General politics discussion thread

[Loki]

What would be really scary would be if the one country to actually have used nuclear weapons in anger were to have the largest stockpile of them on earth, and to also be involved in the largest currently ongoing ground war.

 

If I was a middle Eastern power explicitly targeted by that country in that scenario, and the aforementioned country announced it was setting up missile bases in Poland, I'd be even more worried.

[Tequila_Boy]

I sense...sarcasm? No wait, stupidity

 

Yeah, you're totally right.

 

It's okay for us to have nuclear weapons. Even though we are the only countries in recent time who have actually invaded anyone.

 

Or are we still going along with the whole "giving them democracy" deal? War on terror and all of that nonsense?

 

For whatever reason you think we've invaded or whether your against it or not, we are a country with the resources and man-power to take on the enemy without having to use nuclear weapons. Neither do we have the ambition to wipe out millions of people (despite what you might think). However, both Iran and North Korea do have that ambition, with it having been stated on numerous occasions. Also Israel would rape Iran with or without the help of the Americans and Iran knows this, hence why it's not a good idea thme having Nuclear Weapons.

 

If North Korea had proper nuclear weapons they could potentially spark a war with FOUR desperate countries 3 of which possess Nuclear Weapons, by attacking the South, which would probably lead to the Americans coming in for the South and then China coming in for the North.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Tequila_Boy

[David]

The general idea I was thinking wasn't so much that everyone should have nuclear weapons, but more that no one should have them.

 

That would include the bastions of democracy and free speech as well, by the way.

[Rave on Jimmy]

The only real similarities between all these logos is the use of the Union flag, and if you think that's inherently racist you can fuck off back to whichever country you or your immediate ancestors came from.

 

I'm sure there are fairly decent cash prizes available to anyone who fancies doing that.

 

This is from another thread before but I would like to ask it in the Politics thread, my Pappy is from Cork in Ireland would I be legible for this supposed grant?

[kendal mint cake]

However, both Iran and North Korea do have that ambition, with it having been stated on numerous occasions.

 

By whom, where, and when?

[The King Of Swing]

Also Israel would rape Iran with or without the help of the Americans and Iran knows this, hence why it's not a good idea thme having Nuclear Weapons.

 

Hell if a nation close to me could "wipe me out" and had a history of military agression I think I would want a stockpile of Nukes just in case.

[David]

This is from another thread before but I would like to ask it in the Politics thread, my Pappy is from Cork in Ireland would I be legible for this supposed grant?

 

Perhaps.

 

You should contact your local Government official and ask.

[Carbomb]

This is from another thread before but I would like to ask it in the Politics thread, my Pappy is from Cork in Ireland would I be legible for this supposed grant?

 

Depends on how clear your handwriting is.

[ReturnOfTheMack]

Same answer as when you asked in post 98 of this thread, on the 1st of october.

 

Worry not, my friend. Your opinion from then has been duly noted and considered.

 

I was looking to see if anyone else had anything to add. Basically because the BNP stuff was getting old.

 

 

Truth be told I had assumed you forgot you asked.

[David]

The huge increases in migrants over the last decade were partly due to a politically motivated attempt by ministers to radically change the country and "rub the Right's nose in diversity", according to Andrew Neather, a former adviser to Tony Blair, Jack Straw and David Blunkett.

 

He said Labour's relaxation of controls was a deliberate plan to "open up the UK to mass migration" but that ministers were nervous and reluctant to discuss such a move publicly for fear it would alienate its "core working class vote".

 

As a result, the public argument for immigration concentrated instead on the economic benefits and need for more migrants.

 

Critics said the revelations showed a "conspiracy" within Government to impose mass immigration for "cynical" political reasons.

 

Mr Neather was a speech writer who worked in Downing Street for Tony Blair and in the Home Office for Jack Straw and David Blunkett, in the early 2000s.

 

Writing in the Evening Standard, he revealed the "major shift" in immigration policy came after the publication of a policy paper from the Performance and Innovation Unit, a Downing Street think tank based in the Cabinet Office, in 2001.

 

He wrote a major speech for Barbara Roche, the then immigration minister, in 2000, which was largely based on drafts of the report.

 

He said the final published version of the report promoted the labour market case for immigration but unpublished versions contained additional reasons, he said.

 

He wrote: "Earlier drafts I saw also included a driving political purpose: that mass immigration was the way that the Government was going to make the UK truly multicultural.

