NJS

You forgot to mention super volcano eruptions, asteroid collision or viral pandemics - I think we need to develop the means to escape the planet in the next 500 years or we're fucked.

It's basically a working Vista with some of the stuff that was supposed to be in Vista that was postponed added. I think its the best since 98SE.

Could have added Huntley as the school caretaker.

Read your comment before the picture loaded and thought it was going to be Jean Simmons and you'd gone all dead pool psychic.

I had chicken pox when I was 32 (worst experience of my life) and couldn't shave for about 4 weeks but found the beard to be a fucking nightmare - as soon as my skin cleared it was off.

Several people pointed out that Western Nations have used the "do our will or we will kill you" for centuries - how is that different?

When will you get it that Britain is the place is it now precisely because immigrants over 3000 years have "imposed" their culture on the rest. How do you define a native? What is your baseline period of time for the changes you despise? 43AD? 1066? 1704? 1948? 1999? What is the "basic" culture that is so great it can't handle a little dissent? This multi cultural society will not work mate, it is already causing deep divisions in the country due to foreigners expecting us to adapt to them instead of the other [correct] way round, the population is continuing to grow, can you not also see the economic danger to the future ? How are you being asked to adapt - by being forced to eat curries? Serious question by the way - how has any immigration group actually affected you or anyone you know's life? What traditional NE customs are affected? - Football? Drinking?

When will you get it that Britain is the place is it now precisely because immigrants over 3000 years have "imposed" their culture on the rest. How do you define a native? What is your baseline period of time for the changes you despise? 43AD? 1066? 1704? 1948? 1999? What is the "basic" culture that is so great it can't handle a little dissent?

Absolutely fair comment if you're willing to explain the what, how and why of said experience - otherwise to simply mock knowledge is a bid daft.

Unforunately the kind of secular state you and I would like would require wholesale change to the state and government - especially the monarchy - as you so quite rightly said the Americans sort of got it right but starting from scratch was the key,

I honestly think that was a knock-on effect from similar Muslim/Christian protests as in "if they can get uppity so can we" - doesn't make it right of course but again they have the right to protest (peacefully).

I think that Jews provide good "input" into a debate on multicultarism. I've always recognised their persecution in history but have always felt that they "asked for" (please don't think I'm justifying pogroms and holocausts for a second) some of it in the sense that they have always been very non-integrational which sets them up for prejudice. I think that is mirrored in the UK with the way Southern Asian Muslims have isolated themselves too much in places like Blackburn and Bradford. The kind of multicultarism that I'd promote would be the kind demonstrated by other groups like the Chinese, Hindus and West Indians (forgetting the gang culture for the sake of the argument) who are all proud of their culture but have embraced elements of British culture as well as adding their own to it. I would say immigration has added to "British culture" rather than replaced it - I think use of the word "dilution" is also wrong.

Though you're right about their history, the Jewish state was founded by terrorism which it continues to use on a daily basis. All modern countries have exemptions from laws specifically designed for Jews. Don't try and hold them up as some kind of well integrated moral example. They can all do what they like in their own countries. Interesting foreign policy - So would you only have started on Hitler when he threatened the UK directly? No because Hitler's actions were massively wrong and a threat to our existence. As for countries who commit genocide well that's another debate, the 1.5m dead tsutsi's we stood back and did fuck all, same as the yanks. Thing is theres a valid argument over whether Israel is "their country". I think in general there should be a consensus to sort out problems around the world up to and including full scale "Iraqs" - its just a shame the UN never lived up to its ideals and responses are always so fragmented.

Fair point - I know in this instance the opening topic was the French proposal but I was thinking more generally - though accepting a UK skewed approach as you say.

Though you're right about their history, the Jewish state was founded by terrorism which it continues to use on a daily basis. All modern countries have exemptions from laws specifically designed for Jews. Don't try and hold them up as some kind of well integrated moral example. They can all do what they like in their own countries. Interesting foreign policy - So would you only have started on Hitler when he threatened the UK directly?

Though you're right about their history, the Jewish state was founded by terrorism which it continues to use on a daily basis. All modern countries have exemptions from laws specifically designed for Jews. Don't try and hold them up as some kind of well integrated moral example.

I have no problem with the state expressing its disapproval and it shouldn't let extremist responses stop it from opening the debate which I think is worthy. However I think the principle of the right to individuality in terms of choice of clothes is pretty "sacred" as well. I know there is an argument which says the law has no problem dictating against nudity but I think that's different. I would also say that in democracies even though we talk about laws "imposed" by government, most if not all of the laws are pretty aggreeable by the majority in principle, leaving the obvious ones aside, many people might think speeding laws are anti-freedom but they'd still have to admit they are "right" - I don't think imposing dresscodes in any sphere of public life could be "by consent" no matter how worthy the idea behiond them to "liberate" the women.

I've said before that it's ironic that his views on law and justice are very "Shariah".

In the circumstances, I don't even think Western Muslims who did what LM suggests now and went to fight should have been sent to Gtmo - surely at the end of a war you just accept that people were fighting "honestly" and then let them go. Obviously any real terrorists should have seen justice but not eveyone then or now opposing the Western forces is a terrorist in the Al-Quadia sense.

I was warned of the move to Sulfur a few years ago - and it does annoy me. I suppose watching a load of medical dramas which call for a "shot of Epi stat" has meant the latter doesn't seem too bad.

I still get an automatic "that's wrong" response when I see something like "traveling" but on the whole I agree with Renton on divergence. I get the impression though that American is more "standard" by region even allowing for accents - I'm not sure how many regional dialect words like "scran" they use. I still think English people who use "ass" should be hanged for treason though.

I've met cunts of quite a few nationalities with the exception of Yanks - met a few and they've all been sound. Your generalisations aren't that bad normally and i agree with a lot of them up to a point but I think you've got Americans wrong.

Like color instead of colour? If that was me I would go all Hungerford on that school. You didn't complain??? They aren't even a proper fuckin country, and they're saying your spelling English versions of words wrong. Remind them they'd be speaking Kraut or Jap if it wasn't for us, I wouldn't care most proper people know fuck all about their history, while I've read our history is high on their educational agenda, as it should be for the whole world, and they're telling you, you're spelling words incorrectly in authentic English. What a fuckin wank country. Hate to say it Stevie but the reason "American English" is different is because it hasn't changed at all - words used to be spelled color etc when the colonies were populated but since then we started to add Us. I Still think they're wrong on "Aluminum" but the other stuff, though worthy of piss taking, is a bit of a daft argument.

Not just the neocons - see Kosovo/Grenada/Haiti/EL Salvador/Cambodia/Korea etc etc

That may be how I was leaning but I think I've decided to take a testing the water approach and maybe try it once to see how I feel in practice.