Had It in Holland Park

There is a film that is offensive to some and those offended peacefully protest it's availability.
Freedom of speech in action, on both sides. Ain't a free society wonderful?

"the past four years have unleashed a raw, bitter war over economic class, our social obligation to the poor and sick, and the basic sustainability of the modern state that has existed since Franklin Roosevelt."

Actually, what has unleashed the war is that our bank manager mentioned that we have been kiting checks for 50 years and are now so deep in debt that we will have to cut back on our lifestyle. But we have gotten so used to the gravy (and there is now so much of it) that the cuts will really hurt - so we go to war to ensure the cuts hurt the other guy more than they hurt us.
    What happened to "we're all Americans, we're all in this together," you ask? 

    That's sooo 20th century.

“Absolutely right! Just include chips and fizzy drinks in the list of class A drugs. Problem solved. Later, if we decide to remove substances from the list based on the amount of harm, they may be the last to go.

As nanny says, everything that is not compulsory should be forbidden.”

"what do you call a woman who's had an abortion?"
Someone who has had to make a tough choice that will be second-guessed by millions who do not know her or anything about her.”

So What? Let the social workers and counselors get on with helping the victims and get this garbage off the news. Enough of your titillation and pandering to prurient interests already.

PS: To both Paul and Les
    Isn't it annoying that people can be both good and evil at the same time?
   Why can't things be all black or all white, like wot they used to tell us in sunny school?” 

“Sorry, Mohammed, I don't like your chances. Responsibility is sooo 20th century. Today's average government entity, like the average citizen, runs a mile at the sound of the word and starts looking for someone else to blame.””

“Gosh. Two whole inquiries. Well that will lay the media feeding frenzy to rest, won't it?
Ever notice how the sexual antics of journalists are NEVER reported? Apparently it is not in the public interest for us to know how many of the journalists and publishers, who tsk-tsk so loudly at Jimmy Saville or Strauus-Kahn, are guilty of the same practices.”

“He wants more anti-Islam demonstrations? Don't like his chances, at least in the west. Most folks don't care enough about the tiny minority who pervert Islam for their own mohareb ends to bother demonstrating.”

“The majority of those living with parents do not pay a market rent nor contribute the full cost of their food. If you spend all your income on yourself, it can be hard to save up to rent or buy your own place. Most of these people would be happy with social housing (it is better that my mom and dad don't pay for me: but okay if other people's moms and dads pay for me), so it is a good thing that they cannot get it.”

“Both are benefits become rights by virtue of being provided by government. If government provides a benefit, each citizen (at least each in the same class or group) must get that same benefit - as we have a "right" to be treated fairly and without discrimination. Failure to treat citizens fairly is such a violation of basic rights that the government deserves to fall and citizens treated unfairly are within their rights to bring that government down.

However, if government does not provide or mandate education or healthcare (or does so only for those with special needs or only up to age 12), then I have no right to these benefits. I must find them on my own.

A government may mandate that people who are sick must be paid, even though they do no work on a given day (a reasonable thing for government to do - protecting citizens, their dependents and hence society at large). In that case, I have a right to sick pay because I may not be discriminated against.

If, however, some employers elect to pay workers for sick days not taken, while others do not, the government is unlikely to get involved (since there is no social benefit in forcing all employers to do this). In this case, I have a "right" to this pay only if I work for company that pays it to others like me.”

“"...entire families and communities are changed when girls go to school."
Now you know why the Taliban want to kill any girl children who do.”