The Politics Thread

[Bruce Rioja]

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Go on then. Our lives?

[thebish]

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Go on then. Our lives?

us = the people governed

[Bruce Rioja]

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Go on then. Our lives?

us = the people governed

Ah, you live in Afghanistan and your life is being interfered with by the British government. My apologies, I'd no idea.

[thebish]

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Go on then. Our lives?

us = the people governed

Ah, you live in Afghanistan and your life is being interfered with by the British government. My apologies, I'd no idea.

eh? no idea what you are on about! are you missing Tango too??

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

the entirely sane and cuddly Liam Fox....

The 2010 relaunch of this EA game, set in a war-torn Afghanistan, has received calls for it to be banned from UK defence secretary Liam Fox.

In single player mode, gamers play as the US army trying to defeat the Taliban. However in multiplayer mode, gamers can choose to play as the Taliban instead.

Speaking to the Press Association, Fox said: "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban... I am disgusted and angry. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game."

am I reading this right??? It's OK to play a wargame as a US soldier and blow up, kill, maim, shoot, stab and obliterate as many Taliban fighters as make your Friday night go with a swing... but the moment you are allowed to play as a Taliban fighter - suddenly the game is utterly unacceptable and should be banned???

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Did he say it's unacceptable and should be banned?

Maybe he did, but it isn't in that quotation.

[thebish]

the entirely sane and cuddly Liam Fox....

The 2010 relaunch of this EA game, set in a war-torn Afghanistan, has received calls for it to be banned from UK defence secretary Liam Fox.

In single player mode, gamers play as the US army trying to defeat the Taliban. However in multiplayer mode, gamers can choose to play as the Taliban instead.

Speaking to the Press Association, Fox said: "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban... I am disgusted and angry. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game."

am I reading this right??? It's OK to play a wargame as a US soldier and blow up, kill, maim, shoot, stab and obliterate as many Taliban fighters as make your Friday night go with a swing... but the moment you are allowed to play as a Taliban fighter - suddenly the game is utterly unacceptable and should be banned???

is this a good example of "smaller government" not interfering with every aspect of our lives - or was the whole "smaller government" just a load of bollox?

Did he say it's unacceptable and should be banned?

Maybe he did, but it isn't in that quotation.

not in that quotation - no - but I heard him on the radio using the ban word...

and he is quoted thusly...

"It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban. At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. I am disgusted and angry. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ga ... -honor-ban


EA games responded..

EA has reportedly responded to Fox via the Sunday Times with the following: "The format of the new Medal of Honor game merely reflects the fact that every conflict has two sides. We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban."

[Prufrock]

A fair point, well-made. It's a f*cking game.

[Lord Kangana]

Politics or Medal of Honour?

[a1]

is there a level on it where you "accidently" bomb a "wedding" ?

[Prufrock]

Politics or Medal of Honour?

Well, quite.

[BWFC_Insane]

I've given up with any hope for the future of this country with this "Lot" in charge.

Most depressing time I can ever remember, and its only going to get worse as they strip away and strip away, privatising things via the backdoor whilst meddling in the very way they said they "wouldn't".

All I can hope for is that when "they've" gone that they don't come back again in my lifetime!

[superjohnmcginlay]

Calm down dear. They haven't even got started yet. You'll be suicidal by then.

[thebish]

Don't be ridiculous - David Cameron has had a baby - we're all feeling happy and blessed and extending towards him and the coalition government a wave of touchy-feely mellow goodness....

[Prufrock]

Big global warming sceptic man says, 'seriously guys, it is actually happening'.

[Gary the Enfield]

I've given up with any hope for the future of this country with this "Lot" in charge.

Most depressing time I can ever remember, and its only going to get worse as they strip away and strip away, privatising things via the backdoor whilst meddling in the very way they said they "wouldn't".

All I can hope for is that when "they've" gone that they don't come back again in my lifetime!

I don't often post on this thread. My politics are my own affair. However after reading this plaintive cry I thought I'd share the last few lines of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' with you:

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

Substitute 'government' for 'pig' and 'opposition' for 'man' and you get some idea of my interpretation of modern politics.

[Bruce Rioja]

I've given up with any hope for the future of this country with this "Lot" in charge.

Most depressing time I can ever remember, and its only going to get worse as they strip away and strip away, privatising things via the backdoor whilst meddling in the very way they said they "wouldn't".

All I can hope for is that when "they've" gone that they don't come back again in my lifetime!

Goodness me, that's the giddy limit. I've never read anything quite so vacuously cliched in quite some time. Many thanks.

What, given the Eutopia that 'they' were left by your (the democratically booted out) 'lot'?

Have you actually anything other than guff to say? Have you points to back up this piss-poor rhetoric? Or are you just going to drone on with your Socialist Worker amblings? I imagine the latter.

Still, perhaps given the 'facts' as you 'state' them, then this 'lot' might not be voted back in within your lifetime anyway as you'll be dieing soon, completely uncared for by the 'lot'.

[Bruce Rioja]

Don't be ridiculous - David Cameron has had a baby - we're all feeling happy and blessed and extending towards him and the coalition government a wave of touchy-feely mellow goodness....

Two words - Leo Blair.

I've seen more Christianity in Bernice from The League of Gentlemen, than I have from you.

[William the White]

I've given up with any hope for the future of this country with this "Lot" in charge.

Most depressing time I can ever remember, and its only going to get worse as they strip away and strip away, privatising things via the backdoor whilst meddling in the very way they said they "wouldn't".

All I can hope for is that when "they've" gone that they don't come back again in my lifetime!

Goodness me, that's the giddy limit. I've never read anything quite so vacuously cliched in quite some time. Many thanks.

What, given the Eutopia that 'they' were left by your (the democratically booted out) 'lot'?

Have you actually anything other than guff to say? Have you points to back up this piss-poor rhetoric? Or are you just going to drone on with your Socialist Worker amblings? I imagine the latter.

Still, perhaps given the 'facts' as you 'state' them, then this 'lot' might not be voted back in within your lifetime anyway as you'll be dieing soon, completely uncared for by the 'lot'.

Been away, Bruce? Missed the chance to read a nick clegg speech? They've been an almost daily helping of vacuity from the poodle in charge...

[thebish]

Don't be ridiculous - David Cameron has had a baby - we're all feeling happy and blessed and extending towards him and the coalition government a wave of touchy-feely mellow goodness....

Two words - Leo Blair.

I've seen more Christianity in Bernice from The League of Gentlemen, than I have from you.

bruce - when you try - you can be staggeringly dense. blair's use of little leo was equally nauseous - where did I suggest otherwise?

[BWFC_Insane]

I've given up with any hope for the future of this country with this "Lot" in charge.

Most depressing time I can ever remember, and its only going to get worse as they strip away and strip away, privatising things via the backdoor whilst meddling in the very way they said they "wouldn't".

All I can hope for is that when "they've" gone that they don't come back again in my lifetime!

Goodness me, that's the giddy limit. I've never read anything quite so vacuously cliched in quite some time. Many thanks.

What, given the Eutopia that 'they' were left by your (the democratically booted out) 'lot'?

Have you actually anything other than guff to say? Have you points to back up this piss-poor rhetoric? Or are you just going to drone on with your Socialist Worker amblings? I imagine the latter.

Still, perhaps given the 'facts' as you 'state' them, then this 'lot' might not be voted back in within your lifetime anyway as you'll be dieing soon, completely uncared for by the 'lot'.

Its called an opinion Bruce. I saw probably hundreds and hundreds of similar posts re. the last government. Didn't see any replies like that from you though.

Funny that.