MrHairyman

But are much more hawkish about Libya?

Could it be anything to do with OIL, do you think?

David Cameron announced yesterday evening, the government are freezing Gadaffi's families accounts in the UK - further pushing him (hopefully) out of government in Libya.

I'm all in favour of this, and this question isn't a dig at the Tories - because I know Labour did it too.

What I'm wondering is, how come this wasn't done sooner - years ago? Not just for Gadaffi, but for Mubarak, Aferweki of Eritrea and so on. In the 1980's Ibrahim Babangida was military dictator of Nigeria and stole billions from the country with the help of Barclays Bank. He's still alive and still has access to that money. There are many more like that.

Isn't it about time we put some pressure on our governments and banks to be a bit more ethical?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/27/gaddaf...

Many places in England will have St Patricks Day celebrations.

If you're opposed to multiculturalism and immigration, then I presume you'll be organising some sort of protest on this day?

After all, the Irish are one of the largest group of immigrants into the UK. This day celebrates the culture of a foreign country and a saint from a religion seeking to convert people from the Church of England.

So doubtless, there'll be protests and flashpoints yeah?

Why did he say today?:

"If a charity or a faith group want to set up a great new school in the state sector, we'll let them"

Surely this goes against what he said last week??

"we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream".

For a long time now, despite evidence to the contrary, the EDL have insisted they have no issue with Muslims, just with extremist Muslims.

However, now that they have invited Pastor Terry Jones (even though he's not coming) to come and speak at a rally, does that now mean they're admitting they are oppose to all Muslims?

After all, Jones is openly opposed to all Muslims, not to mention being extremely homophobic and a believer in the literal interpretation of the bible.

I know we're "all in this together", but London councils have just announced they are removing £3.2 million worth of funding for homless services in the capital. With less than 2 years to go the Olympics and with the coldest winter in recent memory on top of us, do you think the homeless should have been excused from this round of cuts?

http://propertytalklive.co.uk/social-housing/4886-...

This is from Johaan Hari in The Indepdendent Oct 29th

For years now, Vodafone has been claiming that a major chunk of its business should not be subject to British taxes - that could run to billions of pounds - because the deal was routed through a company in ultra low tax Luxembourg. The company – which has doubled its profits during this recession – engaged in all kinds of accounting twists and turns; they looked set to pay a sum Private Eye calculates to be more than £6bn.

Then, suddenly, the exchequer – run by George Osborne – cancelled almost all of the outstanding tax bill, in a move a senior figure in Revenues and Customs says is “an unbelievable cave-in.” A few days after the decision, Osborne was promoting Vodafone on a tax-payer funded trip to India. He then appointed Andy Halford, the finance director of Vodafone, to the government’s Advisory Board on Business Tax Rates, apparently because he thinks this is a model of how the Tories think it should be done.

http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/ if you, like me want to start registering your displeasure.

Campaigners took over Sir Philip Green's flagship London Topshop store yesterday, forcing it to close its doors on one of the busiest trading days of the year, as sit-ins and protests were staged across Britain against tax avoidance by rich individuals and big businesses.

Eileen Smith, 78, said. "I support anyone who is fighting hese terrible cuts. How dare this government say we are all in this together when 24 members of the cabinet are millionaires and men like Philip Green and his cronies are feted. The hypocrisy is sickening."

Her friend Mary, 64, agreed: "And don't let anyone say this protest is hijacked by anarchists. If anything, it's hijacked by pensioners!"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/05/cut...

The Arcadia retail group tycoon and businesses including Vodafone, Barclays and Boots are the focus of rising anger over government cuts that campaigners say could be avoided if alleged tax dodging were stamped out, bringing in some £25bn a year to the public purse.

From The Daily Mash:

BRITAIN TRAPPED UNDER TWO FEET OF GLOBAL WARMING BULLSH*T

BRITAIN ground to a standstill today after the heaviest November global warming bullsh*t in more than a decade.

Across the country thousands of people found themselves trapped in pubs by a relentless blizzard of tedious, predictable observations by the sort of people who post comments on the Daily Mail website.

The Met Office said there was around 24 inches of dreary, ill-informed piss in most parts of the UK, while strong winds could cause bullsh*t drifts up to 40ft deep.

Tom Logan, who is trapped in a pub in Stevenage, said: "I popped into the White Hart for a few triple vodkas before I went back to work and there was Geoff just sitting there. With his newspaper.

"I could see it coming towards me like a huge, dark cloud full of utter fu**ing sh*t about things that he does not even begin to understand.

"It started with a flurry of statistics that simply aren't true and then the really heavy stuff came down - 'so why is it so cold?' and 'it's all a Marxist conspiracy' which was, of course, followed immediately by 'that Al Gore is a billionaire, you know'.

"It stopped, very briefly, while he ordered another Guinness and then he just dumped this massive, disgusting comment about Africans right into the middle of my head. Thank God I wasn't driving."

Dr Julian Cook, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Studies, said: "One of the nastier effects of the global warming debate is that a lot of people - Daily Mail readers, fu**ers, that kind of thing - seem to think climate science is based on looking out the window.

"So, over the next couple of days, if someone says to you 'I suppose this is so-called climate change?' just say 'yes, it fu**ing is actually'."

Meanwhile, Logan said he still hoped to dig himself out before sunset, adding: "At this time of year I always carry my b****cks shovel and a pair of tennis rackets, but it will take me a while to get out of here because as you can see he is still going on and on and on and on.

