tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.comments2014-04-24T18:04:10.898+01:00All Bases CoveredLiamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13972130374381540864noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-69710239213948148032011-05-17T17:58:31.271+01:002011-05-17T17:58:31.271+01:00Another suggestion would be that rather than teach...Another suggestion would be that rather than teaching politics, you have a compulsory lesson in a subject which teaches kids how to form and dissect an argument. If people were able to objectively reason about issues they'd be far less liable to the 'spin' of modern politics and more likely to form their own opinions. <br /><br />It would also solve your issue of keeping the lessons non-partisan.<br /><br />Something along the lines of 'Critical Thinking', but less of an after thought and more of a serious lesson.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-86883057431413058902011-05-17T17:15:52.269+01:002011-05-17T17:15:52.269+01:00I agree with this idea in principle but I think it...I agree with this idea in principle but I think it could be dangerous within Academies because of their freedom to exploit and reinforce certain political and religious ideologies. I do believe that politics would also benefit from being modernised in a way which is more palatable to a contemporary public who have become disenfranchised from collective contribution.George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-32469648101952346472011-04-25T21:23:51.777+01:002011-04-25T21:23:51.777+01:00im just leavin it now same as usual trying to play...im just leavin it now same as usual trying to play the racism card and not being able to give valid arguments back to the points ive made!! nobodys given me a valid reason why in the case of the polish worker it helps us out!!<br /><br />of course its not a negative experience coming over to uk for immigrants, but for people aready here that pick up the bill its not great is it!!<br /><br />p.s of course im going to keep annonymous as i knew that people would have short sighted views and just pull the rasism card out of back pocket once they cant bring a valid answer to the points i had made same old boring response!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-57258998103964254832011-04-22T10:56:53.933+01:002011-04-22T10:56:53.933+01:00I hope you can see the irony in debating a controv...I hope you can see the irony in debating a controversial topic while remaining anonymous. What this usually shows is that you have acknowledged that part of your argument is either offensive or fabricated which means it loses some of its validity. Furthermore, we live in a globalised world where differences in ideologies, norms and values are narrowing and there are less variants in culture. To say that someone is undeserving in a way by place of birth is to deny them liberty, it arises in the same instance of being born middle or working-class, or black or white.<br /><br />P.S. To bring up the argument that 'foreigners come ova ere to claim benefits' is shallow, to have aspirations to live in a country that offers its people a national health service, a free education up to the age of 18 and a range of other services that improve life conditions, can't be a negative experience.George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-37278956001491602382011-04-21T00:00:32.565+01:002011-04-21T00:00:32.565+01:00i think a system where an employer would have to p...i think a system where an employer would have to prove that they couldnt obtain an employee from the uk and then apply to be able to advertise the job abroad would be great!!<br /><br />Then immigrants should have to already have a job in the UK from the jobs advertised before being able to come over and once they are unemployed they go back to their home country and arnt allowed to claim benefits!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-44345556041992629242011-04-20T23:56:36.403+01:002011-04-20T23:56:36.403+01:00I dont mind immigrants that come win with skills t...I dont mind immigrants that come win with skills that not be able to be met by people currently in unemployment due to high level of skills required, for example a doctor.<br /><br />Its the example such as the one with the polish worker that i brought up that seems mindless to me. Although that was a couple of years ago think they may have clamped down on it with a points system that i heard on the news a while back but havnt read up into it so not sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-85309497140225404592011-04-20T12:12:43.449+01:002011-04-20T12:12:43.449+01:00Please don't sterotype me because of my argume...Please don't sterotype me because of my argument. I am not politically correct because I want to be seen as a 'goodie', but I do believe in the kinds of things that I imagine you would call politically correct because they are my own deeply held beliefs. <br /><br />As an aside, I think Nick Clegg is spineless, so don't try and box me in with him.<br /><br />As I have already said, the jobs market is not static, and the jobs available do not magically fit the unemployed like a jigsaw piece. You seem to be under the impression that if we deport 2.5 million people, then that means that the 2.5 million people unemployed would all be able to find work. That is mind-bogglingly wrong.<br /><br />Increased immigration brings new skills to our country, new expertise, and more demand for goods, thus creating more jobs. That is not to say we should completely abandon any control of immigration, clearly it should be monitored, but to cast it off as inherently bad without analysing its benefits is extraordinary.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-82819852552407731182011-04-20T12:03:59.957+01:002011-04-20T12:03:59.957+01:00Dont feel cornered at all havnt had an argument th...Dont feel cornered at all havnt had an argument that tells me why we should allow unskilled workers to take up jobs that could be done by anyone currently unemployed in the uk. <br /><br />Also havnt been told why we need immigrants when we have 2.5 million people unemployed already in uk!!