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UK PoliGAF thread of tell me about the rabbits again, Dave.

What's the current limit? 12 weeks sounds very short... like, "I only just found out and now I have to do something really, really quickly" short.
 

Lear

Member
What's the current limit? 12 weeks sounds very short... like, "I only just found out and now I have to do something really, really quickly" short.

24 weeks. A limit of 12 weeks would apparently prevent testing for foetal abnormalities, so it would basically condemn women to carry to term foetuses that have no chance of surviving. I think you can quibble a little bit about the current limit (personally, i'm of the view that it's fine as it is) but 12 weeks is just absurd, and will result in women having dangerous illegal abortions.
 
It does seem odd that this is even something that get legislated on. Once you make the legal distinction that foetuses aren't humans (and therefore we can legally kill them), the actual time at which we can still kill them should be left up to Doctors.
 
Jeremy Hunt, the new Health Secretary, supports halving the legal abortion limit from 24 weeks to 12 weeks after conception, it emerged last night.

Although he stressed the Government had no plans to alter the current cut-off, his surprise intervention will reopen the controversy over when abortions should be carried out.

His comments provoked immediate criticism last night from medical groups.

Mr Hunt said in an interview with The Times: "There's an incredibly difficult question about the moment we should deem life to start... I'm not someone who thinks that abortion should be made illegal.

"Everyone looks at the evidence and comes to a view about when that moment is and my own view is that 12 weeks is the right point for it."

He said he had previously voted in favour of a 12-week limit and had not changed his view.

Although he is a Christian, he said he had not reached his view because of his faith, adding: "There are some issues that cut across health and morality, a bit like capital punishment does for crime."

The limit was reduced from 28 to 24 weeks in 1990 to reflect medical advances. MPs voted to retain it in 2008, rejecting calls to reduce it to 22 or 20 weeks.

Maria Miller, the new Women's minister, this week said it should be lowered to 20 weeks because of the rapid advances in caring for extremely premature babies.

More than 90 per cent of abortions take place before 12 weeks, but critics said imposing that limit would effectively prevent testing for conditions such as Down's Syndrome.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists denounced the Health Secretary's comments as "insulting to women".

Kate Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "If everybody had to have abortions by 12 weeks, my worry would be that women would be rushed into making decisions: 'I have to have an abortion now or I can't have one.'

"That's an absolute shocker. You will absolutely create mental health problems if you start dragooning women into making decisions before they have to."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...uld-be-12-weeks-says-jeremy-hunt-8200342.html

despicable and odious little man but at least there aren't any moves yet to lower the limit and we can only hope there never will be.

on a related note, how long until he starts to talk about homeopathic treatments on the nhs?
 

dalin80

Banned
This is actually a very good tactical move from cameron, put hunt who is quite possibly the single most despised person in the UK in charge of the UK's most loved institution which hunt is in no way capable of running in any reasonable manner.

Let the publics hatred of hunt simmer and boil then one week before the polls have him double tapped by the SAS and ride the national out pouring of joy into another 4 years.

I also have to like how 'jeremy hunt' is now both a curse and slang at the same time.
 
24 weeks. A limit of 12 weeks would apparently prevent testing for foetal abnormalities, so it would basically condemn women to carry to term foetuses that have no chance of surviving. I think you can quibble a little bit about the current limit (personally, i'm of the view that it's fine as it is) but 12 weeks is just absurd, and will result in women having dangerous illegal abortions.

Exactly. He is basing his opinions on the fact that most women have abortions within 12-13 weeks. He is completely ignoring the outliers, which are more often than not the ones associated with health risks to the mother or the child. His position is ill considered, illogical and ridiculous.

He should consult healthcare professionals about the significance of the statistics before expressing his opinions. Its not as if people had any confidence in him at all at the start anyway.
 

Lear

Member
So David Cameron disagrees with a cut to 12 weeks but would support a smaller decrease. So, did they get Hunt to say something ridiculous so that future attempted changes look more reasonable? Either that or it's an attempt to pull focus from the Telegraph story about 1/5 of wards being closed.
 

Walshicus

Member
and I find this very interesting. scotland's free services in their current form aren't sustainable and need to be revisited.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19839096

it's a long read but well worth it.

I don't really buy the story. It's one set of opinions and seems pretty politicised to be in alignment with the rhetoric coming from Westminster. Can't have Scotland showing Westminster that service cuts aren't needed and often pay for themselves through cost reductions in other areas.
 
