The Political Thread

[Dandontdare]

trade unions did work, too well in fact. the bosses (including the govt in the case of nationalised industries) could not accept that they no longer had the power to fix wages or hire and fire at will, so their power had to be broken.

there may have been some excesses (the RMT try even my patience), but it was a far better system than the current one of zero-hour contracts, no job security and breadline wages.

[Old Tankie]

True.

[Richmond Clements]

True.

Now just wait a minute you two!
Have I just seen two people agreeing about something on here? You you pair even know how to use the internet??

[Steve Green]

Side-effect of the forum purge.

Normal service will be resumed ASAP.

[Stan]

I saw the front page of today's Mirror and they're giving off that the poor pay more income tax than the rich.  I mean, surely this is only sensible seeing as the poor have less income and need to pay more of it to keep up with what the rich contribute?

Are you sure it was just income tax? I recall seeing a break down which showed the poor paying a higher percentage overall but not just for income tax.

[Jim_Campbell]

Are you sure it was just income tax? I recall seeing a break down which showed the poor paying a higher percentage overall but not just for income tax.

I believe VAT is particularly brutal to people on lower income. Note how successive governments have been happy to hike VAT rather than income tax...

Cheers

Jim

[Recrewt]

VAT is one of those 'stealth taxes' though where most of the time you don't recognise that you are paying it.

With income tax, I recall some years back (before Blair, I think) where Labour were expected to win the next election.  So they decided to be honest and tell folks they would have to up the income tax. Result = another term for the Conservatives. 

I don't believe anyone has drastically changed income tax since!

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Ok, I'm going to vent a wee bit about the disgraceful situation* in Northern Ireland.

When it comes to topics like gay marriage or abortion, our elected** representatives come out talking about how it goes against their christian values and they roll out the bible quotations.

Have you ever heard a single one of these unqualified cunts quote "love thy neighbour"?

No. You haven't. It's almost like they're only christians when it suits their agenda.

*pronounced colloquially as sitchooo-ay-shun
**by block voting based on 800 year old bullshit

[Frank]

Ok, I'm going to vent a wee bit about the disgraceful situation* in Northern Ireland. When it comes to topics like gay marriage or abortion, our elected representatives come out talking about how it goes against their christian values and they roll out the bible quotations. Have you ever heard a single one of these unqualified cunts quote "love thy neighbour"?

'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone' would be apposite. I'm unsure whether the Old Testament makes specific reference to the use of petrol bombs, but the passages cited to justify opposition to gay marriage and abortion need a little reading between the lines and generous interpretation to work as well.

[Professor Bear]

Their version of the Bible - which was probably written a few months ago when they set up their own church - likely does have extensive quotes about bumming being bad, because as far as I can tell, it's something they like to talk about.  A LOT.
I can sort of sympathise if they can't stop thinking about muscular men rubbing their penises together to the extent they have to stand in the street shouting about it.  Clearly it is something they feel passionate about and want to talk and think about as often as they possibly can in the hopes of making it stop, as it probably even distracts them to the point that last thing at night before they go to sleep they have to have a good think about oiled-up men rubbing each other - if they can even sleep at all with such thoughts keeping them up.  Clearly they need to get out in the streets and scream about buggery at random strangers - including children - because, you know, it's gay people that have the problem in this equation.
As for abortion, I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly think I'm better qualified to make a medical decision than any doctor - basing my opinion as I do entirely on magic.

[The Prodigal]

Not every Christian in Northern Ireland buys into the "God and Ulster" thing thankfully. It is however very much alive and I agree with previous posters as to its abhorrence. Verily it boils my urine.

Btw. Here's an interesting wee link to anyone have interested in a perspective that challenges the sort of homophobia that comes complete with Bible verses:

http://www.soulforce.org/resources/what-the-bible-says-and-doesnt-say-about-homosexuality/

[The Prodigal]

Not every Christian in Northern Ireland buys into the "God and Ulster" thing thankfully. It is however very much alive and I agree with previous posters as to its abhorrence. Verily it boils my urine.

Btw. Here's an interesting wee link to anyone have interested in a perspective that challenges the sort of homophobia that comes complete with Bible verses:

http://www.soulforce.org/resources/what-the-bible-says-and-doesnt-say-about-homosexuality/

Food for thought even for those who dismiss the whole thing as hokum.

[Frank]

Here's an interesting wee link to anyone have interested in a perspective that challenges the sort of homophobia that comes complete with Bible verses:

http://www.soulforce.org/resources/what-the-bible-says-and-doesnt-say-about-homosexuality/

Cheers, Prodigal; that's a useful resource from someone who's done their homework. I'll admit that the one time I tried to read The Bible from the beginning I got frustrated with the lack of coherent narrative and just skipped to all the obvious good bits.

One of the bits I read in full was the passage dealing with Sodom and Gomorrah, and the author of that piece's observation regarding the real definition of a Sodomite is a great illustration of the way what you're told about scripture differs from the experience of reading it for yourself - when I couldn't find any mention of Jehovah destroying the city because of all the arse sex going on there I thought at first I'd zoned out and skipped a couple of lines. Thanks to that article, I'm going to take great pleasure in explaining to folk I know that they're actually Sodomites.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Not every Christian in Northern Ireland buys into the "God and Ulster" thing thankfully. It is however very much alive and I agree with previous posters as to its abhorrence. Verily it boils my urine.

Btw. Here's an interesting wee link to anyone have interested in a perspective that challenges the sort of homophobia that comes complete with Bible verses:

http://www.soulforce.org/resources/what-the-bible-says-and-doesnt-say-about-homosexuality/

Food for thought even for those who dismiss the whole thing as hokum.

Yup.  Again I say:  I wish all Christians were like the Prodigal.

[Eric Plumrose]

While I have absolutely no problem with someone quite rightly pointing out all those other rules that have since been allowed to slide, the article itself does smack of someone wanting to be a member of some club that -- by its own rules -- is already letting in people it shouldn't.

If God truly did exist then His Word shouldn't even be open to interpretation. The Bible, as with every other religious text, should be able to withstand scientific and societal scrutiny without the need for metaphor or archaic understanding. Buggered if that shouldn't also go for human sexuality.