Reasons Why Fluffy Helen Is Evil Part Two

"I'm definitely not a satanist!

atheism 100%

Satanism 75%

Paganism 71%

agnosticism 67%

Islam 63%

Buddhism 46%

Judaism 42%

Christianity 29%

Hinduism 17%"

Are not both Atheism and Satanism the same thing?

Quote of the Day 6.10.2006

"Thoughts are freedom" - Laurel K. Hamilton

Reasons Why Fluffy Helen Is Evil Part One

"I *have* to pay membership fees if I want to be part of societies at Derby, it's compulsory!I never used to pay my membership in Lampeter, not even for the societies I was an exec member for (of which there were many..).."

Shameful

Pregnant teenagers are deliberately smoking in the hope of having smaller babies so giving birth is easier, it has been reported.

Public health minister Caroline Flint spoke at a Labour Party conference fringe meeting about teenagers' attempts to reduce their labour pains, the Nursing Standard magazine reported.

Smoking can lead to low birthweight babies, meaning some teenagers smoke throughout pregnancy, the magazine said.

The Department of Health said Ms Flint had heard about the issue anecdotally from health professionals and young women she has met.

Ms Flint said: "It is important that we understand what stops young women making healthy choices so we can provide the right answers to their concerns.

"In this case, childbirth is no less painful if your baby is low weight. So smoking is not the answer, pain relief is."

Studies have shown that women who smoke during pregnancy are three times more likely to have a low birthweight baby. Smoking can also cause other problems, such as respiratory illness.

Women who smoke are less likely to carry their babies to full term and there is a 26% increased risk that they will miscarry or experience stillbirth.

Babies of smoking mothers are also an average of 200g (7oz) lighter at birth.

Royal College of Midwives (RCM) midwife Gail Johnson said there was no evidence that having a smaller baby reduced pain in labour. She said: "It is vital that the risks associated with smoking are highlighted and that women are then supported to make changes to their lifestyle but the RCM is very clear that there is no evidence that the size of the baby relates to the amount of pain the woman may experience."

Tax: The Burning Issue

Since David Cameron was elected the Conservatives’ Leader, one issue has dominated debate within the party, the subject of taxation. Cameron and his intelligent but inexperienced sidekick, Shadow Chancellor “Boy” George Osborne have repeatedly stated that economic stability takes priority over tax cuts. The Thatcherites, led by Baron Tebbit, have understandably attacked Cameron and Osborne for refusing to commit themselves in even the vaguest of terms to reducing the tax burden, despite clear evidence of a growing public backlash against almost nine-and-a-half years of tax increases (particularly stealth taxation) by Gordon “The Brooding Bully” Brown.

The political monetarists are right to press for tax cuts as the lower the tax burden, the more favourable the conditions are for businesses to invest resources within the nation and in turn the greater the overall tax returns are from this environment of increased prosperity. In 2005, the United States of America enjoyed its second biggest year for tax returns thanks to President George W. Bush and both Republican-controlled chambers of Congress’ programme of tax cuts. As the financier and World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar, John “Bradshaw” Layfield has often and rightly claimed, “tax cuts work"!

However, one of the perquisites for tax cuts is a stable economy, a fact that is not lost on Cameron and Osborne, nor would this be lost on Baroness Thatcher, the late great Nicholas Ridley or even JBL. Far too often, politicians have promised tax cuts before being elected to power, only to have then had to increase the tax burden because they have inherited an unstable economic environment caused by high and rising levels of inflation plus excessive and wasteful state expenditure. At a Conservative Party Conference fringe meeting on Monday, Baron Tebbit quoted promises from the Conservatives’ 1979 General Election manifesto to reduce taxation. However, what Baron Tebbit seems to have forgotten is that the tax burden increased during Baroness Thatcher’s first term in office because the dire economic circumstances she inherited from James Callaghan and Denis Healey. Baroness Thatcher’s inability to fulfil her promises to reduce taxation because of economic realities contributed to her low opinion polls ratings between 1979 and 1981.

In light of this precedent, Cameron and Osborne are right not to make promises to reduce taxation before achieving elected office, especially since as Osborne noted that there will not be General Election until 2009 at the earliest. To commit a prospective Conservative government to a programme of tax cuts two-and-half years before a General Election is not only rash, but allows New Labour and the other political parties to go on the offensive and undermined the Conservatives’ current momentum. Whatever ones’ concerns about Cameron and Osborne maybe (and I for one do have some, particularly of Osborne), in this case, their strategy is the right one and it is a strategy that both Baroness Thatcher and Mr. Ridley would approve of themselves. As Osborne quoted from the Iron Lady: “I am not prepared ever to go on with tax reductions if it meant unsound finance. Sound money is the only sustainable path to lower taxes.”

Quote of the Day 3.10.2006

"Oh, the BBC eh? That well known defender of anyone politically to the right of Lenin. Give me a break." - geoff on Iain Dale's Diary

North Korea To Test Nuclear Weapon

North Korea has said it will conduct a nuclear test in the future to "bolster its war deterrent for self-defence" but would never use an atomic weapon first.

The hermit kingdom added it remained committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and said it would "firmly guarantee" the safety of any test.

Analysts believe North Korea, which shocked the region in July with a series of missile tests, has enough fissile material to make at least six to eight nuclear bombs.

But it is thought the country probably lacks the ability to make a weapon small enough to mount on a missile.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the UK would view any North Korean nuclear missile test as "a highly provocative act with serious consequences for the DPRK (North Korea)".

He added: "It would raise tensions in an already tense region and have repercussions internationally."

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said the nuclear test plan was "totally unforgivable."

He added that the possibility could not be ruled out and that if such a test did take place, Tokyo would react "harshly" in concert with the international community.

Any nuclear tests would probably be seen as a move to grab attention and force the US into direct talks.

In a statement, North Korea's foreign ministry said: "The US daily increasing threat of a nuclear war and its vicious sanctions and pressure have caused a grave situation on the Korean peninsula in which the supreme interests and security of our state are seriously infringed upon and the Korean nation stands at the crossroads of life and death."

Pyongyang accuses Washington of trying to topple its government through a crackdown on its finances. It wants this ended before it will return to international talks to end its nuclear weapons programme.

The US refuses to end the crackdown, which analysts said is causing Pyongyang's leadership real difficulties, or to hold direct talks with North Korea outside the six-country nuclear negotiations.

The talks among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States have been stalled since November.

Western experts have said no one knows for sure whether North Korea has actually built a nuclear weapon. The country declared itself a nuclear weapons power in February 2005, without testing.

Birthdays

Today, both my brother and grandfather celebrate their birthdays, while a week from today, Conservative Mind will celebrate its 1st anniversary.

Finally, it was a year ago today that I humbled the anti-Jewish Stalinist womaniser George Galloway at a public meeting.

