Politics in General

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Rhys Benjamin
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Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

My right wing support has meant that all the Year 9's (Year 10's in NI, S4 in Scotland) come up to me and say,
Year 9's wrote:Margaret Thatcher's a whore!
Ah well. I try with attacking James Callaghan, saying that she's inspirational by saving millions of lives, saying that we don't complain about the poll tax any more, she was voted in by the public, then they say something false and random, such as,
Year 9's wrote: SHE told the black people to fuck off back to where they came from!
Oh help.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

I'm with them on this one. Sorry!
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Mark James »

Has anyone tried http://www.politicalcompass.org/test yet to see where they stand politically. Apparently I'm a libertarian left, only two squares away from the Dalai Lama, although I have to say, some of the questions are stupidly put. Take the one about the business man being more important than the artist. If I disagree with that I think they think I believe the artist is more important than the business man but I don't. I think they're both equally important.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Michael Wallace »

Mark James wrote:Has anyone tried http://www.politicalcompass.org/test yet to see where they stand politically. Apparently I'm a libertarian left, only two squares away from the Dalai Lama, although I have to say, some of the questions are stupidly put. Take the one about the business man being more important than the artist. If I disagree with that I think they think I believe the artist is more important than the business man but I don't. I think they're both equally important.
Yeah, I do this from time to time to see if I've shifted much. It's obviously not perfect, but I reckon it's still pretty good. I just redid it and continue to be a (predictably) leftie-libertarian (-7.12/-7.03).
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ryan Taylor »

I got left-libertarian. I've done it before and I think I think this is what I got although I think I've become a little stronger.


Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.79
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Re: Politics in General

Post by JimBentley »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
Rhys Benjamin wrote:we don't complain about the poll tax any more
Don't we?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Phil Reynolds »

JimBentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
I think "saved" must be Rhys's bizarre way of spelling "destroyed".
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Charlie Reams »

She saved a lot of people from a lifetime of voting Conservative.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ben Wilson »

Just did my test...

Economic Left/Right: -4.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.18

Which puts me within touching distance of Gandhi, interestingly* enough.

*Your mileage may vary.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Steve Balog »

Awwwww, Rhys thinks he's a right winger. How cute.

Come to America, where you'll be branded a Communist, Socialist, Marxist Nazi if you're to the left of Mussolini, elected officials write bills that would, for example, have women put to death for miscarrying (Google "Georgia bill HB 1" if you can't believe this) or ban the use of microchips in humans because "We believe it's the mark of the Anti-Christ" ("Virginia bill HB 53"). The second one passed their House by an almost 11:1 ratio (fortunately the Senate realised it was stupid and just let it die).

Unless you regularly vote BNP (or would when you're of voting age), you are not a right winger in America. Actually, reading their current platform, the Republicans here in America are still preeeeetty far to the right of the BNP socially.

EDIT: If you want a good idea of what American politics are like... Imagine the Labour party doesn't exist, the Liberal Democrats are a fringe left wing party that gets maybe two percent of the vote per election tops (though if I were in England, they'd get my vote almost definitely if my assessment of the party platform is accurate), and the two major parties are the Conservatives and the BNP.

EDIT: -5.25 economically, -6.72 socially.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by David O'Donnell »

Did the test and got -7.25 Lib Left which is not surprising since I founded a movement at uni called Libertarian Left.

Thatcher is like Hitler as far as I am concerned: she adopted the economic policy of freedom and combined it with a social policy of repression: there is no such thing as society only individuals and family ... BITCH.

In the playground we used to sing: "Here's Maggie Thatcher, Throw her up and catch her, Crush her and, Mush her, There's Maggie Thatcher." It even had a little dance.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

David O'Donnell wrote:Did the test and got -7.25 Lib Left which is not surprising since I founded a movement at uni called Libertarian Left.

Thatcher is like Hitler as far as I am concerned: she adopted the economic policy of freedom and combined it with a social policy of repression: there is no such thing as society only individuals and family ... BITCH.

