People should be more angry with politicians

[Platypus]

it never did.

Yes it did. Read some history about the liberal reforms, repeal of the corn laws, etc.

[SueEllen]

I agree completely it shouldn't be applied without common sense as otherwise I would be stopped on suspicion of burglary daily.

You look like a druggie?

[xoggoth]

It was banned in England in 1985

But nothing at all has been done until very recently. The first prosecutions started last March.

[DodgyAgent]

What rot. This again is just you assuming everyone else is like you. Luckily, since you're a selfish cynical git, this isn't the case. Good people do exist, no matter how alien that concept is to you.

What age range would that be? I certainly know people in their twenties and early thirties in or aspiring to politics... or "para-politics" like action groups and social causes, etc.

Fundamentally, people like you lot who don't believe good people exist are as much of the problem as those you're complaining about.

You are a naive little fool. Perhaps you could support your claims with some evidence. The facts are that politicians are disproportionately guilty of crime and fiddling expenses. They then spin and lie and pretend that they are behaving for the benefit of the poor and needy. They may care on a certain level but ultimately they are driven by personal ambition.

[Flashman]

Hitchens is right. Alan Johnson is stuck back in some 1970's socialist fantasy world. The Labour party really, really needs to move on. Shouting 'racist!' at people just doesn't cut it anymore.

England is most crowded country in Europe - Telegraph

The number of people living in England has overtaken the population density of Holland, which has traditionally been the most densely-populated major nation on the continent.


The count, which has been attributed to higher levels of immigration, shows England now has 395 people per square kilometre.

The article is from 2008. Since then the population has grown by, what, another 1 million - 1.5 million people?

Marvellous.

[xoggoth]

The facts are that politicians are disproportionately guilty of crime and fiddling expenses

Think d000gh is talking about basic tendencies, you are talking about reality of circumstances.

I always like reading crime pages for every place I've lived and have little doubt that people are just as intrinsically bad at every level of society. Crimes by famous/prominent people get a lot more coverage which makes them seem more prone to it. I could post loads of news links about serious sexual abuses, including some by organised rings, involving ordinary people in the months we've been constantly hearing about a few people like Saville and Harris but I expect you won't have heard of most of them.

If they do get away with things more and the crimes are more serious, it is because their power and influence gives them the chance to do it, not because of a basically worse nature.

[Flashman]

Everyone I've ever met who works in politics wants to, is motivated by good reasons. Your comment says more about yourself, that you would only ever do something for selfish reasons and therefore nobody else would either.

It seems something happens along the way to those with good motivations. Either the only way to get to a position of power is to play the game and by the time you "win" this changes you, or the self-interested ones get to the top through being willing to use more trickery.

There's a great quote in Hitch-hiker's Guide I can't find about this.

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do so"
Douglas Adams HHGTTG

Still miss Douglas

[mudskipper]

They are placated with football, cheap booze and flat screen tvs.

[speling bee]

Hitchens is right. Alan Johnson is stuck back in some 1970's socialist fantasy world. The Labour party really, really needs to move on. Shouting 'racist!' at people just doesn't cut it anymore.

England is most crowded country in Europe - Telegraph




The article is from 2008. Since then the population has grown by, what, another 1 million - 1.5 million people?

Marvellous.

From wiki. These are the figures for Netherlands. Not sure what the density of Holland is.

With a*population density*of 406 people per km² - 497 if water is excluded - the Netherlands is a*very densely populated country*for its size. Only*Bangladesh,*South Korea*and*Taiwan*have both a larger population and a higher population density.

[speling bee]

So according to wiki, the population density of Holland is 1200/km2.