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Cocteau8

Listed below are comments made by Cocteau8 between Wednesday, 26th November 2008 and Friday, 9th October 2009.

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Wake-up call for world peace 3:36pm on 09 Oct 2009 An American president calling for nuclear disarmament! This was an absolute watershed moment on the world stage, and whilst we are yet to see the impact of this it was something I can recall marching for 30 years ago. The fact that a US president is of a similar mind to those many millions calling for this down the years, is in itself astounding and fully worthy of recognition, when we consider the fears that nuclear proliferation have created.
Can James answer England call? 08:11am on 08 Oct 2009 Robinson lost it at Spurs (post 10)? Er, no! He got to be England's regular No. 1 whilst at Spurs. As has been said elsewhere here, he lost it after a Neville back pass and the subsequent press slaughter. Up until then the press were commenting upon him being one of England's essentials.
Should architects boycott Prince Charles? 4:54pm on 11 May 2009 Charlie needs to remember what his role, and the role of the Royal Family is in the UK. Whilst we still have them they are 'constitutional', as in that have no real power, nor should they. His interfering and imposing of his own arcane architectural tastes through 'the family name', with a preference for a chocolate box ye Olde England that no longer exists should only add to calls to rid us of this anachronism. What is old fashioned now was once modern. What is modern now will one day be old-fashioned, and so it goes on. It's called progress and is something Charlie is clearly against! The 'monstrous carbuncle' he condemned years ago was a spectacular piece of architecture that would have attracted people purely because of the design of the building, forgetting about what was inside. In years to come it would have been seen to be a classic. Thanks to him it doesn't exist and we have missed out!
Can Man Utd re-write history? 12:53pm on 02 Mar 2009 'How exactly was the referee on United's side yesterday? If he was then surely United would have had a penalty and Ronaldo would not have had a yellow card.'

I agree with Phil regarding the 'penalty' incident. Ronaldo was already on the way down and King made no difference to this - it wasn't a dive although there was a nice twist added by Ronaldo at the end, to add emphasis! But the O'Shea non-sending off? Of this there could be no debate - the ball was nowhere near when he clearly took the Spurs player. 10 players against 11? Who knows what could have happened then, but it would have changed everything that followed on. The referee bottled it!
Torture allegations and UK-US relations 4:54pm on 04 Feb 2009 'It is palpably obvious that this person was up to no good and therefore left themselves open to retribution for their collusion with people who would do us harm.'

I would suggest, Blogord, that you have a quick perusal of Bad Men, by Clive Stafford Smith. This is an excellent and eye-opening read which refers to the cases of many at Gitmo, one of whom, Binyam Mohamed, is quite clearly and blatantly shown to be a victim of what might politely be called a miscarriage of 'justice', all because of the myopic determination of one regime's (Dubya's) efforts to create a status of fear amongst its populace.
Torture allegations and UK-US relations 4:03pm on 04 Feb 2009 'As for 'torture' read 'a few stress positions and loss of a bit of sleep', nasty, but not in the same league as the treatment prisoners can expect in the hands of Mr Bin Laden's followers.'

Phew, that's ok then! Don't need to worry about these silly little people suffering from waterboarding and other actions contrary to the Geneva Convention, in the name of freedom! At least they no doubt got lots of evidence (that any fair court would throw out immediately). Don't know what these softies are moaning about. Thanks for making that clear, FalmouthBoy!
Further VAT rise was considered 4:06pm on 26 Nov 2008 Ref PammyAnny (114) - 'Increased council taxes don't affect the poor in rented accommodation because they can claim Council Tax Benefit.'

And your point is? That they shouldn't receive benefits?

Additionally, you suggest that perhaps the Tories would compensate local authorities of the non-Labour kind (the vast majority nowadays, I think you'll find!) for freezing council tax, as suggested by the boy-genius Osbourne. I somehow suspect that that was not what Georgie had in mind when he was making this suggestion, seeing the tax saving through council tax cuts, but not the compenssatory increase in public spending through compensation offered to local authorities put in dire straits by such a freeze.
Further VAT rise was considered 3:10pm on 26 Nov 2008 One of the standard throwaway lines of the Tories, and further referred to here, with regard to savings that can be obtained in public expenditure and alternative sources of tax cuts, is the freezing of council taxes.

Now I know that if all we read is the Daily Mail and/or the Evening Standard we might be of the blinkered view that the raison d'etre for all local authorities is the wasting of 'our' money. The alternative view is that councils provide essential housing, community care and other services (libraries, environmental health?) - some of which could perhaps be, on occasion, better managed, but all of which benefit those who have such a need.

Given the increasingly aging population and the resulting greater need for support services, added to the impetus to discharge people from hospitals into the community much sooner than has occurred in the past, increases in council tax that match inflation result in the inability of services to meet needs.

It's a very easy throwaway line to suggest council tax freezes, but this would result in a massacring of essential services, not just cuts. And these people will be the very same people who will quite rightly criticise the 10% income tax fiasco, which hurt those who are not quite as vulnerable as some of the recipients of these essential services!
Further VAT rise was considered 12:28pm on 26 Nov 2008 So, that budget, Air-Hair-Lair (2), where Sir Geoffrey Howe advised the nation, contradicting all of those denials made by the Tories in the 1979 General Election campaign, that he was doubling VAT from 8% to 15% didn't really happen! Amazing how the mind plays such tricks!
VAT slip? 09:56am on 26 Nov 2008 Not that it's going to happen, 124, but the leaked option was for the increase to 18.5% to follow a year after the return to 17.5%, so not quit the shock you suggest.

I should add to the above, before some here carry on referring to the disingenous Labour Party, that in 1979 the Tories rubbished the suggestion that they would double VAT, during the run up to the General Election. I can also recall going to a meeting at which Edward Heath was speaking (I wasn't tere as a supporter, I should add!). My brother asked this very point, and Heath ridicled the very suggestion. 8% before the election and, if my memory serves me correctly, 15% thereafter, thanks to Sir Geoffrey!

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