@Speedy - You forgot the Scottish LibDems who have gone to the SNP.
Whether this is reversible or not, and whether the collapse will actually happen in the areas of LibDem strength, remains to be seen. Their vote in their strongest areas is holding reasonably well (in some cases very well) in local elections. I think they will end up doing quite a bit better than the polls currently suggest, but still very badly compared with recent GEs.
Having said that, I recently heard some surprising reports of what is happening in what I'd always assumed was a rock-solid English LibDem seat, and which is not on anyone's target list. At the very least it sounded as though the majority will be slashed.
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
If the Lib Dems poll at the very worst end of my expectations they will still poll more than one million votes.
If the Greens poll at the very best end of my expectations they will poll no more than half a million votes - though they might have two MPs.
Interesting that you mention fracking. Balcombe [according to wikipedia that was in the news for the anti-fracking protests, at which Green MP Caroline Lucas was arrested, is also the birthplace of "Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War. He was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945."
Balcombe is in the constituency of Horsham, held by Francis Maude. I reckon the Lib Dems will outpoll the Greens even in this constituency.
Greens @ 4 % in the polls. I wonder how those will actually split up come GE time.
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
I think the LD might have crossed the event horizon. The left has left to Labour. The right has left to the Tories. The protest votes has left to UKIP. And now the center is leaving to the Greens.
The Zulu strategy can work higher that 6%, if they get absolutely no votes at all in the rest of he seats, they can get on average 33% on their 57 seats on 6% if they get 0 votes in all the others.
However practically at these levels it can't be done, they will still get what 1 or 2% in the other seats so that will push them bellow 30% on average on their 57 seats.
Oh and oil has jumped to a 3 year high. (Now what did I say about oil the other day?)
GE 2015 will be the LibDems' equivalent of Singapore, 1942.
Very good article; totally wrong leader. This will be a task for the person who replaces Ed. He is not capable of doing it.
Perhaps its time for a "UKIP of the left". That is to say a popular party that can unite the socially conservative working class (for want of a better term) with the managerial class (again for want of a better term) under a banner of patriotic social democracy. You hinted at the sort of stance such a party could take on here a week or so ago. I might not agree with all your points but I can see the market for such a party and could join it. How to set it up and do so in time for it to make a difference is another matter. Its probably impossible to do.
UKIP have no problem gaining working class support, and I'm not sure why fostering old and increasingly irrelevant social divisions amongst the ranks of 'patriotic' voters is a good thing. In fact I think it's rather patronising.
How is that talking the piss? It is describing the views of many religions. You are dangerously close to saying that it is unacceptable to actually point out what religion teaches. Sadly, such a position is actually quite common.
If I said "ha ha you are all silly for believing in this, aren't you stupid," that would be talking the piss. But I didn't, did I?
You are mocking something that many people hold dear by parodying their belief. It is impolite at best. You would be better off telling people why not believing would be better. Outline the positives of atheism. Attacking your opponents weakest argument isnt that great a debating tactic
I am not saying it is unnacceptable to criticse religion, I used to have the same kind of attitude as you, I've just realised what a childish prick I sounded
I'm an atheist, and I don't think there are positives for it. A lack of belief in deities doesn't really have much going for it - it's not meant to.
I cringe at militant atheists (I was, briefly, one myself) that want to aggressively deride people who believe in..."sky pixies" (as they would put it) and the like.
If you're both an atheist and a fully paid up member of the smugocracy, I suppose you can pat yourself on the back for being so supremely rational and clever and so forth, but it's a pretty bankrupt position.
I do have issues if someone uses religious beliefs as a justification for (as an example) misogyny, but that's based on outcomes, not the belief per se, if that makes sense.
Yeah I agree
I was a militant atheist bore a few years ago, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Dan Dennet etc.. huge cringe when I think back to what a twat I sounded.. had forgotten about it until today tbh!!
Prefer to have no opinion on it now. Replace "faith" with "hope" and its easier to deal with!
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
If the Lib Dems poll at the very worst end of my expectations they will still poll more than one million votes.
If the Greens poll at the very best end of my expectations they will poll no more than half a million votes - though they might have two MPs.