Socialism: THE Tyranny Of Conformity

As a libertarian Conservative, if I were asked by someone to summarise in a sentence what socialism is and why I am opposed to it, I would confidently say, “socialism is the tyranny of conformity”. During the course of my education and interest in both history and politics (particularly the 1930s and the Second World War), I discovered that all forms of socialism share the same cancerous genetic code. All strains of left-wing ideology share (to various degrees) the same basic animalistic desire to impose a near universal conformity (with the notable exception of the socialist hierarchies themselves) upon humanity and have contempt for individuality and independent thinking. Why is this? Once someone begins to think for themselves instead of accepting the ‘conventional wisdom’ of the socialist elites without question, these said elites feel threatened by this sign of independence because it provides an alternative source of authority that challenges these ruling elites' legitimacy to hold and exercise power. To maintain their power to control the people, the socialist elites feel compelled by their nature to suppress and/or destroy any institution, person and symbol that rejects the status quo.

Individuality and independence of any kind are perquisites of liberty, which are the polar opposites of the imposed conformity promoted and pursued by socialists, from ‘social democrats’ to ‘democratic socialists’ to communists to fascists (do not be fooled by lies that fascism is the right-wing ideological counterpart of communism – particularly Stalinism, as Stalinism is really just another form of fascism). It is from this tyranny of conformity that all other forms of tyranny stem. Socialism is a hypocritical, inconsistent mongrel philosophy of lies and shameful euphemisms; with which words such as ‘progressive’ and ‘final solution’ take on coded double meanings to dupe and misinform humanity. In other words, to be socialist is to be anti-social!

Dixie Carter Hits Back At Critics Of TNA Wrestling's Signing Of Kurt Angle

The Angle signing, though, came with a bit of negative feedback. Fans questioned whether it was too soon following his departure from World Wrestling Entertainment because there were questions about his health status and a rumored drug-use problem.

"Am I shocked by some of the negative response? I’m more saddened by it – for Kurt," Carter said. "I know this has hurt him very much.

What about Angle's wife and children? How much hurt are they going through watching him kill himself?!?

"TNA would never sign a talent, or allow a talent to be in a situation to harm themselves more than the risk each of these guys takes every time they step into the ring. I truly believe that every TNA wrestler, referee, broadcaster and front-office employee knows that their health and their family come first. TNA is their livelihood, and they are all very passionate about it, but it is still just a job."

As far as you know, what is Kurt Angle’s current health status?

"Kurt has been cleared by his team of doctors to wrestle, and I have that verification from the doctors."

What did TNA do to make sure that problems in Kurt’s past, including anything drug-related, have been addressed?

"I have personally met with Kurt and his wife. All past medical and pain medication issues have been addressed in depth and to my satisfaction. We have assembled a team of doctors around Kurt to monitor past injuries and also oversee his health on an ongoing basis.

"Kurt will personally address specific questions about his past, not me."

Considering that Angle has a history of concealing the true extent of his health problems, that statement does not fill me with any confidence.

The issue of drug use in pro wrestling has been a problem for years, with several drug-related deaths. Does that worry you?

"It’s a huge concern, of course. First, one of the benefits of working for TNA Wrestling is the schedule that our talent has, which prevents the enormous, physical strain on a body. Second, our talent does not secure their spot on our roster by the mass of their bodies. If a TNA star is injured, or has personal issues that he or she needs to address, that talent will not be put in a situation where he or she has to wrestle. The talent might still be on-air in a different capacity, but we would never do anything that could lead to further injury. If a leave-of-absence is necessary for treatment, it is an option which we have utilized in the past."

What is the TNA Wrestling drug policy?

"TNA Wrestling has a very strict drug and alcohol policy, and each contracted talent signs an acknowledgement of the policy set forth. Drug use and alcohol abuse are issues we take very seriously. TNA has the right to conduct random drug-tests and other tests in accordance with government requirements. Violations of the policy are spelled out and failure to comply or failure of a test can result in mandatory drug counseling and treatment, suspension from work without pay, up to and including dismissal. We do not address the specifics of this policy publicly as we are a private company and our talent are independent contractors."

In other words, TNA does not have a drug policy. TNA just turns a blind eye in the majority of cases. They will not be able to turn a blind eye any longer when Angle dies in the ring during a live Pay Per View event.

Quote of the Day 28.9.2006: The 100th Post

"Homophobia is Gay" - Swansea Student Liberal Democrats

Kurt Angle & TNA Wrestling: When Insanity & Corporate Manslaughter Collide

Douglas Nunnally's article at ProWrestling.com about TNA Wrestling's acquisition of the great Kurt Angle sums up exactly how I feel about this (and other) situation(s).

I am disgusted. Yes, I am completely and utterly disgusted and for the first time in months, it is not because of WWE shockingly. It is not because of a lovely widow being paraded around as a heel to try and get heat on a storyline. It is not because of a man who can barely wrestle being given a dress and a push simply because it's getting cheap laughs out of the boss. Above all else, it is not milking the name of a beloved wrestler in an attempt to get people to care about another wrestler or an angle. No, it's none of that.

Looking back, it's unfathomable something can get my blood boiling far past the heel turn of Vickie Guerrero which caused my fiancée to sit in on some pretty big rants from my big mouth. It's unfathomable that someone could show lower morals than WWE. But it happened. As much as I'd like to go to bed and pretend it didn't, it did. And that's what scares me.

If you don't know, TNA announced earlier this week an announcement that would change the course of pro wrestling history would be made at their PPV on Sunday. Last night at their No Surrender PPV, they revealed one part of their announcement to be the arrival of Kurt Angle, one of the greatest wrestlers of this age if not, perhaps, of all time. And seconds following the PPV's conclusion, I literally felt a part of me die.

Now, let's back up and look at Kurt Angle. We all know Kurt Angle is someone who pushes himself beyond any limit. He won the Gold Medal with a broken neck, he wrestled WrestleMania XIX with one, he took the easy way out with surgery to come back as soon as possible forcing him to miss more of 2004, and recently he injured himself three times in one match, by his own admission, & refused to enter rehab. Does that sound like a sane man to you? Does that sound like a man who is in his right mind whatsoever? Even more, if you look at the interview he did with WWE, he claims that he needed time to "reheal and rehab [his] body." Now, that was less than a month ago and I'm all for quick recoveries, but no way in hell did Kurt Angle repair all the damage done to his mind and body in less than a month. Yes, there is such a thing as passion in this business and it's quite obvious that Kurt Angle once had it, but this goes past passion and obsession into pure insanity. Refusing to enter rehab and wanting to continue to wrestle after suffering three concurrent injures (two of which came about because he didn't know when to stop) is complete insanity that we finally see truthfully and there is no way to look around that.

Do not get me wrong. I am a big Kurt Angle fan and I am not trying to insult him. Just the other day I was re-watching WrestleMania X-Seven and I couldn't wait to get to his classic with Chris Benoit that blew my mind when I first saw it. Hell, I'll probably watch it again after this column. Last year saw him cement his legacy along with Shawn Michaels and when he first entered ECW this year, I was ecstatic to see a completely different Kurt Angle within the ring. This transcends being a Kurt Angle fan though. This transcends being a Kurt Angle hater as well. This is about caring about a man's personal health, if not life, and while that may sound horrendously extreme, it is definitely warranted no matter how you look at it.