In the playground we used to sing: "Here's Maggie Thatcher, Throw her up and catch her, Crush her and, Mush her, There's Maggie Thatcher." It even had a little dance.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

this is me drunk

Economic Left/Right: -7.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.79

even drunk im left wing, ryan taylors a racist prick
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Steve Balog »

There are no such things as methods. Only madness.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ryan Taylor »

Jon O'Neill wrote:this is me drunk

Economic Left/Right: -7.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.79

even drunk im left wing, ryan taylors a racist prick
How am I racist you twat? Political Compass proves I am not.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Matt Morrison »

David O'Donnell wrote:In the playground we used to sing: "Here's Maggie Thatcher, Throw her up and catch her, Crush her and, Mush her, There's Maggie Thatcher." It even had a little dance.
Margaret Thatcher, throw her in a bin!
If she struggles, sellotape her in!
If she gets out, smack her on the head!
Glory, glory, Thatcher's dead!
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Phil Reynolds »

Economic Left/Right: -5.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.18

Nice to be in the same company as the Dalai Lama, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. 8-)
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

JimBentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
By closing down the mines so as to save the miner's lives.
Jim Bentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:we don't complain about the poll tax any more
Don't we?
No.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by JimBentley »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:
JimBentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
By closing down the mines so as to save the miner's lives.
Not even Thatcher would have stooped to saying something quite so transparently false. If you genuinely believe that statement has even a passing acquaintanceship with the truth, then you plainly don't understand Thatcher's politics at all.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by David Williams »

JimBentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
By ending the Cold War?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by JimBentley »

David Williams wrote:
JimBentley wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:...Margaret Thatcher...she's inspirational by saving millions of lives
That's odd, I generally keep up with the news but must have fallen asleep or something when she saved millions of lives. How exactly did she accomplish this?
By ending the Cold War?
Fucking hell, she's claiming that now? That's even more self-aggrandising than Gordon Brown's assertion that he saved the world by recapitalising the banks.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Steve Balog »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:By closing down the mines so as to save the miner's lives.
Huh? I thought the right wing was all about profit, human life be damned?

I'm confused now :x
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Mark James wrote:Has anyone tried http://www.politicalcompass.org/test yet to see where they stand politically. Apparently I'm a libertarian left, only two squares away from the Dalai Lama, although I have to say, some of the questions are stupidly put. Take the one about the business man being more important than the artist. If I disagree with that I think they think I believe the artist is more important than the business man but I don't. I think they're both equally important.
Some of the questions are pretty rubbish and some are quite hard to understand/answer. I suppose you can get a broad idea of someone's views though.

"A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies."

followed by:

"The freer the market, the freer the people. "

Does this mean a genuine free market? It's sort of implicit in the first question that you'd have to agree with the second if you carried your definition through.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Economic Left/Right: 0.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.26
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Matt Morrison »

JimBentley wrote:That's even more self-aggrandising than Gordon Brown's assertion that he saved the world by recapitalising the banks.
Don't you mean "The Banks"? (this is about as much of a contribution as I can make to a politics thread)
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Michael Wallace »

Matt Morrison wrote:
JimBentley wrote:That's even more self-aggrandising than Gordon Brown's assertion that he saved the world by recapitalising the banks.
Don't you mean "The Banks"? (this is about as much of a contribution as I can make to a politics thread)
I just want it to be known that I considered making precisely this joke, but thought better of it.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Matt Morrison »

Michael Wallace wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:
JimBentley wrote:That's even more self-aggrandising than Gordon Brown's assertion that he saved the world by recapitalising the banks.
Don't you mean "The Banks"? (this is about as much of a contribution as I can make to a politics thread)
I just want it to be known that I considered making precisely this joke, but thought better of it.
Great, so you think you're better than me? Brilliant.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Michael Wallace »

Matt Morrison wrote:Great, so you think you're better than me? Brilliant.
Only in bed.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Oliver Garner »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Economic Left/Right: 0.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.26
Very Thatcherite indeed.

FWIW -
Economic -0.62
Social -2.77
I'm a neoliberal fascist compared to most of you :)
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Oliver Garner »

I know very little about politics, but it seems that countries with more than two successful parties (a result of an electoral system of other than FPTP) are more effective than two-party states . Steve would know better than me but it seems that US politics is poor. The Dems want to introduce a measure, then a horde of Faux News viewers will howl in unison 'That's SOW-SHARL-EEZ-HORM' and then gets destroyed by a filibuster. Countries which have primarily coalition governments (eg Germany) seem to make better laws and decisions since they know that they would have to compromise thus legislation is not heavily ideological and better in the long term.

