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marimonster

Listed below are comments made by marimonster between Friday, 23rd May 2008 and Wednesday, 11th February 2009.

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Daniels sacrifices bonus 08:50am on 11 Feb 2009 Guys, we should all be reasonable. In light of the fact that all banks have been very reluctant to give up their bonuses, we should give credit to an individual who is demonstrating a sense of contrition. Blame is attached to everyone, from government down to individual borrowers who have borrowed recklessly. The system has been unsustainable but unless you were campaigning against it while the times were good you shouldn't feel any particular right to protest now.
Sterling shunned 5:28pm on 24 Oct 2008 We should all now see the hollowness of Gordon Brown denying responsibility for this crisis on the grounds that it is a global issue. This may be the case but it also seems to be the case that we are perceived to be the worst of the rich countries as the plummeting value of sterling demonstrates. Oh and will the Government now recalculate the economic benefits of immigration when huge numbers of Eastern Europeans start claiming benefits?
German guarantee lost in translation 9:10pm on 05 Oct 2008 What poor journalism. Get your story straight before you report it.
Cleaning up 2:06pm on 18 Sep 2008 So Gord intervened and saved the world did he? I'm sure the merger was entirely his idea, that he chaired all discussions, wrote up the merger agreement and all before breakfast when he started to draw up plans to retrospectively clean up the financial system. I'd like to see what HBOS and Lloyds have to say in private about this shameless opportunism? Silence the price of no investigation by the Competition Commission?
Why hoax? 4:28pm on 24 Jul 2008 The narcissism of journalists.
Knives, guns and teens 5:13pm on 04 Jul 2008 Does anyone reading this actually believe that we should not crack down with tougher penalties for knife crime? What possible reason do you have for carrying a concealed weapon around with you? If the reply is self-defense, do you really think that pulling a knife on someone else with a knife is likely to prevent you being attacked. In any case this is a morally relativist and illusory argument. Morally relativist because there should be NO reason to carry a concealed weapon on your person. Illusory because as we have seen in recent weeks, it's largely a lie. Most of the dead were killed when outnumbered by large groups of youths none of whom were under threat. when you give in to the self defence argument you are facilitating murder.
Knives, guns and teens 3:11pm on 04 Jul 2008 Why are so many people congratulating this post? I suppose we are meant to applaud Mr Easton's great sobriety in using a statistical analysis versus the hysterical hacks of (shudder) tabloid newspapers. However, how long did it take to knock this together Mark? Did you set out to compile the data and then present your impartial conclusions? Presumably not, because in as equally simplistic a way as those who claim violent crime is increasing, you present one set of data on gun crime as if violent crime works on some inverse relationship between these two. I think it's pretty clear that you set out to "prove" that violent crime isn't rising and used the first set of helpful statistics. This is just the kneejerk reaction from journalists you're being sniffy about.

More pertinantly, why do you object so much to public opinion being whipped up into a frenzy about these things? You won't see much political will to find a solution otherwise or do you really believe that violent crime is meandering along at such a reasonable level that current policies are sufficient? Again, I'm going to suggest an answer- it's clearly because you don't want the state to crack down on violent crime because you're scared that it will lead to the persecution of the (relatively) poor and minorities and as a good member of the left-liberal establishment that would offend your sensitivities. However, if you catch up with the rest of society, I don't believe that the public are baying for blood and want to hang these people up by their thumbs, they just want action and if the only way to get politicians to invest time, money and resources in trying to turn kids away from violence is to whip up a media frenzy is that such a bad thing? If it wasn't for the media frenzy about paedophilia for example we wouldn't have background checks on people working with children and although the extent of that can be debated, I think most of us would agree that it is broadly a good thing.

Finally, coming on a day when two families are mouring their tortured, murdered and incinerated children, indicates you are dogmatic, insensitive and perverse.
Normal service will be resumed... 1:33pm on 25 May 2008 Post 14 - such Zen like wisdom as ever. I remember Blair/ Campbell using similar tactics to avoid things they didn't like to discuss.

Despite this, as always you identify the pressing issue of our time - hobbies. Perhaps Gordon should take something up to help him let off steam from his all obsessive politiking - governing perhaps?
Tipping point? 2:16pm on 23 May 2008 163 fianddan

It's no use. you can shout until you're blue in the face (no pun intended) but they have their fingers in their ears singing "na na na na". Their funeral.
Tipping point? 1:56pm on 23 May 2008
Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp:
Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame,
That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
When living light should kiss it?

'Gainst nature still!
Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up
Thine own life's means!

Macbeth Act II Scene IV

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