 

"I remember coming away from some discussions with the clear sense that the policy was intended

[David]

It seems that Nick Griffin was in Scotland recently, talking about the idea of a referedum on independence among other things;

 

The British National Party will support the right of Scotland to have a referendum on independence, even though the party is opposed to independence per se, said Nick Griffin MEP.

 

Speaking after a packed out meeting to officially launch the BNP

Edited October 29, 2009 by hardcore_harry

[David]

David Cameron is to tell the British people that a Conservative government will not give them a referendum on the European Union

[The King Of Swing]

Did anyone honestly believe that any of the three partys would ever give us a referendum? if you did then you are a more trusting person then I am.

 

I'm suprised that an MP hasn't said well democracy is over rated anyway yet.

 

Unless the public actually make some sort of stand we will NEVER have a say on the EU end of story and Ireland simply showed us why a referendum would essentially mean nothing anyway.

 

Fact is the EU hates democracy.

[patiirc]

According to Ceefax, David Dimblebey is not hosting question time tonight as he is hospital after being injured by a 'bull' that kicked him

 

He is being replaced by John Humphrys for one night only apparently

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8356943.stm

[David]

Straw retreats over gay hate law

 

Ministers have admitted defeat in their efforts to remove a "free speech" defence from new laws against inciting homophobic hatred.

 

MPs have voted four times to scrap it but it has been repeatedly overturned in the Lords, who again last night voted by 179 to 135 to keep it.

 

Among those concerned about the new law were some comedians who feared it would leave them open to prosecution.

 

Ministers argued only words intended to stir up hatred were being targeted.

 

An offence of inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation was brought in by legislation last year, but a "free speech" defence, opposed by the government, was inserted by Conservative peer Lord Waddington.

 

The law was not brought into force while the government sought to remove the defence but on Thursday, the last day of this Parliamentary session, the government admitted defeat in a statement from the Ministry of Justice.

 

A spokeswoman said the government was "very disappointed" at the Lords vote and as the threshold for prosecution was "high", the defence was not needed.

 

She said: "The offence only covers words or behaviour that are threatening and intended to stir up hatred."

 

But she added the government could no longer delay the passage of the Coroners and Justice Bill.

 

"It is with considerable disappointment, therefore, that the government has agreed not to remove the 'freedom of expression' section."

 

She added that the law against inciting homophobic hatred would now be brought into force "as quickly as possible" and the government would return to the issue in future "should it prove necessary to do so".

 

However the concession was not announced by Justice Secretary Jack Straw in the Commons on Thursday.

 

Instead deputy speaker Sir Alan Haslehurst read out a list of amendments on which "this House does not insist, in its disagreement with the Lords".

 

Conservative MP Edward Leigh asked, unsuccessfully, for a statement from Mr Straw, adding it appeared "that the government has run up the white flag on the Lord Waddington amendment. This is a great victory for free speech, I think we should know more about it."

 

MPs have, on four occasions, voted to remove the free speech clause from the bill by large majorities during its passage through Parliament.

 

Ahead of Wednesday's vote in the Lords justice minister Lord Bach warned peers: "There must come a point where this House, with all its great virtues, gives way to the House that has been elected by the people of this country."

 

But Lord Waddington argued that peers had to maintain consistency: "If we are to finish up with a free speech clause in the religious hatred offence but no free speech clause here, we're simply asking for trouble."

 

Labour peer Lord Smith, who was the first MP to come out openly as gay, warned that a free speech clause could lead to more attacks on homosexuals.

 

"If the signal that is sent is that it is all right to be intolerant... then I fear that we will end up seeing more violence," he said.

 

Some comedians have criticised the law, saying it could stifle creativity and even lead to the threat of people being arrested over jokes.

 

And during the Lords debate crossbencher Lord Dear cited the example of grandmother Pauline Howe, 67, who was visited by police after writing a letter to Norwich Council to complain about a gay pride march.

 

The council informed her the letter was assessed as "potentially being hate related" - she argued she was expressing her Christian beliefs.

 

On Thursday Simon Calvert, of The Christian Institute, welcomed the government's decision as a "victory for common sense".

 

There are no national statistics on homophobic crime but individual police forces such as Merseyside and Strathclyde reported annual rises of over 30% in their latest figures.

 

Source: BBC.com

 

A small victory for common sense here I reckon. I wonder how many laws against free speech the Government are going to want to create in the end?