On a related note, Anatole Kaletsky wrote in Wednesday's Times talking about how continental governments have a more controlled influence on the economy, with support from both the left and the right, and how this approach seems to be more sensible than the UK/US Republican attitude of deficit cutting.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Now my views have developed and I retook the test:

Economic Left/Right: 4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.69

Within touching distance of Thatcher now.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Charlie Reams »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Economic Left/Right: 4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.69
I always find this combination particularly baffling. You want the government to be small and stay out of business but also micromanage the lives of every citizen? What does that even mean?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Phil Reynolds »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Within touching distance of Thatcher now.
Try not to throw up.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Charlie Reams wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:Economic Left/Right: 4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.69
I always find this combination particularly baffling. You want the government to be small and stay out of business but also micromanage the lives of every citizen? What does that even mean?
Perhaps Rhys could post his answers to the questions with detailed explanations for each one.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Jon O'Neill wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:Economic Left/Right: 4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.69
I always find this combination particularly baffling. You want the government to be small and stay out of business but also micromanage the lives of every citizen? What does that even mean?
Perhaps Rhys could post his answers to the questions with detailed explanations for each one.
I'll just touch upon a couple:

I'm in favour of the death penalty as a better incentive for people not to commit murder. Same goes for an eye for an eye.
Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:I always find this combination particularly baffling. You want the government to be small and stay out of business but also micromanage the lives of every citizen? What does that even mean?
Perhaps Rhys could post his answers to the questions with detailed explanations for each one.
I'll just touch upon a couple:

I'm in favour of the death penalty as a better incentive for people not to commit murder. Same goes for an eye for an eye.
Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
Having read some of your posts about politics it seems like you might be in line for some punishment in that case.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Jon O'Neill wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote: Perhaps Rhys could post his answers to the questions with detailed explanations for each one.
I'll just touch upon a couple:

I'm in favour of the death penalty as a better incentive for people not to commit murder. Same goes for an eye for an eye.
Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
Having read some of your posts about politics it seems like you might be in line for some punishment in that case.
Erm... explain? Everything is a view. Now stop arguing and go and vote Boris.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Oh, and I've put an overlay here.
Last edited by Rhys Benjamin on Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Oh, and I've put an overlay here.
Haha, that's quality.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:I'm in favour of the death penalty as a better incentive for people not to commit murder. Same goes for an eye for an eye.
That's a bit weird. You're in favour of the death penalty for murder (and you are taking the eye for an eye line), but you are also in favour of the death penalty for an eye for an eye. It seems a bit "meta" to me.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ian Volante »

I just got -5.75,-5.59, although that's probably slightly left-biassed after reading this thread...

Then again, my views have evolved quite a bit in the last couple of years. They say people get more conservative as they get older. Is that a symptom of losing interest in the world and not thinking any more?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jennifer Steadman »

-5.12, -4.15. I'm so glad I managed to break the family tradition of being rabidly Conservative.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
Why and how? It's unlikely they'll have the money to pay a fine (you'd have to fine the parents and, although you may argue that parents should keep tabs on what their children are doing, you can't monitor everything they do), the prisons are overcrowded enough as it is (plus jail time in their formative years is probably more likely to screw them up in the long run than a cheeky spliff at a party is), and the science GCSE curriculum already includes an anti-drugs and tobacco agenda, so forcing them to go to an awareness lecture or workshop is unlikely to change their opinions of drugs and cigarettes. In any case, cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Thomas Carey »

-1.38, -0.26.

How do you put results on the site?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Charlie Reams »

Jennifer Steadman wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
Why and how? It's unlikely they'll have the money to pay a fine (you'd have to fine the parents and, although you may argue that parents should keep tabs on what their children are doing, you can't monitor everything they do), the prisons are overcrowded enough as it is (plus jail time in their formative years is probably more likely to screw them up in the long run than a cheeky spliff at a party is), and the science GCSE curriculum already includes an anti-drugs and tobacco agenda, so forcing them to go to an awareness lecture or workshop is unlikely to change their opinions of drugs and cigarettes. In any case, cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
I would read some of Rhys' previous attempts at debate before bothering to engage him with rational points...
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Jennifer Steadman wrote:-5.12, -4.15. I'm so glad I managed to break the family tradition of being rabidly Conservative.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:Children who illegally smoke/do drugs should be heavily punished.
Why and how? It's unlikely they'll have the money to pay a fine (you'd have to fine the parents and, although you may argue that parents should keep tabs on what their children are doing, you can't monitor everything they do), the prisons are overcrowded enough as it is (plus jail time in their formative years is probably more likely to screw them up in the long run than a cheeky spliff at a party is), and the science GCSE curriculum already includes an anti-drugs and tobacco agenda, so forcing them to go to an awareness lecture or workshop is unlikely to change their opinions of drugs and cigarettes. In any case, cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
No, I'm against rehabilitation. It's too soft in my opinion. I'd probably send them to prison for a very short time and do community service which is compulsory.
The reason I bought up drugs is that I've caught people in my school doing them and the left authoritarian deputy head (the one in charge of this matter) doesn't do anything.
Charlie Reams wrote: would read some of Rhys' previous attempts at debate before bothering to engage him with rational points...
Oi, I won the school debating competition! :P
Thomas Carey wrote:-1.38, -0.26.

