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Old 17-07-04, 08:16 PM
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John N John N is offline
'Mr March'
 

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Andrew is right about democracy. You can't have democracy without risking that people you don't agree with might get elected. We have little enough democracy as it is with basically a two/three party system. At least people like the greens can exert some influence in Europe.
Take a look at the US, the greatest democracy on Earth. A two party system based on taking massive donations from big business in return for what?

On top of this, free speech is taking a bashing as well. There'll be a new law, the 'incitement to religious hatred' soon. Why? I fail to see why the religious should enjoy a greater level of protection under the law than the rest of us.
Personally, I would dis-establish the Church of England and ban all religious services in all schools. Religion is for church/mosque/whatever, not to be taught as if it is fact in schools.

As far as immigration goes, most people would set some sort of limit on it. As I understand it official figures expect a 5.6 million rise in UK population by 2031 with 85% of that coming from immigration.
As a small country with one of the highest population densities in Europe, there is a limit to how many people we can take. Is 200 odd thousand a year sustainable? What will that do to the cost of housing?
There are also social challenges when large numbers of immigrants arrive in an area in a fairly short period of time. It has to be managed properly.
I'm not anti-immigration but there are important issues that need to be dealt with.
Also, English language competence should be compulsory (free lessons if required) and some sort of allegiance to the country made.

Phew. Rant over.
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When the mariner has been tossed for many days in thick weather, and on an unknown sea, he naturally avails himself of the first pause in the storm, the earliest glance of the sun, to take his latitude, and ascertain how far the elements have driven him from his true course. Let us imitate this prudence, and, before we float farther on the waves of this debate, refer to the point from which we departed, that we may at least be able to conjecture where we now are.
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