miked10270

Isn't mandatory castration & death sentence a bit final... Wouldn't this be a bit of a "Red-Flag" to anyone who's dating!? Now that we've had the solution which is "Simple... Cheap... and WRONG". What's a realistic solution?.. One which balances the rights of all parties? Is there one? Mike. Hey Christel, How've you been? Are you still in the Northern Hemisphere?.. Or have you made the move to Southern Africa permanent? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

... ...And let's NEVER forget rates of recidivism! There ARE some crimes which (I feel) should never be forgotten, even if the "Debt-To-Society" is paid. But how do we do that?.. Particularly in a society like America which is so easy to "disappear" into? A Sex-Offenders-Register with life probation? Release on "Life-Licence"? These things barely work in Britain which has a far greater knowledge of individual citizens' whereabouts. Is warpedskydiver arguing for MORE central government control over and knowledge of American citizens? Is he arguing mandatory death sentence for rape? As usual, the problem is far easier to define than the solution. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Hmmm... Moving along from my original joke... I'm guessing that "Pet-Shop-Boys" wasn't a term that made it West across the pond! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I heard it was a publicity stunt. The Bolton guy is really a frustrated porn actor who's sick of playing... BIT PARTS! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Thanks Marg... I was (narrowly) thinking of the Nuclear-Weapons-States obligations under the treaty. However, given that a NNW state can LEGITIMATELY withdraw on 90 days notice I wonder if this treaty should be printed on softer, more absorbent paper? What's YOUR take on the relative risks of aggression should Iran develop nukes & delivery systems?.. I remain of the opinion that the risk of aggression will reduce in the region. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Is Iran a signatory to that treaty?.. If Iran hasn't signed the treaty (which they haven't since they weren't a nuclear power) then they can hardly be in violation! Does it matter if Iran gets nuclear weapons? DOH! Of course it does,,, but would Iran gaining nuclear weapons be a good thing or a bad thing? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

And the internet... All of it! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Forgive me for saying... But wasn't the Peace-Prize itself a joke? It seemed that Obama got it for; "Not Being GW Bush"! In that case, I'm "Not GW Bush" either, but in the interests of keeping Obama in the public eye, I'll just take the cheque, please. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Not so (apparently). The EU law is confusing since it prohibited "price-fixing" of tobacco by Governments. Another EU law says it IS legal to set a minimum product price as part of a wider-ranging health program. As Kelpdiver said, the real target is our equivalent of your two-buck-chuck; The cheap chemical cider, M&D20/20, Buckfast, etc... And to a lesser extent the cheap supermarket stuff. The MUP discussed (40-50p/unit) won't affect pube which already charge 1bout £1.30/unit. Nor will it effect "decent" brands which charge about 60-80p/unit. It may "slightly impact supermarket own brand which charge 40-50p/unit. What (it is argued) MUP will most impact is heavy drinkers on low income, by effectively pricing the cheapest of alcohol out of the market. Hence the claimed social benefits. I'm not au-fait with current US alcohol products & prices so it's quite hard to give exact parallels. Maybe someone who's recently been across the pond can help? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Nope. God gave Man TWO ears and it wasn't so he could have two Wives.... It was one for his Wife and one for his Mother. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I understood that more Americans (of the time) were against independence. Many subsequently moved to The Bahamas after 1776. As to the original question... I'm a Scot, so I have to answer from my own perspective. I would VOTE against independence for Scotland. If Scotland were to vote for independence, and then it was denied (or invaded)... I would fight for independence despite my personal views. I know it seems confused, but without collective freedom there's no personal freedom. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Not sure if this has been discussed: The Scottish government is looking at bringing in a minimum unit price for alcohol in an effort to curb excess consumption. For clarity, one unit is 10Ml of PURE alcohol, so a 70Cl (standard) bottle of sprits (40%) contains 28 units. A standard 70Cl bottle of wine (12-13.5%) contains 9 units. Bottles or cans of beer contain 1 or 2 units... YOU do the math - volume in Centilitres X alcohol %age. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8278385.stm and: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8276334.stm for background. So... Is it a good thing or a bad thing?... And why? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

You guys have this strange image of me.

Innocents... Like the folk sitting in their livingrooms in Lockerbie watching Corrie & Eastenders on telly...? I still say that Scotland was right to release him on licence on compassionate grounds... But following the fashion of blaming Americans for EVERYTHING... What's the range on an AIM54 & where was the Sixth Fleet (when they'd 'a' been useful)? Mike. (submitting the above for a laugh only.) Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