Interesting that you mention fracking. Balcombe [according to wikipedia] that was in the news for the anti-fracking protests, at which Green MP Caroline Lucas was arrested, is also the birthplace of "Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War. He was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945."
Balcombe is in the constituency of Horsham, held by Francis Maude. I reckon the Lib Dems will outpoll the Greens even in this constituency.
Blimey, thanks for that bit of info re Colour Sergeant Bourne.
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
If the Lib Dems poll at the very worst end of my expectations they will still poll more than one million votes.
If the Greens poll at the very best end of my expectations they will poll no more than half a million votes - though they might have two MPs.
Interesting that you mention fracking. Balcombe [according to wikipedia] that was in the news for the anti-fracking protests, at which Green MP Caroline Lucas was arrested, is also the birthplace of "Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War. He was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945."
Balcombe is in the constituency of Horsham, held by Francis Maude. I reckon the Lib Dems will outpoll the Greens even in this constituency.
And to complete the circle, Colour Sergeant Bourne was played in the film Zulu by Nigel GREEN
@Speedy - You forgot the Scottish LibDems who have gone to the SNP.
Whether this is reversible or not, and whether the collapse will actually happen in the areas of LibDem strength, remains to be seen. Their vote in their strongest areas is holding reasonably well (in some cases very well) in local elections. I think they will end up doing quite a bit better than the polls currently suggest, but still very badly compared with recent GEs.
Having said that, I recently heard some surprising reports of what is happening in what I'd always assumed was a rock-solid English LibDem seat, and which is not on anyone's target list. At the very least it sounded as though the majority will be slashed.
Westmorland & Lonsdale ?
Thats about the only one that I can think of as a ROCK SOLID Lib Dem seat, mainly due to Farron's seeming arm's length from the coalition and the decent showing in the local elections up there in Cumbria for the yellow peril.
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
I think the LD might have crossed the event horizon. The left has left to Labour. The right has left to the Tories. The protest votes has left to UKIP. And now the center is leaving to the Greens.
The Zulu strategy can work higher that 6%, if they get absolutely no votes at all in the rest of he seats, they can get on average 33% on their 57 seats on 6% if they get 0 votes in all the others.
However practically at these levels it can't be done, they will still get what 1 or 2% in the other seats so that will push them bellow 30% on average on their 57 seats.
Oh and oil has jumped to a 3 year high. (Now what did I say about oil the other day?)
GE 2015 will be the LibDems' equivalent of Singapore, 1942.
If they get 6% they will be finished (ST model of UNS for LD gives them 10 seats) and I cant see how they can recover from a defeat of that scale any time soon. The Tories lost a quarter of their vote and half their seats in 1997 and they still haven't recovered.
No offence intended to the residents of Sussex, but quite how an abomination of an electoral boundary like that for Mid Sussex was ever agreed is a mystery to me.
Nothing to do with us residents, Mr. Me., you must address your question to the Electoral Commission. The constituency boundaries around here seem to have no relation to natural boundaries, just consider Arundel and South Downs. Who dreamt that one up?
Quite. what a rubbish, rubbish article. Plus of course England had to play West Indies in their pomp, and play them often.
There is no test team around like that West indies one, today.
Plus England had a load of non English born players in the 80s! How did that article get past the editor?
Given theamount of Brits that are Asian & their lack of representation in the Test team, I'd say it was a joke that we have so many Saffers playing for us in front of them
I cherish my social democratic beliefs. You don't.
You have every right to criticise them or indeed simply point out what they are.
Why do religions get special dispensation?
Grow a pair lad.
If you wanted to set up a school with a social democratic ethos, got good results and attracted a lot of parents to send their kids there, I'd be fully supportive.
I've just noticed in the YouGov, the Liberal Democrats 6, and Greens 5.
It was really nice of Neil to offer me the other day 20/1 on the Greens out-polling the LDs at the General Election.
There is no chance of the Greens outpolling the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election.
Remember that the Greens managed to lose vote share at the 2010 general election. The Liberal Democrats will poll more votes in the 57 seats that they currently hold than the Greens will nationwide. Probably they will poll more votes in the seats that they hold after the 2015 general election than the Greens do nationwide.