Last year, Eddie Guerrero tragically passed away and WWE instituted a drug testing policy. Interestingly enough, when the video of Vince McMahon announcing the drug testing went up on WWE.com, it was Kurt Angle who had the majority of the questions. Fast-forward to January and WWE fans were treated to Kurt Angle sans at least twenty pounds looking freakishly scary while holding the World Heavyweight Championship. Reports poured in from fans who witnessed Angle leaning on others for support while backstage or exiting the arena. "Breaking News" posts were made every other day about a possible new Angle injury. Interviews popped up from Angle himself saying he would just not stop. Rumors emerged of wrestlers scared of the well-being of one of the top stars in the promotion. Angle next disappeared shortly after joining ECW due to a suspension for not keeping the prescriptions for the little drugs he had left (compared to the humongous number we know he had before the drug testing went into effect) updated and came back in the same sorry state he left. Then, after being in no state to wrestle for anyone, he was told to enter rehab by WWE. Mind you, WWE pays those who enter rehab so Kurt Angle could have been making money by doing nothing except finally giving his body some practically mandatory rest. I just mentioned Eddie Guerrero and it's well known the company paid for Eddie to enter rehab. Why would Angle not go? Why would he shove aside all that money and not recover? Again, I ask: do these sound like the actions of a sane man to you?

After all of this, rumors arose of Angle joining MMA while every other promotion (wrestling and MMA) under the sun marveled at the chance of getting Kurt Angle in their ring. Angle's manager, Dave Hawk, even claimed that Angle was retired from pro wrestling and would fight in MMA in 2007 and to be honest, that's probably the safest thing for him. I don't even follow MMA and I know that for a fact. Everyone is required to take drug test to fight so that right there narrows it down to a fifty-fifty chance that Angle would even step into the ring, because God knows Angle probably needs a full bottle of assorted pain killers and other pills before being able to walk let alone train let alone fight. From there, you just need to look at the rules of any MMA promotion out there from UFC to PRIDE and you can put your mind at ease. First off, you know the ref is going to already be overly concerned for the well-being of someone that has a tentative appointment with the Grim Reaper down the line according to scuttlebutt. Second off, do you really expect Kurt Angle to spend eternity locked in a neck crank and the ref not call for the bell? This is just common sense here, folks, and after that, you just have to ask yourself which is more damaging to the body: taking a few high left kicks from someone like Mirko Cro Crop in a five minute round or going thirty minutes with someone like Samoa Joe who will dish out stiff blow after stiff blow that Angle can't even attempt to counter or block in most cases. That's not even factoring in the insane bumps that Angle would be taking or would probably even demand to take in the matches. God forbid you get him in an Ultimate X match which you know either Vince Russo or Angle himself will be lobbying for.

But did Angle enter MMA? No, Kurt Angle decided to forfeit the money he has left on his WWE contract (voiding the non-compete clause) and shack up with TNA as I already mentioned. In one fell swoop, the roles of the major players in American professional wrestling instantly changed. WWE was once, and probably still is, regarded as the evil, callous promotion devoid of a heart and a soul. After all, they milked Eddie's death for all it was worth and let people like Jackie Gayda and Dawn Marie go after getting married and getting pregnant respectively. TNA was believed to be the alternative. TNA was supposed to be the promotion with the heart of the sport, giving the fans what they wanted and giving the talented workers shunned by WWE a place to go. Now? Now, TNA has signed the wrestler WWE deemed too crippled to wrestle for them. They let go someone who could be a major coup for any promotion and I guarantee you they didn't do it because Angle looked at Vince the wrong way in the hallway. Do you think for one second that Vince McMahon would let Kurt Angle go unless he literally feared for his life? For those who still want to play the "blame WWE" game, do you think for one second that Vince McMahon would let Kurt Angle go unless he literally anticipated Angle's death and the subsequent lawsuits, hateful editorials, & bad press that would follow?

Now, you can say how this is a business all you want and you're right: it is a business, but isn't that what WWE has been saying for years to people, only to get criticized more. That aside, even the shrewdest businessman would tell you that this is a humongous mistake. On one hand, you're losing the appeal you attracted fans with. You grabbed wrestling fans burnt out from the Invasion mess with the promise of no bullshit WWE practices, a promotion with a heart; and now you're hiring someone even McMahon, the one notorious for milking those for all their worth, deemed nowhere near stable enough (physically and mentally it seems) to go near his ring. And what for? Ratings and a profit; those are great things to risk someone's well-being for. On the other hand, what is going to happen if (and according to many, when) Kurt Angle becomes paralyzed or even dies in the ring? What kind of public image is that going to give to the product? What kind of message is that going to send to your fans? Right now, TNA can claim ignorance or the fact that they are handing out a "second chance," but what happens when something like that happens (and I guarantee you that one of those two things will happen)? Looking at it even more, what if it turns out to be like the "Hail Mary" save Sting made for TNA earlier this year in that it spiked buyrates and ratings at first, only for things to slowly dwindle down to the current state TNA is in now necessitating such an acquisition? Where would the rationale be then? "Hey, kids; Kurt Angle is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, but he helped us get some extra cash for a bit that we then spent on another WCW star who did nothing for the product."

I put the blame fully and 100% on Total Non-Stop Action truthfully (and the argument would be the same if another promotion like NOAH or ROH had beat them to it). I've said it above and I'll say it again: all this does not sound like the actions of a sane man and Kurt Angle is nowhere near sane by the look of things. A sane man does not get three injuries in the span of five minutes, continue wrestling, and then object to being taken off the road. A sane man does not leave a humongous paycheck behind for refusing to go to rehab that will make it so he can walk his daughter Kyra in a beautiful gown down the isle one day. Kurt Angle is not sane. In America, you can get acquitted for murdering someone with a plea of "insanity," but what if someone sane put the knife into the hand of a man nowhere near his right mind and pointed him in the direction of eternal damnation? Whose fault is it then? In my opinion, it's that sane person's fault and this is exactly the position TNA is in right now. They know full well everything going on with Kurt Angle. Even if they have not read his own statements, the statements of others, the backstage rumors, the press releases, et cetera; all you have to do is look at the poor man and realize that he should be nowhere near a professional wrestling ring for the remainder of his life. TNA has shown in one announcement what is most important. Instead of valuing the health of their wrestlers and the very life in this case, TNA is just looking for a quick fix and this time, they are committing assisted suicide for the sake of a five hundred thousand more viewers.

