Friday, January 8, 2010

Stoking the flames of rebellion

Well after yesterdays excitement (for a given value of excitement) I'm back at work and back in routine, bit chilly, but hey that's warehouse and wagon loading for you (they have the doors open all the time, I don't load wagons)

Elsewhere our meddling MP's when they can tear themselves away from lining their pockets and/or being arrested have turned their sights on the drinkers of the land, not so much the criminal drinkers, but all drinkers as our MP's know a good tax raking scam when they see one.

BBC.
MPs have called for a fundamental overhaul of government policy to curb excessive drinking.
A minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol, to curb excessive drinking in England, could save over 3,000 lives a year, the Health Select Committee said.
Its scathing report accused ministers of paying more attention to the drinks industry's views than health experts.
It is estimated alcohol abuse in England and Wales kills 40,000 people and costs the economy £55bn every year.
The report also called for a rise in duty on spirits and white cider, mandatory health warnings on labels, and stricter regulation of alcohol advertising and promotion.
BBC.
The Scottish government has welcomed a call for minimum alcohol pricing made by a House of Commons committee.
Westminster's health committee made the recommendation after claiming the drinks industry held more power over policy than health experts.
The SNP government wants to bring in minimum pricing in Scotland, but is being blocked by opposition parties.
Scottish ministers said the committee's call had provided influential support for their stance on alcohol.
The recommendation came in a report published by the cross-party Commons health select committee, chaired by Labour MP Kevin Barron.
 These are the people with subsidised bars and restaurants too (subsidised by us) and it's following the same pattern as the jihad against smokers too if a bit more accelerated. It's much easier for the MP's to go after a law abiding majority and make them pay than actually deal with a problem caused by a few as well as deal with the underlying reasons behind the binge drinking culture (despair at no future but death and taxes, so why not drown your sorrows and forget about the crap politicians have got us in too).
One of these days they'll push too far, if they haven't already, they seem to have a knack for getting the backs up of just about everyone save their own prejudiced pets.
People just want to be left alone, they want politicians to make sure we have power, bins emptied, roads repaired and that the country can stave off an attack from outside (the basics in other words). They don't want politicians to set up laws about what's good for them, they don't mind politicians telling us what's good for them (mostly) but they really don't like meddlers, we'll tolerate a teetotaller, but we don't like it when a teetotaller tells us we can't have a drink because it's bad for us.
Politicians would do well to remember that most problems resolve themselves over time and that doing nothing is actually the hardest job in politics. In this instance they should mind their own and do nothing because if you keep pushing, sooner or later we'll push back.

4 annotations:

Furor Teutonicus said...

WHEN will these bastards LEARN from history?

Scandinavia attempted to control intake by pricing.

It failed SPECTACULARLY!

Within the first year or two, the alcoholism rate had more than DOUBLED.

Why?

Well you come to my place, and I will let you try some of my home made beer, which, CAN be as strong as a shop bought Vodka, or Rum. I make it in two lots of 40 Liters at a time, and it costs a little over €10 per month.

I will NOT mention what I am planning with the 50 Liter iron cooking pot and the twenty meters of copper tubing I have just bought.

Anonymous said...

I agree, despite my lot being for it. It won't make any difference. I think the Tories have it on this one. It's 100% the business of people how much they drink, as long as they don't disturb other folk. If they die at 25 of cirrhosis then that’s their business. The minute that their drunkenness starts to impinge on other people, lock them up till they are sober and fine the ass off them.

I'm not being sarcastic here. I really do think that's fair. I hardly drink myself and I don't smoke. But I have no problem with people doing these things as long as they don't inflict them on me.

It is not the government's role to interfere with people’s life styles, as long as that lifestyle doesn't impinge on other people's freedoms.

Strathturret said...

I think old Lloyd George sorted out the drink problems during WW1 when armament production was being affected?

The dogs in the street know that alcohol is too cheap in Britain. Teenagers can buy cider in tescos cheaper than bottled water.

Quiet_Man said...

He didn't really sort it out, he just instituted the great British pastime of binge drinking.