I don't really buy the story. It's one set of opinions and seems pretty politicised to be in alignment with the rhetoric coming from Westminster. Can't have Scotland showing Westminster that service cuts aren't needed and often pay for themselves through cost reductions in other areas.

you're right, I wasn't really able to form a proper opinion based on how one sided it was. still, it will be interesting to see how it plays out and if it attracts more attention.

what does everyone think about the mansion tax not happening? it was obvious it wouldn't, but what will, if anything, the lib dems now do? just accept that it's not going to happen and hope people forget about it or try to push for it?

they must realise by now that tories aren't interested in compromising, when will they take action to try and keep some respect for their party?
 
I think the Tories absolutely are in favour of a compromise, but it needs to work for both of them (and let us not forget that The Tories have about 5 times more MPs than the LDs). The two parties have realised that they have to work together because the only hope either of then have at the next election is if the government starts having some success. That doesn't, however, mean they should just say yes to anything.
 

Walshicus

Member
I think the Tories absolutely are in favour of a compromise, but it needs to work for both of them (and let us not forget that The Tories have about 5 times more MPs than the LDs).

Five times the MPs but only 36% of the vote compared to the 23% the Lib Dems got. The idea that LD policies should be 1/6th of the coalition and Tory policies 5/6ths is ridiculous and another exageration from our abysmally disenfranchising legislative electoral system.
 
Five times the MPs but only 36% of the vote compared to the 23% the Lib Dems got. The idea that LD policies should be 1/6th of the coalition and Tory policies 5/6ths is ridiculous and another exageration from our abysmally disenfranchising legislative electoral system.

And the Tories got a higher share of the popular vote than Labour got when they won a comfortable (if diminished) majority in 2005. The system is broken but it is, nonetheless, the system, and it is one not designed for coalitions. I don't think its a surprise that the first peace time coalition in living memory is having trouble getting things to work, but when performed in such a scenario, I think we need to be careful about assuming the intentions of those involved. There is no easy solution here.
 
Five times the MPs but only 36% of the vote compared to the 23% the Lib Dems got. The idea that LD policies should be 1/6th of the coalition and Tory policies 5/6ths is ridiculous and another exageration from our abysmally disenfranchising legislative electoral system.

The AV vote was a shambles. The Tories got away with fraudulent scaremongering scot-free, and most people voted against it because they had no idea how it worked.
 

Biggzy

Member

kitch9

Banned
you're right, I wasn't really able to form a proper opinion based on how one sided it was. still, it will be interesting to see how it plays out and if it attracts more attention.

what does everyone think about the mansion tax not happening? it was obvious it wouldn't, but what will, if anything, the lib dems now do? just accept that it's not going to happen and hope people forget about it or try to push for it?

they must realise by now that tories aren't interested in compromising, when will they take action to try and keep some respect for their party?

We have stamp duty, just raise that on houses bought over a certain price if needed, don't blanket carpet bomb those who may be stuck in a house they are now struggling to afford and can't sell due to the downturn.....

The Lid dems are like every other party, they had lots to say, but once they got into power and found they had no money to do much they had to move their politics more central, because common sense dictates thats all that can be done.

Osborne's still moving goalposts:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/08/george-osborne-austerity-2018

I know that I make this point every time this comes up, but this is precisely what Keynesians predicted would happen when he announced his 'recovery' plan of austerity during a recession.

Hopefully they will not still be in power come 2018.

Keynesian economics say government should grow in the bad times and shrink back in the good times...... We have had a decade of the last government failing to recognize we were in a boom so they carried on growing the state and when the crash hit which we had to spend a few hundred billion to survive we are left teetering on a cliff as to whether Keynesian policies can be utilised or will they inflict further damage.

We can spend a few billion trying to generate demand in the economy, but if that money does not work as intended and we get hit with higher interest rates that completely negates the benefits of the stimulus we could end up with more debt for our kids to pay off and even further and deeper cuts.

I understand the economics in your thinking, I also understand the massive gamble of them. Until the banking system stops recapitalising I honestly think the government would be pissing in the wind throwing a few extra billion at the problem.


The AV vote was a shambles. The Tories got away with fraudulent scaremongering scot-free, and most people voted against it because they had no idea how it worked.

Oh, for christs sake. Fraudulent you say? Okaaaay!
 

8bit

Knows the Score
So police in Lancashire have arrested a Matthew Woods for a tasteless April Jones joke on his facebook wall. Now I don't know about you, but I'm fucking outraged that we live in a country where people can be arrested for making bad jokes.