Go ahead and bust out the demanding schedule of WWE and compare it to TNA's breezy work schedule. What you're forgetting is that Kurt Angle has been told by many doctors that he risks paralysis and even death every time he steps into the ring. Every time, people. Every time Angle comes out and does his spin in the middle of the ring, he is playing Russian Roulette with his life. Let me tell you something: it doesn't matter if you're working one day a week or five. If you're gambling with your life, it's eventually going to catch up to you. You don't expect a drug addict coming off a five year binge to just shoot heroin once a week or once every two weeks and be all right. May seem a little extreme, but they do call it "the drug of choice" and looking at the match where Angle pulled his groin, tore the abdominal muscle off his pelvis, and blew out his hamstring, one match is all it takes. It's a risk no matter how many times you're working and to point out something TNA fans loves to boast, TNA is a completely different style than WWE. It is way more physical and while Angle did wrestle many a match with Chris Benoit, that was in 2003 and I guarantee you that Angle has not gotten younger or let his body rest much in those three and a half years. Meanwhile, there are wrestlers in TNA like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles who are building their reputations based on insanely stiff matches (for American standards). One match with Samoa Joe may be the equivalent of twenty with someone the likes of John Cena nowadays. Try telling yourself again that the lighter TNA schedule will do Angle some good.

This goes further beyond TNA and Kurt Angle as well. What is going to happen in the eventual dream match between Kurt Angle and AJ Styles if Angle goes to give Styles an Angle Slam, blows out his hamstring (again), and spikes AJ Styles straight on his head, injuring the young star immensely and damaging his future? Again, I ask: where is the justification? TNA has brought in some questionable stars like Jeff Hardy and Scott Hall (and I've been very vocal about those two) in the past, but none have ever posed such a risk to themselves and to their partners in the ring by just getting into the ring as Kurt Angle. We didn't watch Jeff Hardy square off against AJ Styles on the Second Anniversary show and pray Jeff Hardy would make it out alive & be able to walk and not drag down AJ Styles with him. We didn't watch Scott Hall get into the ring with Styles at Turning Point 2004 and cringe every time he lifted up Styles or took a bump. At least the biggest risk with Hardy & Hall was that they'd pass out, miss their flight, and TNA would be out a match on the PPV. If I was AJ Styles, I'd be begging Kurt Angle to no-show a PPV no matter how great a match the two could have.

I started out this column disgusted and I still am, but more and more, I am scared down to my very being. What scares me right now is that it seems WWE is the promotion with some set of morals for a change. What scares me right now is that we aren't even over the tragedy of Eddie Guerrero and we are already preparing ourselves for another one. What scares me right now is that in a year, people might look at the plight of Kurt Angle & Dynamite Kid and lament how Dynamite Kid got off easy in comparison. Overall, what scares me the most is the justification everyone right now is giving to a promotion for hiring a crippled man who casually admits he has little to no feeling in his left arm, can not compete without a myriad of pills, and was turned away by an infamous company finally doing the right thing, just so the fans can get a dream match they want.

Right now as I type, thousands of TNA fans are going to bed dreaming about their Olympic Hero going one-on-one with their favorite TNA wrestler: AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, et cetera. Right now, thousands of Angle fans are dreaming about seeing their favorite wrestler ever return to primetime. Me? I'm trying my hardest to stay awake because I know the nightmares that awake me when I drift away. We already lived through these nightmares last November. We shouldn't have to again, TNA, and that disgusts me.

TNA, it's bigwigs such as President Dixie Carter and the Jarretts (Jerry and son Jeff) its financial backers Panda Energy and it's television network Spike TV should all be ashamed of themselves. Carter, the Jarretts and company should be jailed for taking liberties with Mr. Angle's life just to compete with Vince McMahon's organisation.

Quote of the Day 22.9.2006

"I’d say Boris Johnson, regardless of what he’s said now, is a perfect reason to not vote Labour!" - Jo Salmon on Jo's Journal

I can imagine the late great Nicholas Ridley having a huge laugh in Heaven at young Miss. Salmon's expense.

Barmy 'Do-gooders' Dance On James Bulger's Grave

The age at which children who commit crimes can be held accountable for their actions should be raised from 10 to 14, a youth justice expert is proposing.

In a report published by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College, London, Rob Allen calls for major changes in the way youth offending is tackled.

He says that Government policies are demonising young people rather than addressing the reasons for their behaviour.

In From Punishment To Problem Solving: A New Approach To Children In Trouble, Mr Allen sets out a package of measures aimed at moving from the world of 'cops, courts and corrections' towards an emphasis on addressing health, educational and family difficulties which he says lie behind offending.

As well as raising the age of criminal responsibility by four years, the proposals include introducing specialist prosecutors, introducing a new sentencing framework, moving responsibility for youth justice from the Home Office to the Department for Education and Skills and greater investment in services to support children in trouble.

Mr Allen, who is director of the International Centre for Prison Studies at King's College and has just completed a maximum of two four-year terms as a member of the Youth Justice Board, said: "We have seen an increasing preoccupation with protecting the public from young people and a growing intolerance of teenage misbehaviour of all kinds.

"A genuine shift from punishment to problem solving as the guiding principle for tackling youth crime would help to produce a society that is both safer and fairer."

In the report, Mr Allen points to the fact that the age of criminal responsibility is higher in many other countries, such as France, where it is 13; Japan, where it is 14; and Italy, where it is 15.

He suggests that if the age was raised to 14 in England and Wales, child care proceedings should be used for younger children who commit serious offences.

I have two words for these recommendations, JAMES BULGER!

Master Bulger was just two-years-old when he was brutally murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. I will not go into details about the actually murder and trial as these are already covered by Wikipedia, but the point I would to make is that although I empathise (note the word 'empathise', not 'sympathise') with the problems that both killers were subjected to at home, that can never excuse what these two did to their victim and his family. For Mr. Allen and the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies to publicly call for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised in line with other nations is a disgrace, an insensitive insult and kick in the teeth to the memory of Master Bulger and his heartbroken, long-suffering parents. These calls also tacitly excuse Bulger's killers of their crimes. Venables and Thompson not only killed James Bulger, they also caused the marriage of his parents to collapse through their evil deed.

Britain Supports Privatisation

The public wanted the pace of reforms in areas such as the health service to be quickened, according to a new survey for the CBI.

The poll of 2,500 adults showed that almost two out of three believed private sector firms should be allowed to provide public services as long as they were of high quality.

The research was published as hundreds of NHS workers staged the first of two 24-hour strikes in protest at their jobs being privatised.

The CBI said its study showed that unions who argued against public service reform were "out of touch" with the public mood.

More than half of those questioned said they supported the Government's decision to invite companies to provide GP services in areas where there was a shortage of doctors, with 30% against.

CBI director general Richard Lambert said: "This new poll proves that attempts to derail public services reform are not only misguided, they also misjudge the public mood.

"People want more reform, not less, to bring services up to the levels they rightly expect."

Eat that lefties!

Quote of the Day 21.9.2006

"We need to rejuvinate Thatcher and have her back. She'd sort it all out, and take no **** from anyone." - DanShields on GameFAQs

Quote of the Day 19.9.2006

"Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgements" - Jonathan Frakes

Is Don Paskini on crack?

