the person in a great way, there is a reasonably amount of leeway up until that point but those who get done for physically harming someone else during sex have almost certainly done something pretty extreme. There is no parallel with the burqa. Some women who wear the burqa might be being oppressed, and the burqa might be in part the manifestation of that, but the burqa itself does not oppress. The act of wearing a burqa does not do a harm to anyone, at least not in any sort of appreciable level that we normally restrict freedoms with the law. It is sensible to have procedures in situations like airports, banks etc to confirm the identity of someone wearing a burqa, but these can be culturally sensitive. If we look at what the problem that apparently banning the burqa would address, the oppression of women in muslim communities, would this measure actually go anyway to solving that problem? If anything, truly oppressed women would just have to stay indoors all the time. And even if they didn't, the oppression would continue in other ways. So it seems to me, some people just don't like minorities doing what they feel is stupid/morally dodgy/wrong
  2. So minorities and their interests don't matter because they aren't the majority?
  3. As someone who used to hang around town a lot (left for uni now) and is also teetotal, I can completely agree with this. It's crazy that when people find something genuinely fulfilling to do with their time, it can be infringed upon because others of the same demographic aren't angels.
  4. They've ran their respective campaigns on the basis of this is a two horse race between us two, we're very different. Cameron only really got popular on his brown bashing. It would be political suicide for them even to talk to each other. Nick Clegg has an interesting decision...
  5. With pr systems such as stv you can keep a local link, but have a far fairer system.
  6. Well, Alistair Carmichael now has pretty much the biggest percentage majority out there. I think there must be some lib dem supporters in Shetland too
  7. While the top up system is miles better than FPTP, it does kind of create two tiers of politicians, with different accountabilities. STV is the best option I reckon. Keeps constituency link and keeps it proportional. There are systems to stop fringe parties getting in without banning them outright. Although I don't agree with them, you can make it so they need a certain threshold of the popular vote before they can have a representative. Better just let them be defeated through rational discourse though in my opinion. 10/14 countries with AAA credit rating in Europe have some form of coalition government/Proportional representation.
  8. An amnesty on illegal immigrants who have already been here ten years while we don't know where they are and hence can't deport them... is just common sense. It's dealing with a problem. I'd far rather they were allowed to work and put back into society than just left as some sort of lurking underclass. Lose lose for everyone that way. One thing that strikes me about this election is the pure insanity of it all. This might be because it's the first general election I can vote in but there are some crazy viewpoints being bandied about. First of all, if anyone complains that there vote doesn't matter, that the smaller parties don't have a chance so aren't worth voting for, that they are forced to vote tactically to keep something they can't stand out... then why don't they support voting reform? I can understand that the tories cling onto FPTP because it gives "decisive" and "strong" governments, which to me, if it's not one the public actually wants then what's the point. I have yet to understand why people oppose voting reform of any kind beyond "the tories will probably get less seats if it's fairer" I'm aware it's important what the reform is, but I don't want to ramble on even longer than I am (though perfectly willing to discuss that too) The other crazy thing that seems bandied about is how "broken" everyone thinks this country is. And how labour have apparently done no good etc. Well, i'm not a labour supporter, but there are definitely an awful lot of good things this past government have done, or at worst "neutral" things. Devolution, peace processes for Northern Ireland, minimum wage, pretty damn good record on foreign development, pretty decent energy policy (at least they have a plan basically, not their fault the cons and snp love blocking them here in Scotland) I also think the vast majority of politicians are very decent, committed people. I do not understand the current contempt people have for politicians in general. Contempt for those at fault yes, but most haven't abused expenses, very few are in it to line their pockets and most genuinely want to improve the country. Even the conservatives
  9. Exactly - important to a number of folk but not significant to everyone. I agree with him
  10. He didn't keep a low profile because he was on the other side in the war, after all he's spent the majority of his life as a British citizen, and conscription existed on both sides. He was quite involved in the community here too actually, as much as his age/health would allow, he's made well over a hundred cushions in the past couple of years and given the vast majority to charity shops. He also made many fruitcakes, and a fair few southenders will have been party to his generosity in distributing them at Christmas time. Thanks everyone for the kind comments. He was indeed a great man, and he will be sorely missed.
  11. Michael

    CCTV

    ^ I do like to see the occasional glimmer of sense in threads like these
  12. You could get your son to do it, and then post them to you, would probably still be far cheaper. That's if he is willing of course
  13. Or you learn what components you need from ebay and get them ridiculously cheap?
  14. Thanks for clearing that up. As for the last couple of paragraphs I agree. Personally I think secretly the the US is quite pleased with this outcome, as it is very unlikely the full truth will come out , which could harm their reputation if it's found Megrahi is innocent.
  15. Well he wanted a prisoner transfer, which as far as i'm aware downing street mistakenly thought they were able to authorise.
  16. So it was part of discussions for a deal for prisoner transfer... which had nothing to do with Scotland and the decision to release him?
  17. Allegri's Miserere has been tingling my spine a lot lately! That and "spem in alium" Really into that kinda music lately for some reason
  18. Now that you mention it I have never seen such blatant photographic bias since well... opening any newspaper with an article of Gordon Brown
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