David Cameron says...

[Denny Crane!]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has today hit out at thousands of people on incapacity benefit. Cameron claims around 80,000 claimants have been on incapacity benefit long term because they are addicts. He has said that this must stop.

In a hard hitting speech he has said that the majority of working people in the UK are not happy to pay for such people. He does not think it right that people who work ultimately fund such people's lifestyles.

Those on his radar were addicts and alcoholics. He has not stopped there though. He has also targeted those on long term sick pay who are suffering from depression and those who are too obese to work.

It seems that, apart from depression, he feels these categories of problems are self inflicted. He said most people would only expect to help "people who are incapacitated through no fault of their own".

This is an enormous subject and not as simple as Cameron makes it seem. Feel free to poitely share your thoughts on the matter.

Opinion: Almost every illness we suffer could be termed self inflicted. If we do not eat properly and exercise well there is a myriad of illnesses we could suffer. That does not mean they are self inflicted.

If you smoke you are liable to become ill. If you work in certain occupations you may be prone for certain conditions or illnesses.

It is not fair or reasonable to categorise every addict, alcoholic or obese person as having the same problem.

Either way these thousands of people look set to lose their benefits. For those who cannot fight their addiction an increase in criminal activity seems on the cards.

I heard David Cameron on the radio talking about addicts. I've been looking for the exact quote but I can't find it. Essentially he said he didn't think people were happy paying for addicts to be on incapacity, that their taxes shouldn't go on things like paying for heroin addicts.

I think the love affair is finally over for me and the Tories. They seem to spend most of their time communicating things in order to distract from other issues, much like I suspect this is. Mostly because they have little ability to communicate what they actually want to do.

So the issue here is David Cameron doesn't think that people want to pay for addicts with their taxes. I wonder if he realises that most people don't want to pay for the drug wars with their taxes, or the nuclear weapons or wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Does he honestly think people choose to be addicts or choose to be obese, so obese they can't work....

Are any other UK citizens thoroughly disheartened with the way the Tories communicate and occasionally disturbed with what they attempt to communicate.

[Poach]

Blowing relatively insignificant, but sensational, issues out of proportion to distract the public is hardly new. It's no surprise Cameron has started doing this, as all politicians have before him and all after him will.

[Flogger]

Because if the tories REALLY communicated what they wanted to do they'd be out of power in a heartbeat and would never be anywhere near it again.

Privatisation, pandering to corporations, and maintaining the social elite is what they do. Does anyone actually believe they give a damn about the poor of this nation?

[Denny Crane!]

Blowing relatively insignificant, but sensational, issues out of proportion to distract the public is hardly new. It's no surprise Cameron has started doing this, as all politicians have before him and all after him will.

I'll be honest I think Labour did better than this, they communicated on issue most of the time and did it very well even if I think they are a bunch of evil sociopathic scumbags they got communication down to a T.

Because if the tories REALLY communicated what they wanted to do they'd be out of power in a heartbeat and would never be anywhere near it again.

Privatisation, pandering to corporations, and maintaining the social elite is what they do. Does anyone actually believe they give a damn about the poor of this nation?

Any justification for this really? I mean where are you getting this from? Anything right wing is evil...please play it again Sam.

[Flogger]

Any justification for this really? I mean where are you getting this from? Anything right wing is evil...please play it again Sam.

History, mainly. Many of the things that make me proud to live in this country were opposed by the Conservative Party when they were first introduced.

Obviously I can't claim any of my views as fact though. It's just my own biased opinion.

[Shneckie]

Because if the tories REALLY communicated what they wanted to do they'd be out of power in a heartbeat and would never be anywhere near it again.

Privatisation, pandering to corporations, and maintaining the social elite is what they do. Does anyone actually believe they give a damn about the poor of this nation?

My dear boy... Everyone's known that the Tories are pompous upper class Eton chums and that Labour are the champions of the underclass and the Liberals are the funny people in the corner who nobody seems to hear even though they're louder than Brian Blessed with a megaphone.

No one actually takes that seriously though.

[Col. Tartleton]

Because if the tories REALLY communicated what they wanted to do they'd be out of power in a heartbeat and would never be anywhere near it again.

Privatisation, pandering to corporations, and maintaining the social elite is what they do. Does anyone actually believe they give a damn about the poor of this nation?