He must be after reading his post "Let's hear it for the Nanny State". The ignorant and offensive drivel that he wrote in that piece makes Jo Salmon sound like John Major. Here are some examples:

"Reading Iain Dale's Diary, though, I get the feeling that what Tories mean isn't, in fact, about which sector is best placed to deliver early intervention programmes, but that trying to help parents who have problems looking after their children is a bad idea full stop. As Iain puts it, "it probably involves sending parents of the yet to be born little hoodie on a taxpayer funded trip to Barbados to let them discover their inner selves," and if that isn't an ignorant piece of prejudice then I don't know what is."

That's right, you have no idea what prejudice is, junior.

"This is in fact the level at which the political debate is currently conducted - is it better to get tough on people living in poverty with tough new tough policies, or are these policies a bad idea because spending any money on the state intervening is wrong in principle because it all gets wasted as I know because I read something about how these social workers waste it on politically correct outings for chavs."

"One of the many good things about political correctness is that it is impossible for mainstream politicians to speak with spite and venom about people who face certain kinds of discrimination and prejudice. Unfortunately, hatred and contempt for people who have drug and alcohol problems or who are teenage mums isn't just seen as acceptable, but is taken for granted when discussing new policies which will affect their lives."

Does Master Paskini have any clue about what political correctness actually is? I doubt it! If Master Paskini reads this (and very much hope he does), I have the following advice; stop blogging as no good will come of it. Leaving blogging to the adults!

Mugged Conservative MP upset by crime comments (and rightly so)

A Tory MP mugged for more than £5,000 worth of watches has slammed Italian authorities for their handling of street crime, saying comments by the mayor of Naples were "pathetic".

Lawyer David Jones, 54, and his nurse wife Sara, 49, had two Rolex timepieces ripped from their wrists as they walked along a busy street while on holiday.

Neither Mr Jones, Conservative MP for Clwyd West in Wales, or his wife were injured, although both were left shocked.

The couple were targeted as they walkedalong Via Toledo - the equivalent of London's Oxford Street - in the centre of the southern port of Naples. They were visiting the port during a week-long break on the Amalfi Coast.

As he recovered at his hotel on the island of Capri, Mr Jones heard Naples mayor Rosa Russo Iervolino say: "I've been mugged abroad twice in Brussels and Strasbourg. It can happen anywhere."

Mr Jones stormed: "That's a pathetic thing to say. I can't believe the mayor of Naples would say such a thing. We were victims of a third world crime in a first world city.

"I know Naples and I know its reputation. You just don't expect this sort of thing to happen in a European city in the 21st Century and I wholeheartedly disagree with her attitude.

"What she said and what happened to us are a sad commentary of the state of safety in Naples - it's such a shame that the mayor of Naples has no control over her city.

"It's a shame that a city such as Naples is spoilt by uncontrollable crime - the mayor wants to take a look at the fact that a visitor cannot walk safely down a street wearing a decent watch."

Socialist mayor Iervolino was in Rome on official business and a spokeswoman said: "The mayor stands by what she said - she was mugged abroad twice with her daughter."

Quote of the Day 7.9.2006

"Blair should have resigned over Iraq WMD - and Brown should have refused to stay in govt with him - as Robin Cook did. Lets hope they both wind up in court one day to answer for all this.

Neither of them has the leardship skills or integrity to be prime minister. They are both kept in power by a party that appears organised for the government goodies its members, supports and fellow travelers can get their grubby hands on." - Man in a Shed

I would enjoy nothing more than David Cameron's equivalent of the Nuremberg trials.

Quote of the Day 1.9.2006

"This shows all the symptoms of the 'Messiah Complex' from which I genuinely believe Blair suffers.

His unshakable belief in the rightness of everything he thinks, says and does is the clearest example.

Now he believes that, by his actions, he can have positive influenence on the unborn.

Just how long will it be before the party elders realise that it's time for a visit from the 'men in white coats'?" - vervet about Adolf Blair's latest scheme to tackle anti social behaviour by allowing social workers to "intervene" in problem families before the children are even born.

A Point of Clarification

Contrary to the claim made on the front page of today's edition of the Daily Racist, I have not, nor do I intend to assassinate George W. Bush.

Kurt Angle Released By WWE

Angle released

Aug. 25, 2006

Due to personal issues, Kurt Angle has been granted an early release from his contract. WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future.

The only Olympic gold medalist in WWE history, Kurt Angle arrived in 1999 and quickly became one of the most decorated champions in sports-entertainment history. "The Wrestling Machine" is not only a six-time World Champion, but also held the Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship; he also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament. Recently joining ECW, Angle’s unmatched intensity was rivaled only by his technical and athletic in-ring prowess.

Superstars shocked at Angle's release

By Michael Cole

August 27, 2006

One word describes what WWE superstars and officials are feeling over Kurt Angle's release late last week from World Wrestling Entertainment: SHOCK.

"I was shocked, I just couldn't believe it," said former World Champion Rey Mysterio. "I go back a long way with Kurt, and this has really affected me. I hope he can get his issues straightened out. We all have issues with this lifestyle because it's not easy. I hope he keeps plugging away because I'd love to see him in the ring again someday."

ECW representative Paul Heyman, who has known Angle for years says, "This is the best thing for both parties. Kurt has spent his entire life driven to be the best at what he does. Kurt's body, however, could no longer preform to the level that he envisioned for himself. (Kurt) was prepared to drive himself into an early grave simply to live with himself striving to be No. 1. This is a recipe for catastrophe, and taking time off to get his mind and body in sync is the only way to deal with these issues."

Former World Heavyweight Champion Batista says he's shocked as well. "I know Kurt is passionate about wrestling, so for this to happen, something must be going on. I am worried about him; I hope he's ok."

Longtime friend and ECW producer Dean Malenko says, "This is a big loss. Kurt is irreplaceable. He goes 130-percent every night; he's one of the best wrestlers I've ever seen. People have to worry about their life first, and Kurt needs to get his head straight and get himself happy."

Chavo Guerrero says he still can't believe Kurt and WWE have agreed to part ways. "He's a machine; there has to be something else going on."

When told Angle was so banged up that he admitted he couldn't enter a wrestling ring without using prescription pain killers, Chavo said, "This isn't ballet. We all get banged up, but Kurt's a different animal; he doesn't know how to downshift into a lower gear. I wish him the best, I respect him and Kurt always has the Guerreros in his corner."

Ken Kennedy says, "I'm shocked, but I'm happy Kurt's doing what's right. He's been in a lot of pain, and hopefully this decision saved his life. It sucks because Kurt is good for this company. He's the most intense wrestler I have ever seen."

Will Kurt Angle ever return to a WWE ring? Only time will tell if the six-time champion can get his head and body back to where it needs to be. If and when that time comes, WWE Vice-President of talent relations John Laurinaitis says the door will always be open.

"We look forward to doing business with him again. Kurt is a great athlete and an even better person. He will be missed."