You're missing the toxicity of the LDs and their Zulu strategy, plus I think the Greens will become the home of the Luddites anti-frackers.
If the Lib Dems poll at the very worst end of my expectations they will still poll more than one million votes.
If the Greens poll at the very best end of my expectations they will poll no more than half a million votes - though they might have two MPs.
Interesting that you mention fracking. Balcombe [according to wikipedia that was in the news for the anti-fracking protests, at which Green MP Caroline Lucas was arrested, is also the birthplace of "Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War. He was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945."
Balcombe is in the constituency of Horsham, held by Francis Maude. I reckon the Lib Dems will outpoll the Greens even in this constituency.
Greens @ 4 % in the polls. I wonder how those will actually split up come GE time.
The vast majority of them will end up voting Labour or Lib Dem depending on the local tactical situation and candidates.
I could see many voting for Lib Dem Evan Harris in Oxford West and Abingdon if he stands again and for Labour in a marginal such as Broxtowe.
@Speedy - You forgot the Scottish LibDems who have gone to the SNP.
Whether this is reversible or not, and whether the collapse will actually happen in the areas of LibDem strength, remains to be seen. Their vote in their strongest areas is holding reasonably well (in some cases very well) in local elections. I think they will end up doing quite a bit better than the polls currently suggest, but still very badly compared with recent GEs.
Having said that, I recently heard some surprising reports of what is happening in what I'd always assumed was a rock-solid English LibDem seat, and which is not on anyone's target list. At the very least it sounded as though the majority will be slashed.
I think they split 3 ways there too, with some going to the Tories and some to UKIP.
Basically any LD seat is under threat at these levels.
1. Pointing out the teachings of religion is taking the piss out of the religious. 2. People with strong views were usually bullied at school. 3. The state should fund the teaching of superstitions because some faith schools get good grades.
Only on PB.
The state isn't funding anything. The money comes from taxpayers.
Very good article; totally wrong leader. This will be a task for the person who replaces Ed. He is not capable of doing it.
Perhaps its time for a "UKIP of the left". That is to say a popular party that can unite the socially conservative working class (for want of a better term) with the managerial class (again for want of a better term) under a banner of patriotic social democracy. You hinted at the sort of stance such a party could take on here a week or so ago. I might not agree with all your points but I can see the market for such a party and could join it. How to set it up and do so in time for it to make a difference is another matter. Its probably impossible to do.
UKIP have no problem gaining working class support, and I'm not sure why fostering old and increasingly irrelevant social divisions amongst the ranks of 'patriotic' voters is a good thing. In fact I think it's rather patronising.
Good for you. If you want to believe there are no social divisions you have my full respect. If you also believe that a sense of nationhood does not exist I would refer you to our friends from Scotland. If you think I patronise anyone then you need your fecking head read.
The way I see it, fine if you personally believe in God, but not if you insist we all believe in that God.
Or try to convert, or preach that belief.
I don't have a problem with proselytation, it seems a bit harsh to say that people can't attempt to win new converts.
I take the opposite view. It's the very attempt to convert that has led to countless crimes against humanity. Faith is a slightly twee side-show, religion is a cancer.
The way I see it, fine if you personally believe in God, but not if you insist we all believe in that God.
I agree Sunil, provided you do not maintain that because you believe in that God the law should treat you in a materially different way.
I do, however, like to debate religion and enjoyed the exchanges here the other day. I find religious belief genuinely interesting. I hope that I did not give offense to anyone in my comments and apologise if I did. That was certainly not my intention.
''Looks like the newly taken areas of Iraq under ISIS control will be an orgy of killing and grave desecration''
The Russians are giving full vent to their frustrations over the West's catastrophic middle east policy failures. And why shouldn't they. What a dreadful mess. And what an eerie silence, now.
''Looks like the newly taken areas of Iraq under ISIS control will be an orgy of killing and grave desecration''
The Russians are giving full vent to their frustrations over the West's catastrophic middle east policy failures. And why shouldn't they. What a dreadful mess. And what an eerie silence, now.
