The UK

[stimpsonslostson]

Further to the budget discussion, what changes do you want to make to the UK?
Taxation?
Crime and Punishment?
The armed forces?
Education?
Start your rants here!

First off. I HATE the national anthem... its boring and depressing at sports events (as opposed to the French and Italian ones), time for a change.
What do you suggest- I've posted a few which I thought were good or appropriate.
The official words to the archers version are Dum de dum de dum de dum dum de diddly da dum...
I particularly enjoyed the Mud glorious mud option for the Rugby team!
(For the purpose of the discussion we're British- we're all affected by the same issues).
P

[Mike]

Obvious, mud glorious mud is the winner. It is a representation of our spirit as a nation and also our climate and culture!

[Fez]

ive disliked the national anthem for as long as i can remember, primarily because i dont think god saving the queen has anything to do with the country itself. if as a generally christian society god has to be involved why isn't he saving the country from the likes of the inbred germans supposedly leading it? send her victorious, long to reign over us? sounds like the death chant of a beaten people living in fear of their 'betters'. far more descriptive of the current state of the country would be 'the facist regime...no future, no future for you.'

[mr_e]

Out of the hymns there, Land Of Hope And Glory is the least crazily nationalistic/ pro-monarchy, with the first verse having that reference to the British Empire/ God's Empire/ the two being the same thing. Still, Mud, Glorious Mud is just cool.

If I start on other policy issues it will unleash a torrent of righteous fury, so I'll leave it just now.

[stimpsonslostson]

We wait with baited breath!
This is why I started this topic, there are SO many things apparently wrong with this country which could be improved with a good dose of common sense. My personal bug bears being higher education (surprise! ) fees, inclusion strategies, the right to learn etc... benefits/unemployment... crime and punishment and the armed forces... More to come.
P

oh, for the record I voted for Mud too. I just think it'd be great at the olympics... although it may detract from the gravitas of state occasions. Although the Queen is more than welcome to her own theme tune if she likes, just don't expect me to sing along.

[Claire]

Can someone tell me why the English sing the British National Anthem at sporting events but Scotland and Wales don't?

[mr_e]

I've always associated God Save The Queen with England, as opposed to Britain. Scotland and Wales have always had a strong sense of identity seperate from England, different languages and all, so it makes sense to me that they would sing their own nationalistic songs now that we can't invade and subdue them.

[John Knight]

I am one of those people who would actually quite like to see the Royal family disbanded, beheaded, dismembered, disembowled and possibly boiled and fed to the corgi's but i will settle for peaceful revoloution. I hope one day that I get offered some kind of honour just so I can turn it down or do what an old friend of my dads did with his OBE (hang it in the downstairs loo).

[stimpsonslostson]

Seconded. I'm all for them doing a bit of meeting and greeting etc, but is it really worth however millions of quid they cost us? NO! Three words. GET. A. JOB.
keep Buckingham palace for the tourists (maybe as a REALLY expensive hotel) and get rid of the tax dodging blue bloods... oh no hang on... the queen should be allowed to stay on as the new tea lady.- you can just see the tourists- "OOh! i just had tea with the queen"

next on my reform list...
Crime, punishment and the armed forces.
This isn't a new one (I know Al's heard this rant before). I think we could ease the prison overcrowding issue giving minor offenders the option of the armed forces instead of jail (a la the foreign legion). They'd learn discipline, skills and potentially self respect. Who knows maybe it'll help the problem with lack of numbers in the army.

I still contend that serious offenders go to prison. Where there are NO luxuries. You get a room with bed and sink and basic food. No TV, books will be available. To get luxuries they can take part in medical trials- the worse the potential side effects the better the reward, they also can get more comfortable rooms/ better food.

This is the basic outline, I have thought more about it and will post when i can be bothered.
p

[Andy]

My reform list is simple :-

1) Death to any middle-class do-gooder.

They have screwed up this country with their namby-pamby attitude to everything and ''human rights'' which is the biggest load of crap out there. What happened to the rights of a victim to see justice? What happened to the rights of a community when faced with a disruptive and violent family?

If they see a benefit thief they shouldn't have to ''track him'' and ''video him'' for months to prove he's a fraud, they should nail the bastard there and then.

My other reform would have to be :-

2) Castration of anyone that is just going to be a waster and not do anything to help their future child's life.

[John Knight]

Personally I would bring back th stocks for ASBO type behaviour, lock the scum up in stocks in Piccadilly Gardens from 6 pm on friday through to 6pm on sunday. 48 hr's in stocks in public, and anybody is allowed to throw stuff at them. No stones obviously but any type of rotten food stuff is fair game. Imagine the fun the drunks would have with them on the friday night. It would certainly make people think twice before being anti-social.

Prisons...

I would as Stimpy said, have no luxuries as a base line. I think that they should be available but only through working in the prison factory/kitchen/laundry, all of wchich should be run as profit making businesses then you would stand half a chance of making prisons pay society back. Rewards would also be available for academic progression through the prison school but if they don't want to work or learn then they get a plastic bucket in a dark cell (yes they would have to earn electricity too) and a bed base with no matress or blankets (luxuries) and that is it.

I like the idea of compulsory national service for certain offenders aswell.

I don't think the death penalty is a good idea, it's way too easy to make mistakes and they are permenant if you do. I much prefer the concept of a prison graveyard. Reserved for the lowest of the low for example Hindley. They are kept in custody for their entire life and when they croak they are buried in the prison.

1 last thing. Peadophiles get away with a tattoo of a big P on there forehead before being put in prison for life.

[Andy]

On a more serious note to my previous post I think we should adopt what Madeira do - every villain after prison / fine has to wear bright orange and sweep the streets near their house. It is quite interesting to see the utter shame that is etched on each of these people's faces as neighbours look at them in disgust.

[Lizzie]

Personally I would bring back th stocks for ASBO type behaviour, lock the scum up in stocks in Piccadilly Gardens from 6 pm on friday through to 6pm on sunday.

They should be put right next to those horrid outdoor urinal things they have in Picadilly Gardens

And we should also be able to nominate other individuals to go into the stocks (for instance irritating colleagues) who should be voted in big brother style on a weekly basis !!

[Mike]

I don't like the idea of that. I would never be out of the stocks if friends and collegues could nominate me following a stressful week. Our bosses would hate it too!

[John Knight]

I could see how that might be abused.