LadyDeliah

MikePG - you have embarrassed me. I have a conflict between the belief that I am a class warrior and my love of good coffee! I am now in turmoil and don't know what to do with myself. Should I give up the class warfare, or the lovely coffee? Maybe I could just pretend I've given up delicious coffee and drink the warm Starbucks water in public (although I'd have to object to their unfair trade policies so need to find another outlet selling cack coffee) and keep my love of gourmet coffee a guilty secret.

I'll second that!

Parkdrive, he's not a one off. I agree with him on this issue. Sentencing should be based on the facts of the crime committed. not the emotional response of the victim. Some victims are over-sensitive while others are much tougher and resilient. Why should the tough victims not expect the same sentencing in crimes committed against them as those who are over-sensitive? It stands to reason that the sensitivity of the victims to crimes committed against them will vary drastically for any number of reasons, but how can an offender be held to account for anything other than the actual act committed, based on the facts available? In any case, victims can submit statements of the effect of the crime upon them and are able to give evidence to that effect, so their views are taken into account by the Judge in sentencing offenders.

Have a look at the 'What's on in East Dulwich' section. There are loads of exercise classes and groups.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The justice system should be capable of putting > crimes in perspective and in proportion. > > Every case should be judged on its relative > merits. > > There are going to be those that believe in a > massive overreaction to youthful misdemeanour, and > it's up to the rational majority to restrain them > from destroying the lives of individuals and > creating lifetime criminals by a sentencing policy > based on disproportionate vengeance. > > Likewise it's also the responsibility of the > justice system to differentiate those crimes which > through conspiracy, premeditation, aggravation, > violence and scale deserve a much greater > response. > > There is a good reason why the justice system > demands that the victim does not sentence the > perpetrator - because emotional responses colour > people's judgement. > > Journalism that the OP proposes is designed to > exploit this weakness and inflame tension in our > communities to make money. It's not particularly > impressive. I hate it when I agree with you Hugo!

A wash/toiletry bag?

I thought he was way off the mark at the beginning of his predictions, but he was spookily close on a lot of them. Not bad for sn American!

I'd rather be aware than living in cloud cuckoo land.

Also if the US do invade Iran, which looks more and more likely, whose poodle do you think will be trotting behind the US? Cameron will drag us into another unholy alliance because of the moronic US-UK Relationship. So if you are happy stuck in your enclave, Hugo, don't be surprised if those of us who might actually be affected by the Imperialist US illegal wars that they need to try to stave off their inevitable financial collapse, take an interest.

The tidal wave that results from any US Economic collapse will drown us in our little island. How could we not be affected? It's a bit 'head-in-sand' to ignore what's going on in the US and your sarcastic tone is really unpleasant.

I remember a crazy old white guy who followed me round Lidl last summer and kept trying to touch my feet! I was wearing flip flops and I think the sight of my bare feet to a foot fetishist was too much! Lol It was disconcerting but I'm sure he wasn't dangerous.

What about people who think the sentence was just right, or a bit harsh? Are they excluded?

Sorry, thought your friend could use the article to help with her appeal. I'll take my foot out oft mouth (or hand?) now.

Thought this might be interesting to some of you: http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/31-deaths-during-wait-for-benefits-judgment.1325732641 Totally hideous.

Marmora Man Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The majority of enlightened people view businesses > as partnerships between the workforce and the > management to ensure efficient and cost effective > production. It is not a battlefield where > Dickensian capitalists exploit the poor and > oppressed slum dwelling workers. So why has the pay of UK CEO'S in big corporations risen to 100 times the average salary of their workers post Thatcher from 40 times the average which it was pre-Thatcher? In the US, the home of unrestrained greed, it's 400 times the average.

Ok, am I allowed to change 'invade' to 'bomb the crap out of' for Israel?

You probably know what mine are! 1. US make public their plan to invade Iran 2. US citizens protest and get banged up indefinitely by the US military via NDAA 3. US declare state of emergency and suspend elections 4. US actually invade Iran (or get Israel to do it for them) 5. China and Russia get the hump and join in 6. World war 3 and Armageddon! Happy New Year everyone!

