http://www.sundayherald.com/40592

It speaks for itself that no-one is terribly surprised to read this sort of thing any more....

Our country is getting more and more stupid, especially in just the last 3-4 months.

Rant over, even though there's a lot more I could rant about.

Like that the city I live in may soon have 'congestion charging'. Every time you drive from outside of the city to inside of the city, it costs you £5, which must be payed that same day online or on phone.


etc
etc
etc
etc

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

The charge for room & board is absurd, but I kind of like the congestion toll. I guess it encourages folks to mass transit?

Hey ya'll yankees out theah inna norfeast corridor, whu' d'ya think?

Botnst

bloody ridiculous. The trouble with the UK is we all stand around and take it up the a**e when the government shafts us, and just moan about it instead of actually doing something. We'll probably elect Blair back in next election 'cause we're all too lazy to do any different.
I'm watching with interest the OAP council tax dodgers, they're the only ones these days with any bottle.
Over here they've elected an idiot, but wouldn't stand for serious mickey-taking from the government like that.

Congestion charging I think works in crowded inner cities, but the public transport system needs to be improved in most places to make it fair. In London Ken has put plenty of new buses there to balance it up and hopefully will keep the tube up to par.

Anyway, whatever you say Pentoman, I'd much rather be back in Blighty- it's just as bad here, just in different ways.
Count yourself lucky you don't have to pay 50p every time you want to drive a mile or two on a decent motorway, and not even at a decent speed.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

My town is planning a outer loop and considering collecting tolls to repay the bond sale. Aside from the occasional bridge or ferry in Louisiana, we don't have toll roads. Perhaps this is why the planners think it might work?

Botnst

Chazola, I just now read that Chomsky quote.

" "The freer the society, the more well-honed the system of thought control and indoctrination. The ruling elite, ever class conscious, ever sure of domination, make sure of that" -Chomsky"

Don't you think that is absurd? The most extreme free society would be total anarchy. Anarchy's definition is such that no control could apply. Therefore, Chomsky's witty assertion fails.

In fact, I believe the opposite is the case and has been demonstrated by recent totalitarian regimes.

Did I miss something?

B

Botnst-

I think Chomsky's quote is flawed, yes, but I still like it in the way that it applies to the US, and worryingly more and more to the UK, in respect especially to media manipulation and the fact that more control over the population is cleverly hidden in making people believe it's for their own good.

In a dictatorship for instance, the population is controlled through fear and military action etc, therefore some might say less 'cleverly' (in western eyes anyway).

I agree with you on the point that a totally 'free' society would be anarchy though.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

Ha, the congestion charge is a direct copy from Singapore When I worked in Singapore, they imposed a fee for all passenger vehicles to enter the Central Business District. Because of the small area of the island country, I fully understand the rationale behind it. However, I don't know how bad the traffic is in your Bristol area.

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Flash Gordon

2003 E500 BlackOpal/Charcoal

2004 Infiniti G35X

Maybe Chomsky is using 'freer' ironically.

chazola, re UK, my sentiments entirely.

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'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

That makes sense. Its hard to detect irony without a voice or gestures. If its irony, its a darned oblique way to make a point. In fact, I don't get the point even if it is irony.

I just have to face it. Chomsky is so smart I can't understand him.

B

Smart Like Kurt Vonnegut, but dedicated to being a panderer or is is a whore, of an author.

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

I thought the 'freer' bit would be taken as red as being ironic.

Or maybe he's too smart for me too :-)

On a different note, it's snowing here again in PA. yesterday 55deg sunshine all day. what is going on? I blame Al-Qeada.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

LOL Paying room and board for your wrongly convicted sentence...that is the most absurd thing I have heard. If this is the case shouldn't the prisoner be allowed to pick and choose what he/she spends that money on while incarcerated. Maybe burnt orange walls and a Sealy mattress instead of the prison issue, or maybe Frosties instead of porridge

Hey chazola, you can say arse here! ( I think) (I just did) (don't ban me )

With all those extra fees and taxes, it must make you want to break from England and start your own country...oh, wait...

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1982 Mercedes-Benz 300CD
1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D - stick

Chomsky's an anarchist so your point is correct. I believe what he is referring to is a hierarchical society with a strong component of freedom of speech (which he supports). In such a society, the elite have to control thought in a different kind of way. In Chomsky's anarchist society, there would be no elite, hence no class that needed to control thought.
Dictatorships don't need knowledge. Capitalist democracies do, hence knowledge must be molded in those societies so the elite live a justified existence.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

bjcsc- arse!

thank you. I feel better now.

I think I will break off from the US to form my own country. One where mercedes drivers get all the tax breaks

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

By your own mouth you have acknowledged being a fully assimilated modern American man.

You want freedom so you can give yourself a special advantage. Now being fully qualified, you may choose to be a tax and spend Democrat or a tax and spend Republican. The difference is in the suite of vassals beholden to the respective parties for government largesse and targeted tax breaks.

Congratulations. Would you be interested in a small country, cheap price ($80Bn) with lots of raw silicon?

B