Posting the slashdot forum link because it contains the actual joke...
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/10/08/0033233/uk-man-arrested-for-offensive-joke-posted-on-facebook

It's posted in it's own thread somewhere here. Emotions run high when children are in peril but I do think this is going too far. As I understand it he posted the joke to his own wall, someone screencapped it and posted it to a Justice for April or similar fb page and the e-pitchforks went up.
 

kitch9

Banned
So police in Lancashire have arrested a Matthew Woods for a tasteless April Jones joke on his facebook wall. Now I don't know about you, but I'm fucking outraged that we live in a country where people can be arrested for making bad jokes.


Posting the slashdot forum link because it contains the actual joke...
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/10/08/0033233/uk-man-arrested-for-offensive-joke-posted-on-facebook


EDIT: Didn't see the other thread!

I'm outraged this arsehole thought that he could increase the terrible suffering currently being endured by that family in the name of a "joke."

Arsehole will get a fine, and maybe next time he wants to be a complete and utter despicable bellend in public he'll think twice about it so others don't have to suffer his "jokes." He should keep his "jokes" between him and his mates if he likes that kind of thing instead of throwing it out there thinking he's awesome.
 

Walshicus

Member
Yeah, the joke is tasteless and sick, but being arrested for it is seriously disturbing.
There are a few petitions on the HM website on the subject. I know they don't define policy, but I think for too long governments have assumed that those of us who love free-speech are a minority, or that those who hate free-speech are more vocal. We just need to shout loud enough that this kind of bullshit use of police and court time is not okay.

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18809
 

kitch9

Banned
There are a few petitions on the HM website on the subject. I know they don't define policy, but I think for too long governments have assumed that those of us who love free-speech are a minority, or that those who hate free-speech are more vocal. We just need to shout loud enough that this kind of bullshit use of police and court time is not okay.

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18809

There's nothing stopping people saying what they need to say, but we do need some kind of laws to stop people standing in the street with a megaphone shouting jokes about a missing, probably murdered 5 year old whilst there are hundreds grieving.

Its called common decency and this country appears to have none.

Facebook and Twitter are the internet equivalent of a megaphone, what you post everyone gets to see.
 

Walshicus

Member
There's nothing stopping people saying what they need to say, but we do need some kind of laws to stop people standing in the street with a megaphone shouting jokes about a missing, probably murdered 5 year old whilst there are hundreds grieving.

Its called common decency and this country appears to have none.

Facebook and Twitter are the internet equivalent of a megaphone, what you post everyone gets to see.

Fuck that.

If you want to live in a country where you have the right not the be offended then you deserve every last thing you get. For gods' sakes; we've been using terrible jokes to make light of tragedies for decades. It's who we English are. And a bunch of free-speech hating fucktards want to stop people voicing their bad jokes on their own non-public-space social feeds? How out of touch with reality do you have to be to condone that?

The state and the law should not give one shit whether a person is grieving. The law, the police and the courts are there to protect us from criminals, not harmless people with a dubious sense of humour.
 
Facebook and Twitter are the internet equivalent of a megaphone, what you post everyone gets to see.

He put it on his own page, someone else posted it to the April related facebook page.

...and frankly, I couldn't give a shit if someone walked down the street with a megaphone being a wanker. That's their problem, not mine.
 

Biggzy

Member
He put it on his own page, someone else posted it to the April related facebook page.

...and frankly, I couldn't give a shit if someone walked down the street with a megaphone being a wanker. That's their problem, not mine.

'Sticks and stones' I say.
 

Walshicus

Member
He put it on his own page, someone else posted it to the April related facebook page.

...and frankly, I couldn't give a shit if someone walked down the street with a megaphone being a wanker. That's their problem, not mine.

Exactly. If they were shouting incitement to violence in their megaphones the police would be justified in stopping. Same if their megaphone were outputting at a noise level higher than local noise laws permitted... Otherwise? No.
 

Mr Osborne also confirmed reports that he plans to cut £10 billion from the welfare budget by 2016, and disclosed that he would tackle the £16 billion in savings which need to be found with a ratio of 20 per cent in tax rises to 80 per cent of public spending cuts.

they've already outlined the removal of benefits for school leavers who want housing benefit. I wonder where else the cuts are going to come.
 

kitch9

Banned
Exactly. If they were shouting incitement to violence in their megaphones the police would be justified in stopping. Same if their megaphone were outputting at a noise level higher than local noise laws permitted... Otherwise? No.

Posting sick jokes about potentially murdered kids on the internet is not an incitement to violence?

