Rayvin

Yeah sounds like it was some punch. I think it's very interesting that they've not revealed who threw it, mind. Presumably hoping that the whole thing will blow over if he recovers quickly enough. Hopefully he's ok but yes, fully agree with the rest of your comment.

I think it's all well and good saying that if you're someone who hasn't lost anyone, is the thing. I like a rational analysis that keeps emotion out of it for most concepts, but I'm struggling a bit with this one. I read that blog post you linked to and came away thinking that I was happy with all three of those 'exceptions' being in place - even rationally. Yes it's a slippery slope, but I don't think we've 'slipped' yet.

Well yeah but look at her. She's not the sort of person who strikes me as someone who gives much thought to things like 'consequences' or vague notions like 'the future'.

Right, right...allegedly...

Speaking of fistfights... https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/06/ukip-leadership-favourite-steven-woolfe-collapses-in-european-parliament The would be king of UKIP has been clocked in an MEP meeting and is now in hospital.

Her arse is fake...? EDIT Fucking hell, really? Wow.

She'll have been paid for the story. Probably not by the Metro, but quite possibly by the assorted women's magazines that live for this stuff.

Aye but still - taken as a whole, the chance of *anyone* dying is higher. And I do think then that you need to start weighing up lives against freedoms.

I assumed the sex tape would be rubbish so haven't bothered with it. Says it all about the culture we live in that we can afford to be choosy about this kind of thing.

But yes, the risk has to be proportionate. Still though, that's your personal risk (I appreciate you've plucked that number out of nowhere) - the actual likelihood of a fatal exploding happening to *anyone* would be significantly higher, if you looked at the nation as a whole. Therefore I think you could extend this view to 'how many exploded people are worth not being watched'? Because explode they would, without this surveillance. I'm imagining something like the end of Kingsmen presently

In such extreme terms, I'd choose watched.

True, but I think both the left and right make a big deal about other people being the problem. For the left it's the 'rich', for the Tories its the 'immigrants'. As a culture, we look to blame everyone else as we struggle to accept our own individual responsibility for our lives.

This is an interesting statement. So you're effectively accepting the lesser evil here (i.e. being 'watched' rather than being exploded, assuming that it's an all or nothing principle). I actually think that this viewpoint is entirely rational, and I would support it.

Posing for the photos as well Heaven help this country man, seriously.

To be fair, all points being made here are good ones. It depends on how much you trust the establishment, ultimately.

:lol:

dammit CT

Ok well I don't see the control element I have to say. We're controlled by the media more than governments, IMO - that's why they can't get us to behave and vote correctly when it comes to the future of our country

As another point, why would the Americans be following the activities of Merkel if they were just after terrorists? Why prism? And we know for certain that the Chinese government is hacking companies for corporate advantage. I don't think it's a stretch to say the West is doing the same thing. Although I think they'd be going for bigger fish than any of us.

Just to weigh in here, the French government has told it's people to just accept terrorism. So I don't know how much they actually do care... Sadiq Kahn said something similar.

Ouch...

...sorry, that was rude.

Fuck you.