I ask because I just watched a BBC News report on drug clinics in Denmark - the policeman called the addicts "poor people" brought in from the streets, implying support and caring. In the UK, police would call them scum.

And I just spoke to a friend in Tunisia about the suicide bomber on the beach (very close to my friend's hotel) who referred to the bomber as "a poor man who sadly killed himself". In Britain it would be "Vile Terrorist who luckily failed to kill innocent citizens".

There is something very unpleasant seeping into our UK souls fuelled, I fear, by media catering to the worst aspect in our characters - because that increases circulation.

JK2006 wrote:
I ask because I just watched a BBC News report on drug clinics in Denmark - the policeman called the addicts "poor people" brought in from the streets, implying support and caring. In the UK, police would call them scum.

And I just spoke to a friend in Tunisia about the suicide bomber on the beach (very close to my friend's hotel) who referred to the bomber as "a poor man who sadly killed himself". In Britain it would be "Vile Terrorist who luckily failed to kill innocent citizens".

There is something very unpleasant seeping into our UK souls fuelled, I fear, by media catering to the worst aspect in our characters - because that increases circulation.

I agree about the drug addicts, their only victim is themselvles, suicide bombers potentially kill dozens of innocent people.

JK2006 wrote:
There is something very unpleasant seeping into our UK souls

Not so, JK

While ever we provide
FREE medical care,
FREE housing (for those who need it,
FREE money ! (every week),

and loads of other things - like Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners (which covers most of the cost - but they will never admit it LOL !), free travel etc .... we are the kindliest country on earth.

All you have to do is NOT abuse the system (but, humans, being humans .....)

Coming from someone who advocates bombing and killing innocent Arabs whenever possible, that's rich ITK!

JK2006 wrote:
Coming from someone who advocates bombing and killing innocent Arabs whenever possible, that's rich ITK!

I don't advocate any such policy, JK (as well you know).

Unlike others (who have never replied to my question "how many deaths before we take action?") I see a simply solution - and one we will have to take eventually.

robbiex wrote:
I agree about the drug addicts, their only victim is themselvles

... and the rest of us - who pay for it !

DESPITE the media, we are one of the world's most tolerant countries.
One policeman in Denmark called them poor people. One of your friends called them a poor man. I'm sure there are a few people in the UK who would sympathise with them. I don't think people in the UK have got worse in this respect. Not that long ago we hated Germans and any Jerry resident in the UK were carted off to POW camps.

Fair point Foz; Robbie - I think it's all a question of attitude. To me, the ghastliness of somebody's crime should neither increase or lessen our sympathy for victims - but it also should not affect our human desire to feel sympathy for the perpetrator.

They are suffering too and we should help and sympathise with those in pain - from all sides.

ITK; yes, I know you're not advocating murder but I do think your blinkered attitude - believing one side, ignoring the other, and tending to support revolt against the establishment (unless they are rioters in Britain) - leads directly to more deaths, not fewer.

In The Know wrote:
JK2006 wrote:
There is something very unpleasant seeping into our UK souls

Not so, JK

While ever we provide
FREE medical care,
FREE housing (for those who need it,
FREE money ! (every week),

and loads of other things - like Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners (which covers most of the cost - but they will never admit it LOL !), free travel etc .... we are the kindliest country on earth.

All you have to do is NOT abuse the system (but, humans, being humans .....)

It's not FREE medical care, FREE housing, or FREE money. We pay National Insurance and Income Tax.

robbiex wrote:
In The Know wrote:
JK2006 wrote:
There is something very unpleasant seeping into our UK souls

Not so, JK

While ever we provide
FREE medical care,
FREE housing (for those who need it,
FREE money ! (every week),

and loads of other things - like Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners (which covers most of the cost - but they will never admit it LOL !), free travel etc .... we are the kindliest country on earth.

All you have to do is NOT abuse the system (but, humans, being humans .....)

It's not FREE medical care, FREE housing, or FREE money. We pay National Insurance and Income Tax.

But it is free to those who have paid nothing.

In The Know wrote:
robbiex wrote:
I agree about the drug addicts, their only victim is themselvles

... and the rest of us - who pay for it !

Compared to the crime committed,prison & court costs...and of course the medical costs it's a very cheap alternative.

When in Zurich I've investigated these places for my research.Most of the addicts hold down full time jobs.

JK2006 wrote:
ITK; yes, I know you're not advocating murder but I do think your blinkered attitude - believing one side, ignoring the other, and tending to support revolt against the establishment leads directly to more deaths, not fewer.

We have to disagree ... this will NOT be over until Assad is removed ... I was advocating his "removal" almost 2 years (and almost 100,000 deaths) ago.

robbiex wrote:
It's not FREE medical care, FREE housing, or FREE money. We pay National Insurance and Income Tax.

The workers do !!

It's just Dog Eat Dog now.

some are oblivious to the fact that most of the world's countries- as best they can- provide medical care, housing and social security but Britain is about the meanest in Europe in that regard not that you would know by reading corrupt media entities like the tabloids or the BBC.

Nor is anything 'free'- a nation's recourses belong to it's people or the people of this planet.

the fact that some basically steal more of them via the fact they are more manipulative in 'business' or birth does not make it right- just factual.

ITK, JK, me and all posters in the UK on this website are the beneficiries of Britain's rape of it's colonies which still happens- even after the colonies were 'freed', ownership was retained via corporations so that an asset laden country like Australia is still majority owned by the UK, Netherlands and USA. Just as Africa is and has been looted by the UK (and others)

As a visitor now to the UK every 2/3 years I see the change : it's become the nasty place reflected in it's weird obsessional and completely corrupt media. I'm usually relieved to leave and return to the South or some Asian country where the obsessional West can be temporarily forgotten.