How do you put results on the site?
I'll do it.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Mark James »

I'm -5.25, -6.67.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:I would read some of Rhys' previous attempts at debate before bothering to engage him with rational points...
Oi, I won the school debating competition! :P
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jennifer Steadman »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:No, I'm against rehabilitation. It's too soft in my opinion. I'd probably send them to prison for a very short time and do community service which is compulsory.
but
Jennifer Steadman wrote:the prisons are overcrowded enough as it is (plus jail time in their formative years is probably more likely to screw them up in the long run than a cheeky spliff at a party is)
Rhys Benjamin wrote:The reason I bought up drugs is that I've caught people in my school doing them and the left authoritarian deputy head (the one in charge of this matter) doesn't do anything.
but
Jennifer Steadman wrote:cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
Charlie has a point...
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Graeme Cole »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Now my views have developed and I retook the test:

Economic Left/Right: 4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.69

Within touching distance of Thatcher now.
Is Thatcher your target? You should probably be letting your political viewpoint develop on its own based on what you think, rather than trying to bend your opinion over time to match those of a particular person.

-2.38, -3.90, FWIW.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon Corby »

Graeme Cole wrote:Is Thatcher your target?
*waits for assassination joke, probably from Phil*
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Phil Reynolds »

Jon Corby wrote:
Graeme Cole wrote:Is Thatcher your target?
*waits for assassination joke, probably from Phil*
Well... Not original, but I am reminded of the headline from Not The Nine O'Clock News that went something like: "The Metropolitan Police are making progress in the search for the people who have said they wish to kill Mrs Thatcher; 56 million people are helping with their enquiries."
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ian Volante »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:No, I'm against rehabilitation. It's too soft in my opinion. I'd probably send them to prison for a very short time and do community service which is compulsory.
I recommend that you read something about the relative outcomes of prisoners in differing regimes of investment in rehab.

Whether you invest in rehab depends if you like giving people a chance of contributing who've never had one before (or never realised that they had the chance), or whether it's sensible to allow an often mentally-unstable class of career criminals who are likely physically dependent on drugs/alcohol to form.

Also, have you read anything about the relative economics of prevention and cure?

As Charlie points out, I'm not expecting a cogent response, but it would be nice to see that you had made an effort to put some intellectual rigour into your arguments rather than reflecting your image of what you think Thatcher would have done.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jon Corby »

Ian Volante wrote:As Charlie points out, I'm not expecting a cogent response, but it would be nice to see that you had made an effort to put some intellectual rigour into your arguments rather than reflecting your image of what you think Thatcher would have done.
I predict that Rhys is not for turning, and also that he's "enjoying this".
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Phil Reynolds »

Jon Corby wrote:I predict that Rhys is not for turning, and also that he's "enjoying this".
Don't forget "We have become a grandmother".
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Latest version of the chart.

Thomas and I are breaking away from you 'orrible lot.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Ian Volante wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:No, I'm against rehabilitation. It's too soft in my opinion. I'd probably send them to prison for a very short time and do community service which is compulsory.
I recommend that you read something about the relative outcomes of prisoners in differing regimes of investment in rehab.

Whether you invest in rehab depends if you like giving people a chance of contributing who've never had one before (or never realised that they had the chance), or whether it's sensible to allow an often mentally-unstable class of career criminals who are likely physically dependent on drugs/alcohol to form.

Also, have you read anything about the relative economics of prevention and cure?

As Charlie points out, I'm not expecting a cogent response, but it would be nice to see that you had made an effort to put some intellectual rigour into your arguments rather than reflecting your image of what you think Thatcher would have done.
Thank you.

Although I think that giving out harsher punishments would be a better incentive for evil wrong-doers to not "wrong-do" as they know that they might not get a roof and 3 square meals. I'm reading a book in class called "Stone Cold". For anyone who's not read it and doesn't want to read it, it's about the exploits of one homeless person whilst there's a psychotic serial killer who's killing homeless people. It finishes with (bearing in mind this is set during the glorious time of Sir John Major):
Yeah, but like - justice was done, right? Was it, though? Shelter (that's what he called himself - they found a sort of log book) - Shelter gets life, which means he gets a roof, a bed and three square meals a day. I don't.
Now, I think Shelter should have been killed. We need to crackdown and give people a better reason not to commit mass murder.
Jon Corby wrote:
I predict that Rhys is not for turning, and also that he's "enjoying this".
Yes and Yes.
Phil Reynolds wrote: Don't forget "We have become a grandmother".
Yes, we have.
Jon Corby wrote:
*waits for assassination joke, probably from Phil*
I have added security. :P
Graeme Cole wrote: Is Thatcher your target? You should probably be letting your political viewpoint develop on its own based on what you think, rather than trying to bend your opinion over time to match those of a particular person.