Wonder if Labour think it was worth all the lies now to get us into the war?
An excellent appraisal of Enoch Powell#s speech. How relevant it is this very day... it could have all been so different
"Powell’s contention, based upon his experience in India, was that a failure to integrate foreign communities into the social fabric of a nation would lead to them forming their own separate social groups, and that this being the case,in times particularly of economic strife, violence would emerge as the cleavages between the interests of the local community and that of the newcomers became increasingly apparent and caused inter-ethnic friction . Powell had previously cited an example of this in 1967 in Birmingham.
There, Sikh bus conductors objected to being constrained to wear the bus company’s uniform, and threatened violence if their demands for an exception to the rule on the basis of religion were not met. Despite initially refusing, after the threat of violence emerged, the local authority eventually acquiesced and changed the rules. Powell saw in this a dangerous precedent and predicted that this could be the beginning of a wave of communal violence"
The way I see it, fine if you personally believe in God, but not if you insist we all believe in that God.
Or try to convert, or preach that belief.
I don't have a problem with proselytation, it seems a bit harsh to say that people can't attempt to win new converts.
I take the opposite view. It's the very attempt to convert that has led to countless crimes against humanity. Faith is a slightly twee side-show, religion is a cancer.
Ok, what do you want to see the state do, if anything, to stop a religion from trying to gain new converts?
No offence intended to the residents of Sussex, but quite how an abomination of an electoral boundary like that for Mid Sussex was ever agreed is a mystery to me.
Nothing to do with us residents, Mr. Me., you must address your question to the Electoral Commission. The constituency boundaries around here seem to have no relation to natural boundaries, just consider Arundel and South Downs. Who dreamt that one up?
Arundel and South Downs has a bit of Mid Sussex in it that you can't travel to without leaving the Mid Sussex constituency, and the same for a bit of the Chichester constituency at the other end. What a mess.
Your argument is thin at best. Lots of parents are racists, would you advocate teaching racism in schools? Lots of parents are stupid and feed their children junk food at home. Would you advocate state funding for junk food school lunches?
How about the radical idea that schools teach established facts at school and if parents want to teach them that an omnipotent bloke with a beard will be very nasty to them if they cuddle a girl before they marry her, they pay for that themselves and do it in their own time?
It's strange how many Religion-focussed debates with atheists, however erudite they are upon other topics, so quickly descend to sub GCSE level hypothesising and infantile straw men.
My primary school contained a variety of belief (and non-belief) systems, and I don't think anyone was scarred, or indeed indoctrinated by a rousing chorus of 'All things bright and beautiful' of a morning or the occasional school prayer. I'm sorry you feel that you were, but kids are cruel. I have no doubt they do the same these days to their co-students who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming.
Christianity has been responsible for much of the system of ethics that still govern our legal system, and the gospels still have valuable and compelling lessons to teach, regardless of whether or not you believe them to be the word of God. 'Blessed are the peace-makers'? 'Love thine enemy'? Are these not lessons that are more needed today than they have ever been before? To compare that to racism or junk food is frankly offensive and bigoted.
Powell had previously cited an example of this in 1967 in Birmingham.
Let's face it isam, Powell was only partially right. There is only one community that really has a problem with integration and we all know which one it is. Everybody else gets along pretty well - black, white or brown.
"Our fighters are advancing towards Baghdad without any significant resistance by the military forces. We are conducting negotiations with the army and police commanders as well as tribal leaders and they are coming over to our side.
The fight now is at Baghdad suburbs near al-Taji. We have prepared enough men and arms and have been waiting for this day for more then 10 year now
It is not true that Kirkuk is under the control of the Kurdish Peshmerga. Once we declare the liberation of Baghdad, Kirkuk can be sorted out soon afterwards. Our main target now is Baghdad.
The battle of Baghdad has started. We are prepared for any attack on Maliki's collapsed forces or the Americans. We have pilots who are ready to fight and attack any spot in Iraq. Four airports have been liberated so far in Mosul and near Samarra."
Your argument is thin at best. Lots of parents are racists, would you advocate teaching racism in schools? Lots of parents are stupid and feed their children junk food at home. Would you advocate state funding for junk food school lunches?