<br /><br />Your obviously one of these politically correct guys who would love nothin more than to get into bed with nick clegg and allow the country thats already overcrowded be flooded with more immigrants. Im glad david cameron is at least doing something about it even if he cant do what he really wants to due to having hands tied behind back due to EU.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-64844154320414492652011-04-19T03:12:41.203+01:002011-04-19T03:12:41.203+01:00Plus, I might as well state that 'slashing'...Plus, I might as well state that 'slashing' the benefit system, especially for those who refuse a job not only will not work its a massive misunderstanding by the government that people will be forced into employment. There is a huge difference in culture between those considering the reformation of the benefit system and those on benefits and both refuse to recognise either party, thats where the problem lies. I think if people are healthy and fit to work then they should have a moral obligation to pay for their own existence as there is no other progression that can sustain a democratic system in contemporary society, but an exasperated culture has developed which is not of the same obligation and it is also questionable to whether most of these people who have been subjected to abstract poverty should participate through being threatened. It is always a conservative government that pushes the message of everyone is in this together when its clear in capitalist democracies this is far from the truth, this is a fundamental unreality which is sold to voters and they go along with it as it preaches fairness. The point here is not to believe that one person is more deserving than another because they do not work, it is far more complex than the simplicity of employed labour over the unemployed.George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-15506561351237861182011-04-19T03:09:53.524+01:002011-04-19T03:09:53.524+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-28892003411474262162011-04-19T02:56:17.336+01:002011-04-19T02:56:17.336+01:00Eventually when you start to beat someone in an ar...Eventually when you start to beat someone in an argument if they have certain prejudices like this person obviously; as they will become cornered they lash out in a way which projects their actual characteristics,sad really, even if they have lived in an area highly proportioned by immigrants their understanding of immigration is flawed - Anonymous is an immigration troll!George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-89502475713620625812011-04-14T19:48:54.221+01:002011-04-14T19:48:54.221+01:00think most people are scared to say whats really h...think most people are scared to say whats really happening in case they get called racist!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-2880511557000299422011-04-14T19:45:08.215+01:002011-04-14T19:45:08.215+01:00how i see it is that in january there was almost 2...how i see it is that in january there was almost 2.5 million people unemployed in the UK. Thats slightly gone down now cant find the latest figures but you havnt come up with a compelling argument to me why we need immigrants to come in to fill up jobs when we have 2.5 million people here ready to fill them. Yes i know a lot of them will have no skills but surely within 2.5 million people they can find people with the right skill sets to fill the job vacancies??<br /><br />And also ive worked with polish citizens in jobs which could be filled by anyone with no education at all (i.e any one of those 2.5 million unemployed already in UK), after all it was only a part time job while i was having the year out between high school and sixth form. The girl worked really hard as ive found out polish people are really good workers but the money they earn here they send the majority of it back home!! how can that be beneficial to us when we need the money to be re spent through the system so it earns us money through taxes etc!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-3837793710406189572011-04-14T19:34:07.295+01:002011-04-14T19:34:07.295+01:00The jobs market is not static, people do not come ...The jobs market is not static, people do not come and 'fill' jobs and then those jobs become available again when they leave. The amount of jobs available changes, many migrants increase the number of jobs available in an area because of the increased demand they bring. <br /><br />If we want to tackle the issues people think are caused by immigration we need to tackle unemployment, build more housing and bring in a living wage so that migrant work isn't abused to the detriment of British citizens who have to compete in a wage market that is having a race to the bottom.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-79163333049808507622011-04-14T19:31:10.008+01:002011-04-14T19:31:10.008+01:00tell me why when we have so many people un-employe...tell me why when we have so many people un-employed that we need immigrants to come in and fill jobs?? are we saying that the education isnt goo enough in this country to give people the skills to take the jobs that these people are supposedly filling??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-47670861545967054832011-04-14T19:28:11.545+01:002011-04-14T19:28:11.545+01:00Oh dear. So you've looked through those stats ...Oh dear. So you've looked through those stats and analysed them by geography, population and confounding factors I assume? Rather than jump straight to ridiculous conclusions.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-12297406475072831302011-04-14T19:24:34.957+01:002011-04-14T19:24:34.957+01:00look at the stats for gun crime figures in london ...look at the stats for gun crime figures in london and youl see why we dont want immigration!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-29256399983004094962011-03-17T20:48:26.284+00:002011-03-17T20:48:26.284+00:00I don't think so, the kind of people who are g...I don't think so, the kind of people who are going to use the internet to harden their partisan stance are the kind of people who without the internet would simply only read stories in newspapers favourable to their views.