So there I was down the pub... And predictably enough al-Megrahi's release was the topic of discussion. Now... As Y'all know; I fully agree with Kenny McAskill's decision that releasing al-Megrahi and letting him go home to die was the right decision. . . . . . So I can't believe I said this: . , , , , , , "I think Kenny McAskill was right to let him go home... That said, I'd have laughed my arse off if somebody had planted a bomb on the plane that was taking al-Megrahi to Libya!.." Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Concur on the need for perception internationally w/r/t international community. But that’s not the most important piece, imo. Substitute “international” with “domestically.” /Marg So; APPEND international to Domestically? I concur in turn that domestic acceptance is even more vital. At the time of my original reply I was (restrictively & asininely) focussed solely on the international support currently received by the Afghani administration. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Josif Vissarionvich Tsughashvili; "When you shoot one person, you encourage ten thousand" Like so many things in politics, it's all about the impression given. I understand voter turnout was down to some 10*ten)% in parts pf Helmand. Still. (like so many things in politics, it's all about the impression given) as long as the election result is internationally accepted, then the Afghan Government will continue to deserve support against the extremists and criminal elemants which collect under the "Taliban" banner. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

How would Macaskill or his party benefit politically from this? It appears that the penalties for Scotland's act are starting to appear: 1. Miley Cyrus will never sing in Scotland. 2. Starbucks may close it's Scottish outlets. 3. McDonalds, Burger-King and KFC are all considering their future plans for Scotland. So... That'll be us sitting on our mountains with NO american tourists, unable to listen to Hannah Montana, having to drink ordinary flavour coffee and only Deep-Fried-Mars-Bars to give us heart-attacks!... How will we survive as sales of MacPodulski & McSchwartzenburger Tartans cease? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

My own reconciliation of this argument would be; The nations concerned have themselves reconciled.... al-Megrahi's continued incarceration an anachronism in that the states concerned have ceased hostilities and resumed normal, even cordial relations... Interesting argument... I'm not sure that reconciliation of states is relevant.... al Megrahi was convicted for his actions not the actions of his state. Other examples of individuals tried/on trial or convicted for their actions.. Mr. Josef Scheungraber was tried and convicted in April for actions while a Nazi officer. The US & Germany have long reconciled...forcibly deported Mr. John Demjanjuk to Germany ... trial for actions as a Nazi guard. The US has excellent relations with the current government of Liberia... Hi Marg, Sorry for the delay. IMO Libya/Lockerbie IS different in that in all other cases some change of regime (whether occurring internally or imposed externally) has had to take place before relations have been modified. In this case the offending regime continues but is claimed to have changed character. My point is that if the regime has been forgiven, then is there any justification for being selective in our forgiveness of individuals in that regime... Particularly when selecting to forgive those in the regime who made policy while not forgiving those who carried out orders under the policies made? It would be akin to pardoning Slobodan Milosevic while keeping Serbian soldiers imprisoned! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Just to stir the pot a little; I've appended a recent pic of America's Commander-in-Chief with the man who ORDERED and CAUSED the Lockerbie Bombing. Couldn't find a pic of America's preceeding C-i-C with this State-Sponsor of Terrorism, only an article about him expressing thanksto a terrorist... I'm sure the appropriate pics exist. I feel this begs the question; "If we are being so nice to the person who ordered and caused the Lockerbie Bombing, why punish some minion involved in it's execution?" Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

If showing such compassion makes me "Morally Superior" then so be it. It's an incidental; I won't compromise my humanity for pointless revenge on a man who's effectively served some 98% of his life sentence. If you think about it are you just wanting to be cruel to someone for a few weeks? PLEASE don't invoke the feelings of the Lockerbie victims' families in this. It is apparent from the news coverage that they are as divided on this issue as we all obviously are. Mike. PS: How do you address the idea of making al-Megrahi suffer while trading with the regime which ordered his act? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Al Megrahi has been released on COMPASSIONATE grounds. It's NOT about insulting the victims families (not all of whom wanted al Megrahi to remain incarcerated). It's about being true to OUR degree of compassion rather than mirroring his. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

How do you reconcile the argument .... al-Megrahi was convicted on offenses not just against individuals from multiple nations but against the nation. My own reconciliation of this argument would be; The nations concerned have themselves reconciled (and let's face it, Lockerbie WAS a state-sponored act) with Libya rejoining the community of nations (and paying compensation for the deaths in Lockerbie, with such compensation received). I understand that Britain and The US now buy Libyan oil and sell Libya goods, including weapons systems. This in itself makes al-Megrahi's continued incarceration an anachronism in that the states concerned have ceased hostilities and resumed normal, even cordial relations. At that point, what purpose is served by continuing to punish a minor government executive for another few months? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8197370.stm "Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill revealed that the Libyan, who has terminal prostate cancer, would be allowed to return to his homeland." While Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi showed NO compassion to his victims, That does not mean The Scottish People should deny compassion in turn. In effect, we will not descend to his level of cruelty. Personally, I think Kenny MacAskill has done the right thing. Mike (donning helmet & body armour as we speak). Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Perhaps, but he still should take it. At the very least it still sends the message that it will not be tolerated and at some level "the real" bomber would have to know that one of his bothers was paying for a crime he was too much of a coward to claim responsibility for. So... Al-Megrahi should be punished for a crime he didn't commit!? And enjoy it!? In the hope it'll make someone else feel a bit ashamed & uncomfortable... Maybe!? Would you do that? Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.