DJKillaQueen

Actually I have a lot of knowledge of middle-eastern political history and I am fully aware of the complexity of it all. I don't use wiki myself because I find it too full of innacuracies (often written by wannabe researchers/ journalists and bloggers) - there are far better sources for information. Unless you really are the supreme fountain of knowledge on everything I think it's foolish to assume to know what I or anyone knows. Try being less condascending....you'll be suprised how far it gets you. And anyway you should know by now that I won't put up with belittling insult and intellectual snobbery. There's far too much of that from a small group and they are effectively putting people off from posting. We all have opinions, and we all think our opinions are well informed...we wouldn't be posting in a public forum if we didn't think that. But I know no more about you, your education, your experinece of life, travelling etc than you do about me, and because of that I would never assume to think I know what you do and don't know about the world. If you want to know why I have the view I have then simply explore it through debate. Don't resort to condascending insult. It just reflects on you, not me.

Arnfinn Nesset murdered 22 of elderly patients and served 21 years in Norway for it. He was released in 2004 and hasn't reoffended. I don't know what kind of reaction that type of sentence would get in the UK. Norway also has an island prison which I think many people would say was more like a holiday camp, but the reoffending rate from there is only 16%. I think it's a bit more complex an issue than just prison styles and sentencing though. Scandinavian countries have smaller populations and higher standards of living (in spite of higher taxation). I don't know what the stress levels of life are in Scandinavia or the gaps in inequality are but I would think that differences in those things between countries would affect the types and numbers of crimes committed and have some bearing on reoffending too (where inmates return to the same triggers that put them in prison in the first place).

And your rudeness (like the kind of vacuous post above) to people on the forum is equally tiresome. Are you incapable of being polite in debate? Libya has oil. Aghanistan was attacked in revenge for 9/11. You know as well as I do that there are strategic and political factors involved when it comes to the middle east....partly because of oil and arms sales, but there were other things in the past such as the cold war for example as well.

Found this...... an extensive new study undertaken by researchers across all the Nordic countries reveals that the reoffending average across Europe is about 70-75 per cent. In Denmark, Sweden and Finland, the average is 30 per cent. In Norway it is 20 per cent Food for thought.

The real question would be to ask is if the Norwegian approach works. Would be interested to know what their re-offending rates are and also to know how they deal with people with mental issues who are too dangerous to release (every prison has them).

Alcohol is not comparable to heroin. The vast majority of people that consume alcohol do not die because of doing so. Nor do most of those that use alcohol have to steal to buy it. I think however you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that uses herion remaining healthy for very long and those that sell it know full well they are selling misery.

If the issue is about food production then yes half od all grains are grown to feed animals, but a sizeable chunk is now also grown for bio-fuels. Human population growth has more to do with how clever we have been in eradicating and controlling disease as well. Also if we look at where population is growing fastest it is in countries where women are not educated (and men often too). High infant mortality is less of a factor than it has been in the past. I do think there are too many of us, and a breaking point will come, but can't see what governments will be able to effectively do, to stop the innevitable catastrophe.

I don't think decriminalising heroin and crack cocaine is going to help anything. Sending the scumbags that peddle the cr@p to a thai style prison for life might.

What can governments do though? Even in China where there is a one child law, thousands of babies are abandoned every year.

Where we do fail as a society though is in thinking that illegal drugs are something we have any kind of control over. Clearly the impact of Police and border agencies is minimal. Maybe it's time to completely rethink how we tackle the supply of these heinous substances.

This has been an ongoing issue and you are right...how many more chances should they be given to comply with their licence. I hope you get a satisfactory response from the licensing department. Keep us posted.

I think comparisons are pointless too. Both are equally tragic, and both are different. Just coincidence that both occurred on the same day - which is why we are discusssing comparison. Personally I am shocked and saddened by one (Norway) and saddened but not suprised by the other (Amy). But my depth of sadness is equal for both. I think that is just being human.

The issue on help for addicts is a good debate to have s the governemnt have just cut funding for such areas, especially those working with educating and helping children.

Report it to the licensing office. They will respond. Did you try speaking with the staff at the club at the time?

I think it also has to be remembered that talented people often have an impact on us in a way that an anonymous person doesn't. Music, like writing etc is often a personal thing for both the artist and the consumer. There is a relationship there. AqMoon is right in that we feel as though we get to know celebrities because they are in our sights every day, via the press etc. Norway is shocking, Somalia too but I think people feel more removed from those things. I remember a line from, I think it was, the movie 'Hotel Rwanda' where someone asked why the west weren't doing more to help and the aid worker said something along the lines of, if there is massacre in Yugoslavia, people are shocked because those people look like their mother, father, daughter, etc. If there is massacre in Africa it's just another dead African. That seems to imply that the closer something is to us, the more affected we are. Amy Winehouse is one of us, a Londoner, and could be anyone's daughter, and that I'm afraid resonates more than a country (like Somalia) most people would struggle to find on a map, let alone know anything about. It's harsh (and probably wrong), but that's how it is.

A fair, and pretty much spot on tribute... Amy Winehouse - A Creative Inspiration.

Just too awful to comprehend. What did he hope to achieve by massacring all those children. They arrested a man who they believe was also involved in the car bomb. He was wearing a Police Uniform apparently too (but there's no news on whether he was a Police Officer or not). It's all a bit vague atm.

Wow, that's some coincidence on the age thing there DulwichFox.

He will be devastated. And it's a common thing that people who get off herion for a while and then start again, accidentally OD. Guessing that might be what happened. Very sad all round.

SkyNewsBreakSky News Newsdesk Sky Sources: 27-year-old singer Amy Winehouse found dead at her flat in North London The lounge may not be the best place for this but very sad news. Yet another talent dies before their time.

How much spirit did you consume tho? ;)

The best of luck to everyone running today.....may the beer go down smoothly....and the sun is shining - yay!

I don't think invasion would sort Somalia out. What I was suggesting was 'protection' for the delivery of aid, to stop it falling into the hands of rebels. Half the problem is getting aid to those it's intended for. I tend to agree with the rest of your post (apart from the Taliban bit - don't think many female Afghans what to see power returned to the Taliban). It disheartens me though to see countries like Somalia be so at the mercy of miltary rebels/ leaders. In truth the people per se have very little power, whatever they may think, especially people who are starving - and that's the issue really. Get the people well, then get them educated, and then they may feel they can be part of shaping the future. The West could support that kind of programme through the recognised government as well.

You obviously know nothing about the SNT's then, because if you did, you'd know that every SNT has full Police Officers operating within it and I can give you plenty of examples and evidence of the positive impact that my local SNT has had within my local community. Fundamentally they have replaced what formerly would have been the work of beat officers and are very much a worthwhile service. Or would you rather that all policing were 'after the event' and carried out by anonymous officers with no investment in the local community they serve? I know which I prefer and all the evidence says it works.

Interesting read. Btw a week pass to watch all the wsop live on ESPN3 online is just ?2.99 - bargain!