-2.38, -3.90, FWIW.
Yes, she is. We should aspire to share the views of great political leaders.
Jennifer Steadman wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:No, I'm against rehabilitation. It's too soft in my opinion. I'd probably send them to prison for a very short time and do community service which is compulsory.
but
Jennifer Steadman wrote:the prisons are overcrowded enough as it is (plus jail time in their formative years is probably more likely to screw them up in the long run than a cheeky spliff at a party is)
141 Jail places left. Think. That's my whole village. One hundred and forty one. That's more than many people think.
Jennifer Steadman wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:The reason I bought up drugs is that I've caught people in my school doing them and the left authoritarian deputy head (the one in charge of this matter) doesn't do anything.
but
Jennifer Steadman wrote:cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
They're illegal. If they're illegal, they're illegal. Full stop. It is illegal for a reason - and so, I'm not in favour of liberalisation.

I rest my case.

Oh, and did anyone else see that excellent speech yesterday?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Charlie Reams »

Rhys Benjamin wrote: 141 Jail places left. Think. That's my whole village. One hundred and forty one. That's more than many people think.
lol
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Ian Volante »

Rhys Benjamin wrote:It is illegal for a reason - and so, I'm not in favour of liberalisation.
So it doesn't matter what the reason is, as long as there is one?
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Ian Volante wrote:
Rhys Benjamin wrote:It is illegal for a reason - and so, I'm not in favour of liberalisation.
So it doesn't matter what the reason is, as long as there is one?
Yes.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Jennifer Steadman »

Children debating without researching. Sigh.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:We should aspire to share the views of great political leaders.
Not when they screw up the lives of millions of people. Do you aspire to be like Hitler or Stalin? Exactly. To use your reasoning from further down your post, there's a reason why so many people refuse on principle to vote Conservative, and that reason is Mrs Thatcher's legacy - a legacy of unemployment, unfair taxes and rising poverty. They may have gleaned the most votes at the General Election, but when you consider how untenable the Labour government's position had become amid the recession (and Gordon Brown's unpopularity), they should've had a landslide majority. Easily. Mrs Thatcher is at least partly responsible for them not achieving that.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:141 Jail places left. Think. That's my whole village. One hundred and forty one. That's more than many people think.
Yes, that's definitely a sizeable number considering that the UK has a prison population of nearly 100,000. Oh, and according to this article, there are at the very least 770 teenagers who should be chucked in jail with immediate effect for taking drugs and, according to this, the prison population would quadruple with the numbers of teens who smoke underage. THAT'S more than many people think.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:
Jennifer Steadman wrote:cigarettes and drugs aren't affecting anyone except them, so what's the point in punishing them?
They're illegal. If they're illegal, they're illegal. Full stop. It is illegal for a reason - and so, I'm not in favour of liberalisation.
Swearing, male homosexuality and football used to be illegal. They were all illegal for a reason, but not for a good/rational reason. Hey, it's still illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day, die in the Houses of Parliament and put a stamp upside down! You tell me the good reasons for all of those. I'll bet you've broken the first of those, at the very least. We should throw you in jail! Oh, no, wait, because it's a stupid law. Your line of reasoning is, in the nicest way possible, absolute fucking bollocks.

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but its rampant ignorance disturbs me.
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Re: Politics in General

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Jennifer Steadman wrote:Children debating without researching. Sigh.
Rhys Benjamin wrote:We should aspire to share the views of great political leaders.
Not when they screw up the lives of millions of people. Do you aspire to be like Hitler or Stalin? Exactly. To use your reasoning from further down your post, there's a reason why so many people refuse on principle to vote Conservative, and that reason is Mrs Thatcher's legacy - a legacy of unemployment, unfair taxes and rising poverty. They may have gleaned the most votes at the General Election, but when you consider how untenable the Labour government's position had become amid the recession (and Gordon Brown's unpopularity), they should've had a landslide majority. Easily. Mrs Thatcher is at least partly responsible for them not achieving that.
Woah, Woah, Woah, Mrs. Thatcher did NOT cause a rise in unemployment. Maybe towards the end, but explain how she won 3 elections?

James Callaghan RUINED the mining industry - he was operating off the trade unions. He made the mines unsafe to work in.
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