The Chairman speaks on Kurt Angle

By Louie Dee

August 28, 2006

On Friday afternoon, WWE and Kurt Angle came to a mutual agreement on an early release from Angle's contract. Several WWE Superstars have given WWE.com their reactions to Angle’s release, and on Monday afternoon, WWE.com spoke with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon about it as well.

“It’s unfortunate that Kurt was released, and it’s really unfortunate for the WWE fans who, for a while at least, won’t see Angle in action,” the Chairman told WWE.com. “(Angle) is a consummate professional; obviously he’s a great athlete, and he’s the only Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE history. Not to have Kurt with us is really unfortunate all the way around...but circumstances were such that Kurt should have been, and was, granted his release."

However, McMahon also said that Angle’s success has come at a price, and that price is part of what led to his situation.

“Kurt has a history of being one of the greatest athletes that America has ever seen. It’s no secret that even when Kurt won the Olympic Gold Medal, he did so with a broken neck,” he said. “Kurt has been dealing with that pain, and the advancement of that pain, as well as other injuries. He had been dealing with that injury since he won the gold medal; he had been masking it in many ways just so he could go out and compete. Kurt only knows 100-percent; he is not one of those guys who can go out and compete at an 85-percent level. He just cannot do that; he’s a thoroughbred. He has to go as fast, and as great, and as strong as he possibly can; that’s the only way Kurt Angle knows."

The Chairman also confirmed that the door is always open for Angle to return if and when he is able.

“WWE would certainly welcome Kurt back with open arms,” the Chairman affirmed. “I think Kurt has some issues he has to face, as we all do from time to time. We all have our demons, and as human beings, it is important for us to overcome them and become better human beings, athletes and business people.”

Thank God! Kurt needs to put his family and health FIRST! If he never returns to the ring again, I will be happy as he has already achieved more than most other main eventers. Kurt will be missed in the ring, but would than that than miss him because he died before his time.

Quote of the Day 23.8.2006

"What I dont understand is why so many authoritarians think that the young can be so easily influenced for "good" or "bad," in a free sociaty?

We have over 4.5 million regular pot smokers and it seems a cocain problem even in the house of Lords. We have scruffy dirty smelly badly dressed young people, most of which go or have gone to university. We have under age unmarried girls having children more then ever before. To my understanding capitalism or cartoons have very little to do with this. In a free sociaty young people are just like that, rebelious and sometimes a bit self destructive. Tell them to many times not to do something and even the most intelligent young person will end up doing the exact opposite.

IMHO the problem is made worse, then it would otherwise be, by the systematic destruction of the traditional family by the state. Not Tom and Jerry or any other cartoons.

Wide scale smoking and drinking started way before tobacco and alcohol advertising. Pot smoking started when university types started bringing it home from their holiday trips to India and Nepal. There are simply so many dangerous things that young people do to improve their sense of worth and understanding of themselves and the world.

How can anyone explain to the young that they should really give a dam about what MAY happen to them in 40 to 60 years time. When most of them will claim that they would rather be dead than 70 years old anyway?

The state thinking it can do what a loving family could not, is dangerous N.U.T. inspired, authoritarian socialist, bullshit.

What is really sad is that, not only will this type of dictatorial thinking not work, it will make the situation even worse." - garypowell about Ofcom's ban against smoking scenes in Tom & Jerry cartoons

This is exactly how I feel about how hypocrites such as the sexist Blairite apologist Jo "Davina Irving" Salmon have corrupted this country with their prejudices and flawed philosophy of life and human nature.

Parcel bomb sent to Labour office

Police are to reveal more details about an explosive device which was sent to a Labour Party office.

A police spokeswoman said that the device was in a package delivered to a Labour Party office in Cambridge on Wednesday.

She said that a member of staff in the office became suspicious and alerted the emergency services.

No one was hurt.

"We analysed the package and discovered that it did contain a small explosive device," said the spokeswoman.

"Had it gone off, someone would have been hurt."

Quote of the Day 2.8.2006

"…it is sad that at the very moment free will is becoming a reality for many of us, or at least for those of us living in Western democracies, the prevailing left-wing orthodoxy has become to condemn those who accept the consequences of that freedom." - Robert Crampton

Quotes of the Day 1.8.2006

"im sick of all the champagne socialists swanning round my uni thinking they run the place." - Teppic, GameFAQs

Same here, but take heed of the Ultimate Warrior's words of wisdom.

"Let me give you a serious piece of advice when it comes to talking to others about your ideas. Any ideas. If you have to be perfect in presenting what you deeply believe in or have to be assured before you even try that you are speaking to an audience that only agrees with you, you are going to be one of those who never does try. But you will be good at daydreaming about it. Oh, man, you will flawless at that -- and critiquing others."

"If want to ever get better at something, you have to subject yourself to greater challenges than what you can already handle. If you are afraid of failure to the point that you never attempt what it is that you fear, you will always just be damn a failure. You can't be afraid of making mistakes if you want to get better at something. I am not, and I do."

Ignorance Update

Since writing yesterday's post about Matriculated2's comments about the Tories on GameFAQs, it has come to my attention the individual in question claims to be a Tory and that his remarks were intended to be satirical. I therefore owe an apology to Matriculated2.

Ignorance!

In a message board topic on GameFAQs, a user called Matriculated2 wrote that "You can shout "get out of my country foreigner" and it won't be racist - it'll be common sense." I need hardly remind true blue Tories what an ignorant statement that is to make.

Matriculated2's words of 'wisdom' were soon countered by another user called Teppic, with a brilliant observation of the former mentioned individual.

"Your comments belittle you and show no real understanding. Its like you've been watching somthing richard and judy like and have been led to belive thats what a humorus opinion looks like."

We have really got to stop the likes of the BBC and Jo Salmon brainwashing feeble-minded individuals like Matriculated2.

Is it Fluffy Helen in disguise?

It seems that someone posted potty-mouthed comments about our beloved Führer and his family on Mars Hall and I am being made the scapegoat by the Left. Considering I was not online at the time in question, I would have to have supernatural powers to have authored these remarks.

If it makes you lefties happy, then yes, I did call Blair a jug-eared expletive. I also set fire to the Reichstag in February 1933, assassinated both Julius Caesar and JFK and betrayed Jesus to the Romans.

Happy now?

Hug A Hoodie?

Is David Cameron still on drugs?

Never Imitate Kenta Kobashi When You Are Drunk

Taxi driver collared for injuring woman with wrestling move

YOKOHAMA -- A man who knocked a woman to the ground with a wrestling move on a street in Yokohama, leaving her with a broken bone, was arrested Monday, police said.

Arrested for inflicting injuries on the woman was Ryoichi Takashi, 55, a taxi driver from Yokohama's Naka-ku. He was reportedly drunk at the time, and told police he didn't remember having attacked the woman.

"I don't know why my arm is so sore," Takashi was quoted as telling police when he had become sober.

Investigators said Takashi attacked the 36-year-old woman with a lariat wrestling move as she passed him on a street in Yokohama at about 2:05 a.m. on Monday, wrapping his left arm around her neck and knocking her to the ground. The woman was left with serious injuries that included a broken bone in her lower back.

