All-purpose news and politics thread

[king mob]

The Independent asked ComRes to do a poll and, yep, most voters polled thought the Tories were "party of the rich" - and Labour have a big lead in their polls.

Labour haven't been doing much but they're not Tory or Lib Dem, and that's apparently all they need.

That's Labour's cunning plan for the next few years. ''We're not the coalition'' is their big hope for the next election.

[king mob]

The bill has been altered since then, so the leaked version is no longer accurate - so it'd be handy to see the final version, right?

Don't be silly. Thinking we live in an open democracy and everything!

[invisiblefive]

So apparently Tunisia has renounced to make any mention of the charia in its new constitution, due to the fact that the notion is vague and amiguous. the constitution, that is due this year, will be entirely secular. that's great news, i think (my only lonks are in french, so i don't post them...)

[Charles RB]

So apparently Tunisia has renounced to make any mention of the charia in its new constitution, due to the fact that the notion is vague and amiguous. the constitution, that is due this year, will be entirely secular. that's great news, i think (my only lonks are in french, so i don't post them...)

Here's an English one. Ennahda are in a coalition with secularists and they're a moderate religious party - they claim to be inspired by Turkey's current ruling party - so this is good news but not too surprising. Quoth them:

"We want the unity of our people and we do not want divisions."

[the4thpip]

Meanwhile, a gas leak at a Total operated platform in the North Sea could turn into a major natural disaster.

[Charles RB]

Assad agrees to the UN peace plan! So, of course,

Clashes between Syrian security forces and armed rebels have spilled across the border with Lebanon, witnesses and Lebanese security officials say

The opposition groups are meeting in Istanbul to get more unified.

[Charles RB]

The Riots, Communities and Victims Panel has finished its report into the August riots in England:

A lack of support and opportunity for young people contributed to the outbreak of riots in England last summer, an independent report says.

The Riots, Communities and Victims Panel, set up last year, highlights "500,000 forgotten families".

Poor parenting, an inability to prevent reoffending, and a lack of confidence in the police were also cited.

It supported an existing programme to help troubled families, but found overlap with those involved in the riots was limited.

"Government and local public services should develop a strategy incorporating the principles of the Troubled Families Programme to help 500,000 'forgotten families' turn their lives around," it said.

Up to 15,000 people were believed to have taken part in the riots - with the majority of those aged under 24 and with poor academic records, the report said.

The communities the panel spoke to blamed the riots on poor parenting.

The panel's chairman Darra Singh said: "We must give everyone a stake in society. There are people 'bumping along the bottom', unable to change their lives. When people don't feel they have a reason to stay out of trouble, the consequences for communities can be devastating.

"The causes of the riots were complex and there is not one thing that will prevent them from happening again."

The report called for the criminal justice system to not only punish those who committed offences but also to make sure they do not do it again.

The panel has recommended that schools which fail to raise pupils' literacy rates to the required minimum standard for their age should face a financial penalty.

Its other recommendations include:

Local authorities should flag up young people from the age of 11 who are at risk of becoming unemployed
Government should appoint an "independent champion" to manage conversations between big brands and the government about how to protect children from excessive marketing
Young offenders to be offered a mentor when they finish their prison sentences
Police services should do more to "debunk myths" on issues that affect how people view their integrity, especially on the issue of deaths of black men in police custody.
Police services to review their complaints procedures

It also urged the government to play a bigger role and "provide a job guarantee for all young people who have been out of work for two years or more".

The Met Police were urged to be more transparent about how and why they use their stop and search powers.

The panel said: "In our view, by improving the quality of minor encounters, the Met can dramatically improve their relationships with communities."

The problem, once again, is half of this will involve spending money and the government keeps saying this is Not Possible.

[David Walton]

Whilst we're on the subject of religion and politics...



I'm sure you can all spot the obvious flaws in their arguement. Don't worry though, Martin Robbins in the Guardian has already done it for you.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/th.../2012/mar/26/1

I don't see why advertising regulations should apply to their claims. Yes, Christians generally believe that God can heal (and can abstain from doing so). We also claim that God raised a carpenter from the dead two thousand years ago for the benefit of all mankind! It's unsubstantiated, but it's substantial, and I believe it.

If you show that a religious ministry was targeting vulnerable individuals for monetary purposes, I think that would be a different story altogether...

[Serik]

3. Had cap-and-trade been enacted, the effective ban on new coal-fired power plants could have been avoided (since they would be able to buy credits if their projected emisions exceeded the limit.)

EPA regulations/effective bans are probably the least cost-effective method of pricing in the cost of CO2 emissions. Besides all the existing exemptions, it'll probably cost more money to administer compared to a tax or trading scheme. After studying the shenanigans and tomfoolery associated with CAFE (more command-and-control), I'm generally opposed to the government stepping in with targets at the power plant/vehicle fleet level (as opposed to an economy-wide emissions limit for the purpose of issuing credits). (CAFE, of course, would've probably been unnecessary if gasoline taxes were (rightfully) higher in the first place.)

[Puppetmaker Grae]

Whilst we're on the subject of religion and politics...

I believe (though I may be wrong) that Alastair Campbell once said something along the lines that unlike the USA, British politicians avoid too much mention of religion, lest they come across as swivel-eyed lunatics and scare away the voters. I guess there are always some exceptions to the rule.

[David Walton]

I believe (though I may be wrong) that Alastair Campbell once said something along the lines that unlike the USA, British politicians avoid too much mention of religion, lest they come across as swivel-eyed lunatics and scare away the voters. I guess there are always some exceptions to the rule.

In this particular instance, it sounds like a defense of a religious organization's right to make religious claims.

[Spike-X]

I don't see why advertising regulations should apply to their claims.

Because claims of medical benefit have to be based on some kind of verifiable evidence. You can't just say, "God will fix your AIDS and your cancer, stop taking those medicines" and get away with it when people start fucking dying because of it. Which is exactly what has been happening.

[David Walton]

Because claims of medical benefit have to be based on some kind of verifiable evidence. You can't just say, "God will fix your AIDS and your cancer, stop taking those medicines" and get away with it when people start fucking dying because of it. Which is exactly what has been happening.

With all due respect, religious claims don't have to be verified. As long as they're not being disingenous by claiming to be a medical organization, or exploiting vulnerable individuals for money, I don't see how the goverment gets involved. I'm not even sure the ministry in question is opposed to medical treatment? Taken on the surface, "God can heal" is a commonality among most Christians, and other religions, too.

[inferno]

A federal judge has thrown out a bunch of bogus charges brought by the fascist Justice Department in an entrapment case. http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...VeS_story.html

[Charles RB]

El Salvador's murder rate is down... except that may be down to a deal the government cut with a gang.