<br /><br />The bonus of the internet is that I can be reading an article about a subject on the BBC then link to the Telegraph, and then an opposing view from the Guardian. You'd never be able to get that variation in printed news.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-21813898623115863652011-02-28T18:52:02.795+00:002011-02-28T18:52:02.795+00:00I agree that the Labour front bench need to pull t...I agree that the Labour front bench need to pull their finger out and at least make some considerable counter arguments to the cuts and public policy. The Internet on the other hand is the only real free medium we have left, even the heavily sensored Chinese version can be hacked and manipulated to serve the needs of the public. I get what your saying about it letting anyone wade into political discourse but I think its a good thing because it lets the voices of the nobody be heard and you never know you may just come across something that make you think harder about your own place in society. Put it this way if Sarah Palin and Nick Griffin can have their say in a free open forum like the Internet then so can Tony Benn and Poly Toynbee.George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-44187979561861849202011-02-23T23:48:44.278+00:002011-02-23T23:48:44.278+00:00I particularly like this analogy to show why you d...I particularly like this analogy to show why you don't get two votes under AV -<br /><br />You walk into a pub and order a pint of Fosters, your preferred beer. The barman tells you there's no Fosters, it's not popular enough for him to make a profit on. Here's how it would unfold under the two systems:<br /><br />FPTP: You leave the pub a thirsty man. You wanted Fosters, and as you can only choose one, when that isn't available you can't have any. You may as well never have even bothered going to the pub.<br /><br />AV: You're disappointed that you can't get Fosters, but realising that there is no chance of getting Fosters decide to go for Becks, which isn't your favourite, but its better than Carling. You aren't thrilled, but you're content, at least you got a beer.<br /><br />I'm sure you could substitute other things in place of beer and it would still work :)Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-53096256382440726982011-02-10T02:35:43.010+00:002011-02-10T02:35:43.010+00:00http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sOV3d2qmq61sPS...http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sOV3d2qmq61sPSkOd_cicLg/view.m?id=15&gid=world/2011/feb/10/marine-le-pen-cameron-multiculturalism&cat=top-stories<br /><br />Not the reaction Cameron was looking for. But the one I expected.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18329713469013791186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-81526219409051503202011-02-08T17:23:38.974+00:002011-02-08T17:23:38.974+00:00This is most Probably one of the most stupid thing...This is most Probably one of the most stupid thing the Labour government did and I'm not going to defend them on this issue. Although I guess it did annoy a lot of right wing Americans!George Briscoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05763173711438058645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-82940773154476958572011-02-05T21:21:16.549+00:002011-02-05T21:21:16.549+00:00I agree, I was always told that out of my four A-L...I agree, I was always told that out of my four A-Level subjects (Maths, Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology) that Psychology was the 'softest subject'. In fact, I found that aside from chemistry, psychology was the subject I found most difficult. I'm not going to claim it is harder than the others, as how hard you find a particular subject is down to personal learning styles and interests.<br /><br />To brand some subjects as worthless is irresponsible. By all means, let children know which subjects will benefit them at university, but to grade whole schools on narrow criteria is stupid and dangerous.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-28576317392336969392011-02-04T21:13:07.081+00:002011-02-04T21:13:07.081+00:00By all means, emphasise how helpful certain subjec...By all means, emphasise how helpful certain subjects are, but to judge a whole school based on its performance in a very narrow spectrum of traditional subjects is very disheartening for those whose passion lies elsewhere. Let those who want to study sciences know which subjects will help them at university, but that is not what the Baccalaureate is doing, it is saying that those are the only subjects that matter.<br /><br />There seems to be a trend to say that you should only study the things that will later earn you money. I think that's perverse, you can't put a price on learning for the sake of knowledge.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-409784893913497681.post-69222531539582032362011-02-04T18:11:15.159+00:002011-02-04T18:11:15.159+00:00I don't see an issue in the universities sayin...I don't see an issue in the universities saying they favour students who do more academic subjects. There is good empirical evidence that those who study those subjects at A Level are better prepared for university, so it makes sense that top unis want those students. <br /><br />I actually think it's a good thing that universities are being clearer about this. It should force sixth forms to give clear advice that students should take at least two traditional subjects if they want to go to a top university.<br /><br />I don't buy that this makes the English baccalaureate a good idea. Students should be offered two things: a large range of vocational and academic subjects; and clear advice about what universities are looking for in candidates. They should not be pushed into the overly prescriptive baccalaureate. After all, the unis only say that two subjects should be academic, not all.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18329713469013791186noreply@blogger.com