The Political Thread

[The Legendary Shark]

I'm not aware of that situation, Prof, but from what you've said it sounds like Common Law in action!


Just like this!

[Professor Bear]

I'm not aware of that situation, Prof, but from what you've said it sounds like Common Law in action!

In a nutshell, the government tried to impose a water bill on every property in Northern Ireland and the vast majority of our population told them to go fuck themselves.
We told them to go fuck themselves in letters, we told them to go fuck themselves when we saw them in the street, we told them to go fuck themselves on the radio, and the tv and the papers ran stories about how a usually-polorised people were as one telling the government to go fuck themselves - the government, unused to this strange notion of doing what we tell them to do instead of the other way around, didn't take the hint and so lied to the population and said this wasn't already covered by our rates, then they lied again when they tried to move the goalposts by saying what a great bone they were tossing us in keeping the bills so low (according to leaked documents, this was bullshit as the bills were to increase by 100 percent annually for the first three years), then they tried to move the goalposts again with debates about how rates would or wouldn't be variable and vulnerable people wouldn't be at a disadvantage - which was proven to be even bigger bullshit when someone leaked documents stating how the private firms employed to manage debt collection were planning specifically to target the the poor, the disabled, and the mentally incompetent so as to have visible scalps to show during the early days of their PR campaign.
Despite their lies, lies and more lies, enough people said no to paying for their water twice despite access to it being a human right so the government and their private sector lapdogs folded because no amount of money can buy you a spine.

[The Legendary Shark]

That's brilliant, Prof, truly brilliant. Exactly what I've been talking about and the only way we can free ourselves from the myth of "authority". The fact that this happened in Northern Ireland, where the "authorities" have inflicted so much damage and misery, is perhaps the most heartening thing I've heard in a long, long time.

I hope this doesn't sound patronising as that's the last thing on my mind but bloody well done, I'm proud of you all!

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Ulster says no

[TordelBack]

Ulster says no

Practice makes perfect.

Meanwhile, the Republic says: "we'll just take it at source if you're PAYE or Social Welfare". It's what Collins would have wanted.

[Professor Bear]

Ulster says no

Practice makes perfect.

"The Man From Del Monte was warned."

[soggy]

Ulster says no

Practice makes perfect.

Meanwhile, the Republic says: "we'll just take it at source if you're PAYE or Social Welfare". It's what Collins would have wanted.

Well he was Minister of Finance so you are probably right 

[Dandontdare]

The first, and best, kind of police is the police Constable, whose job it is to uphold the common law. The second, inferior kind is the police officer, whose job it is to enforce legislative law.

There is no such distinction - every member of the police is a police officer, constable is simply the lowest rank.

[The Legendary Shark]

Like the Chief Constable, you mean?

[Professor Bear]

More heartening news: the schoolgirl they tried to deport back to her abusive family in Mauritius has had a stay when Air Mauritius - like British Airways before them - refused to take part in the deportation.  Easy to forget that there's people in these giant corporate entities and that occasionally they can come through and remind you we're getting better, though it's worth noting that she's still being held in Yarl's Wood, a privately-run detention center that employs rapists on its staff, has a history of sexual abuse against its mostly-female detainees - some of which are children - and which today has announced that a 40 year-old woman has died of "cardiac arrest."  Don't know about the rest of you, but I think that sounds perfectly legit.

Anyone on Twitter could do worse with a minute of their time to toss a missive at the minister for immigration, James Brokenshire: https://twitter.com/JBrokenshire

[The Legendary Shark]

They'll probably just end up using the R.A.F. That's if Ryanair doesn't start up some kind of budget deportation service first, where deportees are charged for meals, oxygen and shackle hire and deposited in a country quite near the one they're being sent to and then bussed the rest of the way in a secure crate. EasyGetLost.

[Professor Bear]

I'm not sure, but I think that the military aren't allowed to intervene in civil matters like that, and using a Ryanair flight would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

As for your hilarious jokes about people being charged for their own incarceration and deportation, I feel I have to point out what confirmed benefit fraudster Chris "I'm not a lawyer" Grayling has been up to recently and remind you that this is what the government are already doing.  Makes sense, really: private firms running jails can cut costs and maximise profit if inmates have to pay for their own amenities.  They can further profit if only they had more inmates to work with, but one step at a time, eh?

[The Legendary Shark]

Yup, it's a clusterdrokk alright. Use the U.S. method, I say. Put prisoners to work for pennies in the pound making license plates and bodyarmour and throw 'em in solitary if they don't wanna' work. That way it's not slavery - it's rehabilitation and good for the economy. (And by "economy" I do mean, of course, billionaires.) The upside is that if you fancy a job for life, all you have to do is kill somebody. (This does not constitute career advice, just in case any lawyers are Twoothy fans...)

Hmmm... I seem to have my cynicism dial stuck on 4 1/2.

[The Legendary Shark]

[Stan]

It seems Air Mauritius changed their mind for some unknown reason.

They could've at least waited till either A) she finished her exams, or B) a decision had been made on the rest of here family. Preferably both.

And I don't have a problem with 'both'.