Takashi had been walking home at the time of the attack. A resident who witnessed the incident and alerted police said the assault had come without warning.

"It was sudden," the resident was quoted as saying. Police said the female victim had not met Takashi before.

Quotes of the Day 8.7.2006

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction

Myths From The Left: Thatcher, The Economy & Unemployment

The biggest stick the Left always uses against Baroness Thatcher and her governments are the unemployment figures between 1982 to 1986, which stood at over 3 million during the period. Baroness Thatcher stands accused by her extremely vocal and vicious critics of callously destroying the British coal and manufacturing industries with her uncompromising monetary policies. The truth however is far more complex and damning of the Left’s role in this chronicle than they would care to admit.

In her autobiography, The Downing Street Years, Baroness Thatcher attributed the rise in the unemployment figures to “past overmanning and inefficiency, strikes, technological change, changes in the pattern of world trade and the international recession” amongst other factors. It is clear to me that the rise in unemployment was in large part due to unsustainable levels of jobs artificially created by an interventionalist state within an already bloated public sector. Successive pre-Thatcherite governments created jobs purely for the sake of creating jobs in much the same vein as the Soviet Union. This combined with the inability of the state-owned industries to adapt working practices to both incorporate and exploit the benefits of new technology meant these industries’ produce were unable to compete with its (often private sector and international) rivals that had kept pace with these changes to reduced overheads.

This industrial stagnation and inefficiency was made worse by unsustainable wage increase demands from the trade unions that were well above the rate of inflation. These demands created a catch-22 situation whereby in order to pay for these wage increases, the cost of produce had to be increased, pushing inflation upwards. As inflation wiped out the real value of workers’ wages, the trade unions made further extravagant wage demands, pushing both costs and inflation up further still at a time when Britain’s international competitors were able to reduce costs while managing to increase wages at a sustainable rate in real teams thanks to the exploitation of new technologies and the implementation of more efficient working practices. In other words, both the nationalised industries and the British economy were living well beyond their means.

Thatcher knew that things could not continue as they were and that drastic action had to be taken to improve the heath of the economy. She also knew that to achieve this would be a painful process that would increase unemployment in the short-to-medium term in order to reduce overmanning, inefficiency and inflation. Such a course of action would and did leave her open to accusations from loony lefties of callously destroying Britain’s industrial base and ruining people’s lives for the sole benefit of the greedy, the strong and the powerful, but despite the black propaganda peddled about her, her policies and her motives, what Thatcher did was right, necessary and brave. Thatcher saved Britain from what Friedrich August von Hayek had termed the “fatal conceit” of socialism and for that, we should all be grateful.

Myths From The Left: Prologue

As some of you might be aware about, I am currently reading for a MA in Political Theory at Swansea University. I am in the process writing my dissertation thesis on Personality Power Politics: Continuity & Contrasts between the Thatcher & Blair Paradigms. I had always wanted to study a postgraduate course in the field of Politics and I was naturally delighted to have been given the opportunity to do so by Swansea University. I would like to thank not only the University (in particular Mr. Andy Lyden for his constant support and efforts on my behalf), but also my mother for her drive and self-scarifies to provide my siblings and I with every advantage in life that she was denied by her circumstances.

I have used this past academic year to immerse myself in the world of politics to better broaden my knowledge and understanding of the issues at stake within society. Those individuals have had most profound influences over the development of my worldview are the American former prowrestler-turned-conservative philosopher (Ultimate) Warrior, the late great British Conservative monetarist Nicholas Ridley, the libertarians Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of both the superlative South Park and Team America: World Police) and of course, Baroness Thatcher. The moderate liberal-left author and commentator Oliver Kamm also impressed me with his anti-totalitarian foreign and defence policy arguments. I have learnt a lot from these individuals and owe them all a huge intellectual debt of gratitude.

I also read a number of political blogs on both sides of the political divide. My favourite blogs are those of Mr. Kamm, the Cameronite Tim Roll-Pickering, the Christian socialist Paul Burgin and the socialist couple of Antonia Bance and Jo Salmon. I would like to thank Ms. Salmon in particular for inspiring me to create this blog you are reading. Ms. Salmon and I are former colleagues on the Student Union Council at the corrupt University of Wales Lampeter (before it became an anti-Semitic Stalinist save haven) and although we do not see eye-to-eye on most issues (some of Ms. Salmon’s views are truly repugnant), I do have enormous respect for her formidable personality and dedication to social and political causes. I doubt Ms. Salmon holds me in the same high regard, but that of little-to-no concern for yours truly as my central political priority is to do what is right, rather than build friendships (although have no personal objections against having friends within the world of politics).

The purpose of this Myths From The Left series is to address certain claims made by the likes of Mr. Burgin, Ms. Salmon and others on the Left about the nature of conservative social, economic and political philosophy. Many of these assumptions have since been accepted by significant number of people as being true without much question. I do not expect that my analyses will win many, if any plaudits or converts from the Left due to the amount of conditioning they have undergone in their lives, but I hope the rest of you, whether you are apolitical, suffering a crisis of social and political conscience or an undecided individual hovering between Left and Right, will be more responsive in the affirmative to my arguments.

No Rest For The Wicked

It has been a while since I last posted on this blog. I have been extremely busy searching for accommodation and seeking employment and as such, I have had very little spare time to do very much of anything. I did start work on writing a series of articles for this blog setting the record straight on certain issues that have been mentioned recently in the blogsphere, but I do not know if I will get to the time to complete this project I have set for myself to a satisfactory standard. I am also a quarter of the way through writing my postgraduate thesis, which imposes further restraints on my time. Nevertheless there are certain issues that have cropped up over the last few days that I am keen to cover on Conservative Mind and as such, I will attempt to make the time to deal to offer my insights.

Enjoy yourselves over the summer, but please spare a thought for poor old C4? I will be working hard over the next few months in order to secure a health future for myself.

Quote of the Day 20.6.2006

"Of course we can’t all lead as exemplary and perfect lives as him!" - Paul Burgin about yours truly on Antonia's blog

Quote of the Day 18.6.2006: Why Liberals Choose To Be Ignorant

"I’ve always found the truth to be a little scary myself" - Matt on Jo's Journal

Quote of the Day 15.6.2006

"Gosh Jo! Do you know when you will next visit a tinpot dictator or spend another night laying awake, plotting how to label and destroy your opponents!" - Paul Burgin on Jo's Journal

And people think that I'm pedantic. Actually, maybe I am as Mr. Burgin did inadvertently imply that Hugo Chávez is a dictator.

The Death Camp of Tolerance

For those of you who like me detest French Trotskyite political correctness or are members of the loathsome PC brigade like Jo Salmon need to watch the South Park episode "The Death Camp of Tolerance". Nothing does a better job of exposing the destructive nature of political correctness and its enforcers such as Ms. Salmon on society than this satirical gem.

