The Political Thread

[Zarjazzer]

Bloody optimist Bear with your rose tinted glasses. I for one hope for a murderous law enforcer from another universe to appear and end it all for us.

And his unpleasant chums.

Here's hoping!




(And they make a Dredd 2)

[Theblazeuk]

Having listened to a lot of what he has said over the years I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt although his voting record doesn't always help him.  Corbyn has the right instincts but his leadership skills leave an insane amount to be desired for my money. 

Agreed.

[Frank]

[Dandontdare]

 

[NapalmKev]

Manuel looks good for his age. Is Fawlty Towers returning to the screen?

[Modern Panther]

Preparing early for the evil moustache twiddling when article 50 is activated.

"I've doomed you all...muwhahaha!"

[The Legendary Shark]

It is a terrible thing to live in awe of your own government; to pay taxes for fear of what it'll do to you if you don't, to regard its enforcers as beasts, to believe its commands are laws and to live in terror of upsetting it.

But it's infinitely worse to see it for what it really is.

Bloody whisky, making me all maudlin. They should ban the stuff. Um...

[Hawkmumbler]

I don't fear paying taxes, I see them as a necessary system for quick and effective health care, easy access to education for young 'uns, and vital investments in fire and police services, which we all use at some point in our lives. Would you rather have the shocking and extortionate system America has? $30,000 or more for basic surgery, even more for "none essential" surgery, all too often used to discriminate against those most in need of it?

I don't fear our government, they're by and large a bunch of numbskulls no more fearful than a spider. Any fear you may have you've fabricated yourself to justify your contrarian views.

And I most certainly do not fear the police. Your own personal experiences where as a result of you not complying to the terms and conditions of living in a council property (it was, I presume, a council house). You where in the wrong. Get over it.

[Professor Bear]

And I most certainly do not fear the police.

Out of curiosity, are you a white guy?  I grew up Catholic in Northern Ireland.

[The Legendary Shark]

It's not about what the taxes are for. I do not have the right to demand money from you, to spend as I see fit, and steal your stuff or throw you in a cage if you refuse. Nor do you have the right to do the same to me. In fact, I'd bet that the thought of you doing such a thing to me, or to your neighbours, or to anyone, is as repellent to you as it is to me. I believe most people hold a similar attitude. Why, then, do people allow other people to act like monsters for them? People with no more rights than themselves? If either of us wants something from the other, we have the right to ask and nothing more.

As to my interaction with the council, my crime was in having no regular job and no money at that time - to not want to claim "benefits" because I think that's just as bad as demanding money from my neighbours to pay my way, or employing a thug to do it for me. I refused to pay nothing, I asked - indeed begged - to negotiate a settlement with it. It responded by lying, threatening, bullying and ultimately with physical violence and theft.

Yes, I was wrong. Wrong to expect human beings like myself, with no more or fewer rights and responsibilities than you or I have, to act lawfully and with humanity.

I don't fear the government any more. To do so would be as insane as fearing unicorns. I don't kneel before unicorns either. If a person wants to believe in unicorns then that's fine, great, knock yourselves out. Just don't demand my belief as well, don't demand my money to buy them straw, stables and horn polish or penalise me for being a unicorn-denier. Why should I suffer for their beliefs? I don't expect them to suffer for mine.

[Professor Bear]

You were wrong to make those cops break into your house despite that being illegal, Sharky.  You were wrong to make them hide evidence and lie in court.

[The Legendary Shark]

Heh. I'm such a bad man.

[TordelBack]

Hawk v Shark: Whoever wins we all end up covered in spume and dander...

Pretty sure I saw a trailer for this on Discovery. Equally sure Hawkmumbler got out of bed on the wrong side, probably the same side that Shark got out of contemporary society...

You're both daft as feck, but we love you all the same. Kiss and make up.

[The Legendary Shark]

Oops - didn't mean to come across as confrontational but I guess I was a bit intense.  Sorry, Hawkie. Politics, eh? Who'd have thought it could be such a divisive subject?

[Colin YNWA]

spume

Giggle