General News Discussion

[Spartacus Mars]

19 people shot last night as Chicago's deep innercity problems escalate, although of course mainstream media don't want to worry themselves about that when white people are being shot in Manhatten

Edited August 24, 2012 by Spartacus Mars

[Ed209]

So what? What's so special about 19 shootings in one night in Chicago?

There are some 150,000 non-lethal "gun assaults" each year in America, that's FOUR HUNDRED per DAY.

Hell, there are on average 25 gun murders per day in the US of A.

So, the reason the media aren't all over 19 woundings in Chicago isn't racism. It's that there is absolutely nothing special or exceptional about them. They're local news, nothing more. Not even headline local news. Local, day-to-day, bylines.

The only reason Manhattan (three "a"s) is notable is the fear of terrorism, and the novelty of a large, daylight, gun-battle.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

So what? What's so special about 19 shootings in one night in Chicago?

.

Edited August 25, 2012 by thesecretingredientiscrime

[Spartacus Mars]

What's there to actually discuss rather than point-and-seer-at with a sense of smug superiority?

Some 75% of the USA population believe it's their constitutional right to own guns (even a majority of those who don't own guns feel they are permitted to).

Besides, a "no guns" policy isn't going to take an effect for a generation or two as there is already saturation availability - and a pair of vast borders for discreet importers.

Prohibiting guns in the States, now, would have about as much impact as prohibiting cannabis, cocaine and heroin has had.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Spartacus Mars

[Spindles]

Heh, that reminds me of an excellent line I once read, which went along the lines of:

A War on Terror? Great, we have just had a war on drugs and look how well that worked. I mean, no one takes drugs any more do they?

[Spindles]

Indeed, a point made by bowling for columbine. The reason for the US' violent gun crime is clearly not it's gun laws as Canada have basically identical gun laws. It is a bit like saying that more legislation would have prevented the financial crash of 2008 when in fact it was caused by people acting outside of the law, or that we need more laws to clamp down on people posting hate on twitter when current laws can send people to prison for doing so.

Thanks to Hungerford we can no longer own assault rifles/automatic weapons, thanks to dunblane we can no longer own handguns (or to be precise, we cannot own them and keep them in our own homes, even under lock and key like we can with rifles or shotguns). I recently read a figure for the number of firearms owned in the UK and, as mr fish points out, it was a surprisingly high number. I know I didn't realise that there were that many legal guns in the uk.

[Spindles]

I believe they said Rappers, but I don't want to get lost in specifics

I read with interest this morning that G4S lost £50m on the olympics. I then pissed myself laughing and remembered the point at the select committee where the chief executive explained (from beneath the safety of his 80s hair and permatan) than he still expected to be paid the full amount despite the fact that troops were being called in to cover the shortfall and there being literally hundreds of reports that G4S had the organisational skills of a baboon on LSD from those hired to do the work and then left completely in the dark even a week before the event was due to start.

[Spindles]

A wise choice, I assure you.

[lost]

company in India launches vagina tightening cream

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19353039

[Spindles]

Imagine my surprise when I thought it was facial scrub. I now look perpetually like Kenneth Williams.

I read that it's been available in other markets for some time and the big complaint is how it's being marketed. Myself I don't think I'm qualified to tell a lady how to look after her chuff, guessing ad men are probably the world's least qualified to tell anyone anything.

[The Nal]

Vagina tightening?! Fucks sake.

These women must be like a wizards sleeve!

Or a yawning hippo....

[Spindles]

Your grandma's purse. The clasp has long since broken and now it's held closed with an elastic band.

[Spartacus Mars]

Vagina tightening?! Fucks sake.

These women must be like a wizards sleeve!

Or a yawning hippo....

[The Nal]

[Spindles]

Brilliant!

[Spindles]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19419395

For those who have concerns about immigration (I'm not someone who believes some of the lies, but it is important to recognise that there are issues with people profiting from immigration and breaking/circumventing the rules) I am sure this will be good news.

If you go to Birmingham, down by Digbeth bus station there are a whole collection of offices which state they are Universities (with their big, cheap banners) which are merely a pseudo-legal way to get a student visa and bypass the immigration law to come here and work. Removing such loophole abusers can only be a good thing for our economy.

I'm a leftie, but I agree that jumping on anyone who discusses illegal immigration and calling "racist" is counter productive. Ignoring issues such as this just to avoid being labelled only makes things worse.

Hoping the government might start looking at other loophole abusers (tax cheats) and believe that they already are.

[Spindles]

Going to have to add, I know nothing about the specifics of THIS university, I am basing my opinions on the evidence of the "fake" universities/fake places at real universities that exists in my own area. I know that these offices use the names of universities in wales and london as their accreditation. If the government are throwing out genuine students I'm really sorry, but there IS a problem and it should be tackled.

EU migrant workers are legitimately welcome in this country, that's the law, non-EU migrant workers face tougher laws. Fake universities/fake places allow the law to be circumvented.

[kaosmark2]

One of my friends is really struggling to get his student visa. In the end he's had to change his course to a shorter one because the govt won't let him have a visa for the remainder of his degree. He's not been home to visit his family in 2 years because he's sure that if he leaves the country he won't be able to come back and finish his studies. It's disgraceful.

I don't know how much of an isolated case his is, but there's certainly difficulties genuine students are encountering.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

One of my friends is really struggling to get his student visa. In the end he's had to change his course to a shorter one because the govt won't let him have a visa for the remainder of his degree. He's not been home to visit his family in 2 years because he's sure that if he leaves the country he won't be able to come back and finish his studies. It's disgraceful.

I don't know how much of an isolated case his is, but there's certainly difficulties genuine students are encountering.

[lost]

similar thing just happened to one of my mates but with Canada, went over there with a woman and ended up getting hitched, came home this year to use the NHS then went back and they wouldn't let him back in, wife going nuts

[Spindles]

The only direct experience I have is a friend called Joseph, from Ghana, who worked with me between 2005 and 2006 as a temp. He was officially a student in London, but had moved to my town with friends as there was plenty of work here (and there was, back then, there isn't now).

I don't know enough to know if the government are over the top in their reaction, but knowing that it IS the case that student visas are being abused I agree that it should be tackled and I also agree that it was a failing of the previous government to fail to do so, allowing the problem to fester.

I'm interested to know other people's opinions and experience.

[TheGayTent]

I'm a leftie,

[Spindles]

No??

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Non EU students are a very important source of income to Uk universities though

[eFestivals]

Non EU students are a very important source of income to Uk universities though

particularly when they're not actually having to teach them.