"If he even starts to say 'we could probably do with a bit of global warming' I am going to try and kill myself with this flare gun."

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/britain...

One of the most Capitalist governments in the EU has produced one of the biggest economic disasters in years. Will the next election see Ireland moving to the left?

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article24438.html

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/7/7/143457...

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93894

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-...

With the revelation today that in over 5000 'weekend' schools, children are being taught a violent and repulsive version of Islamic law - promoting anti semitism and homophobia, should these weekend schools be monitored by the government and subject to OFSTEAD inspections?

This would also apply to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish equivalents too, I suppose. I know there's a lot in the Old Testament that wouldn't sit well with current UK law. I imagine the same goes with the other faiths.

So, what do we do? Allow religious freedom - let Sunday schools and so on, discuss and preach ideas that are illegal in the UK? Or do we police it - thus driving all these schools underground?

I genuinely don't know the answer.

Would the BNP revert to being antisemitic and anti-black again?

It used to be in this country and countries with similar cultures, celebrated Yuletide and Saturnalia at this time of year. Now it seems it's all about 'Christianity' - some religion that the immigrants brought in. Is trying to appease Christians and their middle-eastern faith just political correctness gone mad?

A number of newspapers are today carrying a story warning of the grim danger Britain faces from immigrants - talking about the 'nightmare' scenario of Britains white majority being in a minority by 2066. This scenario was positied by the Migration Advisory Board

Leaving aside the lazy journalism involved in just printing the press release without any critical analysis (The Mail, Express, Indepdendent, Telegraph), does anyone know who the MAB are?

The story mentions Prof David Coleman is a member of the board, and I know he is on the board of the right-wing 'Migration Watch' website as well as being a senior member of the pro-Eugenics Galton Institute.

However, I can't find a website for the MAB, any other papers they published, or anything about their other members. Can anyone help?

Green was asked by David Cameron, to carry out a review of government spending and procurement

For three months, a reporter for Channel 4’s Dispatches worked undercover in workshops in Leicester, stitching garments for British retail chains including Bhs, run by Sir Philip Green, who is advising David Cameron on public sector “efficiency” savings.

The factories were making clothes for five high street brands: Bhs, owned by billionaire retailer Sir Philip’s Arcadia group, New Look, Peacocks, C&A and Jane Norman.

In the investigation - to be screened tonight - the undercover reporter found:

* “dangerous, pressurised sweatshop conditions”;

* pay at half the legal minimum wage;

* workers exhorted to work faster under threat of the sack;

Cheap unregulated Labour making even more money for one of the countries richest men. Is this the future under the Tories?

If people want their kids to be educated by a faith school, that's fine. They can pay, or the schools can show mercy to the less well off by paying for them.

However, I dont understand why taxpayers money goes to schools that openly discriminate against people who are not of their faith.

This goes for all faith schools.

Other than that, it just stays on the 'windows starting up' screen and hangs there.

It's Windows XP Home Edition. It's about 5 years old, so I'm aware of wear and tear.

I've done chkdsk, ccleaner, ad aware, antivirus etc.

I'm thinking some boot files have been corrupted. Any suggestions?

The NHS spends up to £10m on homeopathic remedies - time to ditch this nonsense?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/27/nhs-...

ROMAN Catholic priests are threatening to strike on their busiest night of the year.

Clergymen in England and Wales want a three percent pay increase, a rise in employer pension contributions and for everyone to stop calling them a bunch of kiddie fiddlers all the time.

But the government has condemned the strike threat as 'reckless and irresponsible' insisting millions of people will be forced to cancel Halloween or face an increased risk of having their soul consumed by Lucifer.

A Home Office spokesman said: "While this may be the priesthood's busiest night of the year, it is also Satan's.

"The night before All Saints Day sees children at their most vulnerable to pure, unadulterated Beelzebubbery. Except perhaps when they are watching that million pound quiz thing with Davina McCall."

The spokesman added: "On Halloween, Lucifer lurks in every alleyway, behind every wheelie bin and at the bottom of every bag full of Bazooka Joes.

"You may send your child out dressed as Lady Gaga in a meat dress but without the skill and dedication of a fully equipped, state-of-the-art priest they will surely return to you as a firey-eyed demon that can turn its head all the way round and will vomit green acid at your dinner guests before throwing one of them down a long flight of stairs."

Father Stephen Malley, secretary general of the Association of Priests, Monsignors and Non-Ordained Exorcists, said: "We don't want to take this action. We would much rather be standing behind innocent children, vigorously protecting them from the devil.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/priests...

If you look at the UN Human Development Index, which measures quality of life, the top 10 countries are:

1. Norway 0.971 (▲ 1)

2. Australia 0.970 (▲ 2)

3. Iceland 0.969 (▼ 2)

4. Canada 0.966 (▼ 1)

5. Ireland 0.965 (▬)

6. Netherlands 0.964 (▬)

7. Sweden 0.963 (▬)

8. France 0.961 (▲ 3)

9. Switzerland 0.960 (▲ 1)

10 Japan 0.960 (▼ 2

Of these, I'd say Switzerland, Japan and Ireland aren't particularly Socialist. France has a right-wing leader at the moment, but has strong Unions, a good national health service etc, so even right-wing France is more Socialist than most.

If you look at the most democratic countries in the world, according to the Democracy Index, they are:

Sweden

Norway

Iceland

Netherlands

Denmark

Finland

New Zealand

Switzerland

Luxembourg

Australia

Again, a lot of 'social democracies'.

Why do you think that is?