I agree that the players are from around the globe and the Chinese are mirroring the US in some ways in Africa, yes, although I was under the impression they generally look at longer term investment. I think the Chinese are unlikely to have a better track record than the US corporations; after all they massacre their own people if they refuse to leave their ancestral land when it?s wanted for exploitation by the Chinese government. One of the things I found interesting though in Klein?s work was the fact that she debunked the myth that free market economics and liberalised markets equate to democracy. It is clear that this is not the case in Russia and was not the case in Chile or Argentina where the leaders followed the neo-con agenda. If someone does interesting work, and the film is very interesting, you do not have to accept the totality of their argument in order to get something from it. I find it really frustrating on here that as soon as someone mentions something from an author or political commentator who is not mainstream, certain posters just firebomb the whole thing without analysing the valid points. I am glad we are discussing this; I just wish the first page/s didn?t always have to be some kind of forum punch-up before people go on to discuss things more rationaly.

taper Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > One of my favourite American commentators is > Jonathan Chait, who is on the left but provides a > thorough dismantling of Klein's thesis here: > > http://www.tnr.com/article/books/dead-left?page=0, > 3 Taper, the difference between the author you quote and Klein is not much when you read his article. He agrees with her data, but doesn't think there is a single cause. I am not saying that there was only one cause and in the film above Klein clearly states that she is highlighting what she things may be one of the causes of our current situation, not the only cause. I didn't take her to be saying that this is down to one person or group, not sure why your author thinks she has said this. It is clear that the elite are not one homogenous group, but one group have benefited more quickly in the West than others and seize every opportunity to expand that power. I imagine there are other groups using similar techniques to those highlighted by Klein, other countries, totally unrelated to the US neo-cons, for example the land grabs and kicking the indigenous off their land to make way for large companies in too many places to list. Many are domestic companies, but many are not. Many are the same Western companies who were allowed to exploit the forcibly liberalised markets of Chile, Argentina, and Russia etc with disastrous consequences for the people in those countries. It doesn?t take a genius to join the dots. The same people keep winning and the rest of us are losing more and more of our money/rights/influence/freedom/happiness etc. Even if there is no grand conspiracy, the facts are the same and I don?t know about you guys, but I?m sick of the injustice and misery that is meted out globally so that a few power mad, insatiable, psychopaths can get ever richer. And Loz, sorry for not being precise enough, I?m suitably chastened.

You can see it again on 4oD

In the face of constant firing down of alternatives to the mainstream, elite view, despite masses of evidence that contradicts this view, petulance seems a good enough response to me! I'd just like to bring this back up next year and see how far off my predictions for 2012 actually are! Until then I am leaving you to it as I have armageddon to prepare for :)

You said he would need an address to get benefits or money. I pointed out that he would not.

Ok, Hugo. You are always right. We can go back to our fluffy lovely existence and not worry about the frightening developments in the US. Developments which I imagined could possibly pave the way to World War 3 (US invade Iran - no big protests because military can detain indefinitely (without access to lawyers, charges,, judges etc) US (and other) citizens they deem to be terrorists - Russia & China get involved) and there we have it - reason to be concerned - But no, how stupid of me, the all knowing Huguenot, the only man to have all the answers, has told me that everything will be ok. Phew I was about to get worried for no reason there, how silly of me. Thank you Huguenot for saving me from myself.

So how selective is the history of the victors Hugo? I think it is important to have alternate view points to enable me to make a more informed decision on how I want to view the world, both in historical terms and in how that history may be shaping our lives today. I take my information from as wide a base as possible, but also view what I see from the perspective I've gained through my own experiences, especially those that do not mirror the 'truth' as expressed by the mainstream media. I have been an activist and seen first-hand the discrepancy between what I witnessed and what was reported in the mainstream media, but I do not necessarily dismiss what is reported in that media, I try to add to the information I get from them, by reading additional or sometimes contradictory information from a range of other sources. Not all other sources are deranged internet conspiracy theorists as some of you like to label them. I am a lawyer and understand the importance of authoratative sources. I just don't believe that the mainstream media are the only authoratative sources available. We are lucky in this day and age to have access to other sources of mass media that is not wholly controlled by the elite. This allows alternative view points to that endorsed by our 'leaders' to have mass appeal in a way that is unknown in history. I believe that it is this access to mass media and information sharing that will eventually result in the withdrawing of consent for the current elite in the US and Europe to govern us. As the consent is withdrawn by the people, however, there are a number of directions society can go. One is dictatorship and with the NDAA passed on New Years Eve, I think the US has made a step towards full military dictatorship. I just hope that in the UK, the people are more aware than the US citizens and don't similarly sleepwalk into giving up all of their rights.

Add me and see for yourself!