Ian:
Having just gone through the 'elderly/resthome' thicket and observing the process close at hand, I think that this will be with us for a long time. The resthome has become the ice pack, only much more comfortable. Living wills make decision making on the part of family much easier. More...

Spinning off the last thread just a bit...

The next great step in constructing a more responsible society will be universal national service. The length of time will depend on the danger and isolation, and interference with career. At 18, every citizen--no exception--will be required to More...

Ian,
I guess I'm being a rabble-rouser. I believe that there are people out there who will take advantage of the type of program you envision. Take the following 2 scenarios:

1. A young person who has grown up dirt poor, does meals-on-wheels. They happen to deliver in a wealthy More...

In the first case, the fact is that a predator could do that right now; presumably, the normal precautions would go into place. Background checks, bonding, and the usual penalties for criminal conduct that exist now. In fact, such a program might make it easier to identify suspects.
More...

Oh, I can't resist...there were riots in the streets over Social Security. The Roosevelt-era equivalent of rednecks thought is was a ''Red Plot.''

Ian and BJ:
A noble idea. Israel practices this up to a point requiring military service from its citizens. Making this a universal law of the land may sound noble but putting it into practice will see it fail. BJ makes some excellent points. When ingenious plans like this start to take More...

Ian,

Funny that you mention Social Security. Before Social Security, families took care of their elderly. Don't say that it couldn't be done now. I have a couple of friends whose grandparent lived with the family until they died. One already has their mother living with them. Because More...

Everything you say is absolutely right, like AP's comments about war and terrorism and bombing. But at the same time, we regard those things as terrible, and do what we can to stop them. Five centuries ago, it would simply be regarded as business as usual, and even commendable conquest for empire. More...

Ian,

Would this be an improvement? Yes. It would probably make people more sensitive to the needs of others. But, the only ones who would suffer the pains of transition would be the average joe.

You have brought up the wealthy would be held in the same regard as everyone else. More...

clap,clap,clap..fantastic points and views..enjoyed it all..yes 'who has the gold makes the rule',i concur with BJ,one hundred percent..thats the bottom line..loud and clear..time and again its been proved,everywhere right from our own backyard ..

'ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.' ??? could this be a segue to discuss socialism/communism/stalinism/maotism/capitalism and any other ism?

I'm enjoying reading your thoughts...

Some ism's do need closer examination. There's not enough glibism in the world. The Gliberists and the glibologists have taken control and these glibademics are all in a turf war to protect their theses. Peer review has taken a back seat to outright street brawls to prove one side or the other is ultimately all right or all wrong.

But glibertarianism isn't dead. It's just waiting for the primaries.

Very interesting reading. Wish I had more time to spend here, but perhaps I'll be able to, if not join in, at least stay tuned to the topics and expressed views of others until I am freed up enough to join in where I can. Please keep up the great job of exchanging views and placing food for thought on these pages.Well done!

There is a natural for this site in today's news...David Hicks, an Australian, was just sentenced to nine months in jail (after being held for five years) at a war-crimes trial held by a US military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. Evidently, he is a young adventurer who tried to get into the Australian More...

Ian - Hicks is a hot topic here in Oz, one that has been heavily politicised too. People are divided generally into 2 camps, those that believe he is a terrorist and got his just rewards even if he was detained in Guantanamo Bay without trial, and those that believe he should never have been More...

The most intriguing aspects to me are the conditions of his plea bargain (do you have plea bargaining in OZ?). He can't sue the US for anything that happened while he was in custody; he can't talk with the media for one year; he can't allege any sort of mistreatment while in custody.

Our version of Hicks, John Walker Lindh, got a 20-year sentence (who knows how long he'll actually serve), and was prohibited from benefiting financially from any of his Taliban activities.

Ian - I can't say for sure about plea bargaining here in Oz. I would think there would be some mechanism in place that would be similar...but I shall endeavour to find out now.

On the Hicks issue, guilty or not guilty we will never know because the evidence was never tested in a court of law. He broke NO australian laws and could not be charged with anything here. the americans had to trump up new laws to charge him with anything at all.
BUT
an australian citizen More...

The Rule of Law is one of the paramount rights and responsibilities of our way of life and should never be sacrificed for political gain. What is happening at Gitmo is wrong.