How about the radical idea that schools teach established facts at school and if parents want to teach them that an omnipotent bloke with a beard will be very nasty to them if they cuddle a girl before they marry her, they pay for that themselves and do it in their own time?
It's strange how many Religion-focussed debates with atheists, however erudite they are upon other topics, so quickly descend to sub GCSE level hypothesising and infantile straw men.
My primary school contained a variety of belief (and non-belief) systems, and I don't think anyone was scarred, or indeed indoctrinated by a rousing chorus of 'All things bright and beautiful' of a morning or the occasional school prayer. I'm sorry you feel that you were, but kids are cruel. I have no doubt they do the same these days to their co-students who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming.
Christianity has been responsible for much of the system of ethics that still govern our legal system, and the gospels still have valuable and compelling lessons to teach, regardless of whether or not you believe them to be the word of God. 'Blessed are the peace-makers'? 'Love thine enemy'? Are these not lessons that are more needed today than they have ever been before? To compare that to racism or junk food is frankly offensive and bigoted.
The way I see it, fine if you personally believe in God, but not if you insist we all believe in that God.
Or try to convert, or preach that belief.
I don't have a problem with proselytation, it seems a bit harsh to say that people can't attempt to win new converts.
I take the opposite view. It's the very attempt to convert that has led to countless crimes against humanity. Faith is a slightly twee side-show, religion is a cancer.
Ok, what you want to see the state do, if anything, to stop a religion from trying to gain new converts?
Secular education and political system. However, banning preaching is a step too far. Extreme penalties for crimes committed to person or property in the name of religion is not, though. You can't ban religion, just point out the damage it can do. Support the right to faith, but restrict access to public funds or property for the proselytising of said faith. The cancer is too big to cure. With that, I'm off to open up.
Actually my point about private schools almost all being affiliated to a religion and eschewing PC is that being private they must attract customers and that's what customers want.
If the Conservatives were smart they would drone on about labour abandoning the WWC and it is only natural they look elsewhere, whether Con or UKIP. Stops them voting labour even if they don't vote Conservative.
Actually my point about private schools almost all being affiliated to a religion and eschewing PC is that being private they must attract customers and that's what customers want.
If the Conservatives were smart they would drone on about labour abandoning the WWC and it is only natural they look elsewhere, whether Con or UKIP. Stops them voting labour even if they don't vote Conservative.
I want to know where @BobaFett has got to with his boast of Labour winning the WWC vote "handsomely".. UKIP with a big head start? Yes please
"How many health professionals in Bradford are concerned, but never say so, that intermarriage in the Muslim community – 75 per cent of Pakistanis in the city are married to their first cousin – is causing babies to be born blind, deaf and with other disabilities? Back in 2008, when Labour environment minister Phil Woolas said that British Pakistanis were fuelling the rate of birth defects, he was slapped down by Downing Street, with a spokesman for prime minister Gordon Brown saying the issue was not one for ministers to comment on. Government after government has filed this thorny issue in “The Too Difficult Box”, the title of a timely new book edited by former Cabinet minister Charles Clarke."
Comments
Whether this is reversible or not, and whether the collapse will actually happen in the areas of LibDem strength, remains to be seen. Their vote in their strongest areas is holding reasonably well (in some cases very well) in local elections. I think they will end up doing quite a bit better than the polls currently suggest, but still very badly compared with recent GEs.
Having said that, I recently heard some surprising reports of what is happening in what I'd always assumed was a rock-solid English LibDem seat, and which is not on anyone's target list. At the very least it sounded as though the majority will be slashed.
Greens @ 4 % in the polls. I wonder how those will actually split up come GE time.
You and Britain both!
I was a militant atheist bore a few years ago, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Dan Dennet etc.. huge cringe when I think back to what a twat I sounded.. had forgotten about it until today tbh!!
Prefer to have no opinion on it now. Replace "faith" with "hope" and its easier to deal with!
Thats about the only one that I can think of as a ROCK SOLID Lib Dem seat, mainly due to Farron's seeming arm's length from the coalition and the decent showing in the local elections up there in Cumbria for the yellow peril.