Quote of the Day 13.6.2006

"It's a fact of life. He could burn a litter of kitties, push over a crippled old lady, and spit on Jesus in his second coming, and people would still love him." - vincent27 on GameFAQs about ECW's Kurt Angle

E-C Fucking Dubya!

As some of you might be aware, I am a huge fan of professional wrestling. Last night witnessed the official rebirth of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) at their One Night Stand pay-per-view. Having only just finished watching it on video tape, One Night Stand was an absolute cracker. The main event in particular between John Cena and Rob Van Dam was a spectacle on a par with that of Hogan/Rock at Wrestle Mania X8. If you have not watched any professional wrestling before because you think it is fake or just for children, I STRONGLY suggest you check your local television listings and tune into ECW! If you are an open-minded individual, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Viva La Hardcore Revolution!

E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB!! E-C-DUB!!!

FIFA World Cup Germany 2006

Let me reassure you all that Conservative Mind will be a World Cup Free Zone!

Quotes of the Day 8.6.2006

"To show consistency rather than hypocrisy, will the lecturers boycotting Israeli academia do the same with the Chinese who still occupying Tibet?" - Mr. P. Webberley

"[I]n our politically correct society, we aren't allowed to say why this is happening. To state the real reason is to risk prosecution or be accused of various forms of phobia." - William B. Hammond

Chavez, Democracy & Hitler

In today's edition of the Independent newspaper, Charley Allan wrote the following:

Sir: Your caption to the picture accompanying the report of Peru's presidential election result (6 June) describes the Venezuelan president as a dictator. President Chavez has won nine electoral processes in a row, including the recall referendum in 2004 in which he gathered almost 60 per cent of the vote. As the propaganda drive to re-demonise Chavez in the run-up to December's election gets into gear, you should be more thoughtful in how you portray this independent leader and true democrat.

I have just e-mailed the following to the Independent:

Sir: Charley Allan's letter claiming that President Chavez is a "true democrat" (8 June) on the basis of his election victories is a flawed argument. Adolf Hitler won three consecutive multi-party Reichstag elections in the early 1930's (although the last of these victories is notably contentious), yet there is a virtual consensus that he was a dictator. It is not whether you are democratically elected (in a free and fair election or sham contest) that makes you a democrat, but ones refusal to abuse that power and responsibility that determines whether you actually are a true democrat.

No doubt self-proclaimed 'democrats' such as Red Ken Livingstone, George Galloway and Jo Salmon will rally to Chavez's defence.

Quote of the Day (I will not write the date in case it summons the beast to action)

Considering it is the day of the beast, here is a quote to keep us all going:

"If you're going through hell, keep going" - Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC

At Last, Some Common Sense From The BBC!

BBC backs Moyles over 'gay' phrase

The word "gay" now means "lame" or "rubbish" among young people and need not be offensive to homosexuals, the BBC Board of Governors has ruled.

A complaint against Radio 1 presenter Chris Moyles after he dismissed a ringtone by saying, "I don't want that one, it's gay", was rejected by a committee of the Board of Governors.

The word "gay", in addition to being used to mean "homosexual" or "carefree", was often now used to mean "lame" or "rubbish", the committee said in a ruling. This is widespread current usage of the word among young people, they said.

In broadcasting on Radio 1's flagship Breakfast Show, the committee said, the presenter would have been using expressions or words which the listeners used themselves.

"The committee acknowledged that this use of the word 'gay' could cause offence to some listeners," it said. "However, the committee believed that Chris Moyles, when using the word, had meant no offence to gay people. He was not being homophobic in his use of the word.

But the committee added that it would be "advisable" to think more carefully about using the word "gay" in its derogatory sense in the future, given the multiple meanings of the word in modern usage and the potential to cause "unintended offence".

Stonewall, the lesbian and gay rights group, said the BBC has chosen to ignore the fact that the derogatory use of the word was "very offensive" to lesbian and gay people. Andy Forrest, Stonewall communications officer, said: "Our view would be that the majority of gay people do find the use of gay as a derogatory term very offensive.

The committee also dismissed two other complaints from the same man that it had failed to take abusive comments about gay men by a rap artist broadcast on Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show seriously, and that a sketch on the Catherine Tate show about a gay man was offensive.

The complainant alleged the BBC failed to take seriously enough remarks made by the rap artist Jayceon Taylor (aka The Game) on Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show, in which he described gay men as "faggots" and "not real men" during an interview. "The committee agreed with the complainant that The Game's comments were very offensive, completely unacceptable and clearly homophobic," the committee ruled. "However, it also noted that the presenter, Jo Whiley, was swift to make a full apology for what had been said and to distance herself and the network from The Game's comments." The presenter showed "courage" and presence of mind in making such a "sincere, full and swift apology", it said.

The complaint about the Catherine Tate show had singled out a character Derek Faye, an overtly effeminate man constantly outraged at the widespread assumption that he is gay. The complainant had taken offence that the viewers were invited to laugh at the character's campness and "obvious" gayness. Dismissing the complaint, the BBC governors ruled: "The purpose of the sketches was to be funny, not realistic. The committee noted that the series was dominated by a number of extreme, ridiculous characters who were not meant to be taken literally or too seriously.

'Confession' time, I myself frequently use the term 'gay' to ridicule both the camp and cheesy, but that does not mean that I am anymore prejudiced against homosexuals than I am against other sexual orientations (despite what some idiots like Paul Seacombe have claimed). I also remember a time when 'gay' was used to describe both happiness and being carefree, as anyone who has watched The Flintstones or visited Paris would know. Even homosexuals have called each other 'gay' as a term of endearment.

Unfortunately, liberals such as Jo Salmon have actively sought to criminalise the use of the 'gay' outright by non-homosexuals because a vocal minority have chosen to use it as a term of abuse. It is not hard to imagine uptight killjoys like Ms. Salmon lying awake at night thinking of ways to label anyone who uses the term 'gay' and is not homosexual a homophobe. Instead of embracing the positive aspects of the term 'gay', Ms. Salmon and others are openly looking to be offended when good old common sense (remember that?) clearly shows that no offence is ever meant because it gives them a chance to play the 'persecution card' in a game of political football and boost their own self-important egos.

Quote of the Day 1.6.2006

"Under Thatcher Britain learned that protectionism doesn't work. Perhaps it's time to remember that when it comes to our local shops. The choice that Tesco could offer the inhabitants of Torrington might not only bring employment opportunities, but also act as a driver to improve the truly local businesses." - James Hellyer

Quote of the Day 28.5.2006

"Like it or not, the Thatcher era was good for this country. Accept it. Move on." - lyncho99 on GameFAQs

Quotes of the Day 22.5.2006

"Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd" - Edith Sitwell

"That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our time" - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

Quote of the Day 17.5.2006

"NUKE LABOUR" - Today's Daily Mirror

Quote of the Day 16.5.2006

"Don’t forget, abortionists will smile, pat you on the head and extract a load of cash from you before killing your child and wrecking your life." - Ros Power

While I do not agree Ros on somethings, we do share common ground on the issue of abortion.