Do you have kids?
 

kitch9

Banned
The person being arrested is a joke, millions of people get offended everyday maybe we should arrest all those responsible as well

The kid who has posted it accepted his fate, and his defence did not revolve about it being reposted.....

He's not appealing either, which leads me to think there was a lot more finer detail in court than the hearsay we know.

they've already outlined the removal of benefits for school leavers who want housing benefit. I wonder where else the cuts are going to come.

Do you not have an issue with school leavers being given council houses?

Fuck that.

If you want to live in a country where you have the right not the be offended then you deserve every last thing you get. For gods' sakes; we've been using terrible jokes to make light of tragedies for decades. It's who we English are. And a bunch of free-speech hating fucktards want to stop people voicing their bad jokes on their own non-public-space social feeds? How out of touch with reality do you have to be to condone that?

The state and the law should not give one shit whether a person is grieving. The law, the police and the courts are there to protect us from criminals, not harmless people with a dubious sense of humour.

Get a megaphone, call me fat or a twat, maybe take the piss out of my big tabs, but for fucks sake do not take the piss out of my missing, probably dead child and post it on the internet.
 

Wes

venison crêpe
He's been sent to prison for 12 weeks? Crikey. A public shaming would have sufficed I think no matter how idiotic his comments were.
 
Do you not have an issue with school leavers being given council houses?

not if they aren't able to stay at home for any number of reasons. thrown out by parents for example, should they be left to sleep in the streets? or what if the parents can no longer afford to have them in the house? I don't have any issues with helping people who need help, not helping them will only cause more issues down the line.
 
after wanting to say this after the abortion news.

shut the hell up, jeremy cunt. no one cares what you think, you slimy little cunt.
 

Dambrosi

Banned
Clay, you're not allowed to say the C-word on NeoGAF anymore. Edit now or you'll be banhammered. Don't hate the mods, hate the
lack of free speech on a private forum
game.

Besides, can't you see that you're offending kitch9's precious sense of "common decency" or whatever his latest excuse for being an authoritarian wingnut is?

Won't somebody please think of kitch9's sense of common decency?









[USER WAS ARRESTED FOR THIS POST]
 
That joke is sick, but I've certainly heard worse down the pub. During the Maddie thing you'd hear it constantly from groups of "lads" acting like twats. Would they march into a pub and arrest someone for loudly making such a joke? You could make the same joke about Jimmy Saville, what about his victims? Shit's ridiculous.
 

kitch9

Banned
Clay, you're not allowed to say the C-word on NeoGAF anymore. Edit now or you'll be banhammered. Don't hate the mods, hate the
lack of free speech on a private forum
game.

Besides, can't you see that you're offending kitch9's precious sense of "common decency" or whatever his latest excuse for being an authoritarian wingnut is?

Won't somebody please think of kitch9's sense of common decency?









[USER WAS ARRESTED FOR THIS POST]

I'm not an authoritarian, I just can't begin to imagine the suffering that kids family face and sick fucks looking to increase that deserve all they get imo. It's a 5 year old for christs sake.

I struggle to understand how you guys can defend it.
 

CHEEZMO™

Obsidian fan
Clay, you're not allowed to say the C-word on NeoGAF anymore. Edit now or you'll be banhammered.

I have good news for you.

BTW, the joke was hilarious. If you think anyone should face legal action over anything even twice as bad as that you're a fucking dumbass.
 

kitch9

Banned
CHEEZMO™;42990531 said:
I have good news for you.

BTW, the joke was hilarious. If you think anyone should face legal action over anything even twice as bad as that you're a fucking dumbass.

There's lots of bad jokes about bad things Michael Jacksons death caused a particular spike in them, but if you are going to do something particularly hurtful about someone's suffering , you better take lengths its not going to end up in their face like it did in this case.

The guy has accepted his punishment, makes me think he didn't have a leg to stand on. The judge hears the argument from both sides and makes a decision.
 

Walshicus

Member
There's lots of bad jokes about bad things Michael Jacksons death caused a particular spike in them, but if you are going to do something particularly hurtful about someone's suffering , you better take lengths its not going to end up in their face like it did in this case.

The guy has accepted his punishment, makes me think he didn't have a leg to stand on. The judge hears the argument from both sides and makes a decision.

He didn't have a leg to stand on because the law is fucked up.

Again, the fact that you're happy for this to be a legal matter is utterly horrifying. You actually condone prison for bad jokes. I don't see how you can reduce the situation any further.
 
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