Dang, Rosemary, you rattled the china clear over here. Habeas corpus is often an early casualty around these parts when things look grim. A. Lincoln suspended H C during the civil war of 1861-65. President Grant suspended H C involving the KKK in South Carolina. 1941 - internment of Japanese, More...

What if an Indonesian citizen were caught in the same situation as Hicks? Would the fact that he broke no Indonesian laws have any significance? If (and it's a big ''if,'') the war is legitimate, Hicks has no complaint. If not, it's a different story. Would it make a difference if he were caught in Iraq rather than Afghanistan? John Walker Lindh was also captured in Afghanistan.

'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Oh if only this were true throughout the whole world. There are countless countries holding 'prisoners' without a fair trial or rights to representation, Kenya, More...

It must be time to crack open a good bottle now before the main course is served, what are we having??

André: (Four keystrokes for that little dammit over the e. If it was for a little dammit to open that bottle of wine, think of the extra expense. Hmmmm.) What kind of wine are we having, or is the a BYOB?
Reading your penultimate post, the Universal Declaration triggered a thought about a More...

Mines a Chardonnay haven't yet joined the ranks of ABC (anything but Chardonnay) but am open to anything really, slightly dry and chilled.. There is such a snobbery about wine when really it should be whatever floats your boat! Perhaps a light hearted debate on wine..
(I think the little dammit More...

Wine snobbery scenerio:
The last bottle of 1928 Chateau Mätrémeauffeau was sold at auction for an astounding 2.5 million euros. Every wine snob in the Northern hemisphere was in attendance. The lucky winner of the auction turned the bottle over to his valet to carry to a special chest in the More...

Google ''Hitler Wine'' for a few laughs...

Quite a few opinions expressed today, all of them against cropping the ears of Boxers, and in general. But a quick search leads to statements that the procedure reduces the possibilities infection and hematoma. Furthermore, the procedure is compared to spaying and neutering, neither of which is ''natural.'' Nor is circumcision, come to think of it.

Then there is cattle branding, pig rings, tattoos and posts stuck through the tongue, snaffle bits and 3 inch star rowels and tazers in grade schools. What I want to see is an animal rights activist with tattoos and body piercings raising holy ned about ear cropping.

André:
Back to the wine; I don't know anything about it. I hate to have to buy wine not knowing one from the other. If someone offers a glass, fine, like it or not are the only two options.
As far as taking advice, the one giving it more than likely is the type who buys Bud Lite so there's More...

Yes, I suppose it was nice back in the good old days, when folks took care of their families in times of trouble and did not look to the government for assistance. Now with the dole, spouses can finally say they are tired of dealing with medical problems their mate has and dump them; after all, the More...

Jim:
In res ipsa loquiter. With the courts of the land in locus parenti, there is no need to bother one's self with taking any form of personal responsibility. Isn't that what people want? If you spill a hot cup of coffee in your lap, someone will step in and pick up the cost of laundry and More...

André - Shaw and Smith sauvignon blanc - a delightful little number that titillates the palate. Look out for it...

jeb - just googled Skoal, it's amazing what you learn on here...

jeb - Do you know I had to google porter!(And skoal too!) Had a trip to Ireland few years ago and spent a wonderful few hours in the Jameson Distillery in Midleton (someone had to didn't they). Excellent experience tasting the whiskey(and I purchased a bottle with my own name on it), I think I More...

Auchentoshan (Pronounced 'Och’n’tosh’n')is supposed to be a nice little number...maybe jeb will get misty-eyed over this one, before getting blinded...

Ok new question
Why is it acceptable for a woman to be called many names if they sleep around but if a man does he is called 'lucky' or 'a stud'?

That might be true for single men and women, Rosemary, but not necessarily for those who are married. I've refused to do business with married men who fool around. If they disregard that most important contract, how will they conduct themselves if it's just money...my money?

Good one rose, think I might wait and see what the male response is first.. so we get a rounded view!! Although if you google Catherine Townsend she used to write for the Independent newspaper a while ago not sure if she still does but always an amusing read, found this link for some of her articles..
http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qt=% 22CATHERINE+TOWNSEND%22