Quite. what a rubbish, rubbish article. Plus of course England had to play West Indies in their pomp, and play them often.
There is no test team around like that West indies one, today.
You are talking out of your effing arse.
I cherish my social democratic beliefs. You don't.
You have every right to criticise them or indeed simply point out what they are.
Why do religions get special dispensation?
Grow a pair lad.
Given theamount of Brits that are Asian & their lack of representation in the Test team, I'd say it was a joke that we have so many Saffers playing for us in front of them
I could see many voting for Lib Dem Evan Harris in Oxford West and Abingdon if he stands again and for Labour in a marginal such as Broxtowe.
Basically any LD seat is under threat at these levels.
Tom Lewis +5 after 3 holes at the US Open
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10895007/Repent-or-die-al-Qaeda-forces-announce-rules-for-Iraqi-territory-they-now-control.html
I do, however, like to debate religion and enjoyed the exchanges here the other day. I find religious belief genuinely interesting. I hope that I did not give offense to anyone in my comments and apologise if I did. That was certainly not my intention.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27810126
The Russians are giving full vent to their frustrations over the West's catastrophic middle east policy failures. And why shouldn't they. What a dreadful mess. And what an eerie silence, now.
"Powell’s contention, based upon his experience in India, was that a failure to
integrate foreign communities into the social fabric of a nation would lead to them forming their own separate social groups, and that this being the case,in times particularly of economic strife, violence would emerge as the
cleavages between the interests of the local community and that of the
newcomers became increasingly apparent and caused inter-ethnic friction
.
Powell had previously cited an example of this in 1967 in Birmingham.
There, Sikh bus conductors objected to being constrained to wear the bus
company’s uniform, and threatened violence if their demands for an
exception to the rule on the basis of religion were not met. Despite initially
refusing, after the threat of violence emerged, the local authority eventually
acquiesced and changed the rules. Powell saw in this a dangerous precedent
and predicted that this could be the beginning of a wave of communal
violence"
http://amsterdamlawforum.org/article/viewFile/50/66
My primary school contained a variety of belief (and non-belief) systems, and I don't think anyone was scarred, or indeed indoctrinated by a rousing chorus of 'All things bright and beautiful' of a morning or the occasional school prayer. I'm sorry you feel that you were, but kids are cruel. I have no doubt they do the same these days to their co-students who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming.
Christianity has been responsible for much of the system of ethics that still govern our legal system, and the gospels still have valuable and compelling lessons to teach, regardless of whether or not you believe them to be the word of God. 'Blessed are the peace-makers'? 'Love thine enemy'? Are these not lessons that are more needed today than they have ever been before? To compare that to racism or junk food is frankly offensive and bigoted.
Let's face it isam, Powell was only partially right. There is only one community that really has a problem with integration and we all know which one it is. Everybody else gets along pretty well - black, white or brown.
The fight now is at Baghdad suburbs near al-Taji. We have prepared enough men and arms and have been waiting for this day for more then 10 year now
It is not true that Kirkuk is under the control of the Kurdish Peshmerga. Once we declare the liberation of Baghdad, Kirkuk can be sorted out soon afterwards. Our main target now is Baghdad.
The battle of Baghdad has started. We are prepared for any attack on Maliki's collapsed forces or the Americans. We have pilots who are ready to fight and attack any spot in Iraq. Four airports have been liberated so far in Mosul and near Samarra."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/12/crisis-in-iraq-insurgents-take-major-cities-live-blog
However, banning preaching is a step too far. Extreme penalties for crimes committed to person or property in the name of religion is not, though.
You can't ban religion, just point out the damage it can do. Support the right to faith, but restrict access to public funds or property for the proselytising of said faith.
The cancer is too big to cure.
With that, I'm off to open up.
If the Conservatives were smart they would drone on about labour abandoning the WWC and it is only natural they look elsewhere, whether Con or UKIP. Stops them voting labour even if they don't vote Conservative.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10892606/Trojan-Horse-debate-We-were-wrong-all-cultures-are-not-equal.html
1.