Oh, the Tories are Republicans, Labor are Communists, and Liberals are Democrats.

Splendid.

[Menelik_I]

It is not the first time that Cameron impose His judgement over the public, He sure thinks people taking can't be on benefits according to HIS opinion, but never mind voters opinion.

In the same register He told Parliement that the UK is better off in the EU and never mind the British right to their opinion to be heard in referendum.

To use David Cameron own words : This {War on drug, EU or Drug benefits} is being done in your name, but I know what is better.

[iuliuscaeser]

It is not the first time that Cameron impose His judgement over the public, He sure thinks people taking can't be on benefits according to HIS opinion, but never mind voters opinion.

In the same register He told Parliement that the UK is better off in the EU and never mind the British right to their opinion to be heard in referendum.

To use David Cameron own words : This {War on drug, EU or Drug benefits} is being done in your name, but I know what is better.

The referendum which Cameron is referring to is the Lisbon Treaty the one Peter Bone is referring to is one regarding membership of the EU two different policies

[Sir Pignans]

People don't want higher taxes. Shock of the century.

[Denny Crane!]

History, mainly. Many of the things that make me proud to live in this country were opposed by the Conservative Party when they were first introduced.

Obviously I can't claim any of my views as fact though. It's just my own biased opinion.

Like what though? I'm looking for an example, because any time I hear a "yar but the Tories are evil" I feel like rolling my eyes as there isn't usually a basis to it. Crap yes. Evil no.

People don't want higher taxes. Shock of the century.

This has nothing to do with tax rises...

[Sir Pignans]

This has nothing to do with tax rises...

He's saying people don't want to pay for people who are addicted to drugs. If we didn't pay for those people, we might have lower taxes, ergo he's kind of saying, people don't like paying more money.

I never mentioned tax rises, I just said high/er taxes.

I myself am perfectly happy to pay for those people, but then, maybe that's because I'm on the left side of the spectrum.

[Denny Crane!]

He's saying people don't want to pay for people who are addicted to drugs. If we didn't pay for those people, we ight have lower taxes, ergo he's kind of saying, people don't like paying more money.

I never mentioned tax rises, I just said high taxes.

I myself am perfectly happy to pay for those people, but then, maybe that's because I'm on the left side of the spectrum.

OK...this still isn't about levels of taxes or the fact that taxes are to high it is about what the money is spent on. I thought that was clear.

I'd rather these people weren't put in situations that forced them to become addicts. Maybe that is because I'm on the right side of the spectrum

I'd rather stop a problem happening (ie. no war on drugs) than try to fix a problem after it happened. It was the left side of the spectrum over here that declassified then reclassified Cannabis to provide a boost in the polls and fired Prof. Nutt.

[Sir Pignans]

OK...this still isn't about levels of taxes or the fact that taxes are to high it is about what the money is spent on. I thought that was clear.

Oh, my bad then. Misread the thread.

I'd rather stop a problem happening (ie. no war on drugs) than try to fix a problem after it happened. It was the left side of the spectrum over here that declassified then reclassified Cannabis to provide a boost in the polls and fired Prof. Nutt.

By all means try and prevent the problem for happening, as long as that doesn't prevent money being spent on people who have become 'trapped' in these kind of situations. Though personally I think cannabis is a bad example, it doesn't seem that bad a drug in comparison to alcohol and cigarettes (Paticualry in terms of addiction), heroic would be a better example imo.

[justicar5]

OK...this still isn't about levels of taxes or the fact that taxes are to high it is about what the money is spent on. I thought that was clear.

I'd rather these people weren't put in situations that forced them to become addicts. Maybe that is because I'm on the right side of the spectrum

I'd rather stop a problem happening (ie. no war on drugs) than try to fix a problem after it happened. It was the left side of the spectrum over here that declassified then reclassified Cannabis to provide a boost in the polls and fired Prof. Nutt.

War on drugs is an unwinnable idocy, prohibition just plain doesn't work. New labour aren't really left, (in fact in the political compass, which is fairly good indicator, they are further right/authoritarian than the Lib dems,) but yes there messing about with drugs laws was idiotic, why have the study then ignore it?

[Denny Crane!]

Of course. But then neither politician left or right wants a sensible discussion on drugs which is why I thought it was an unfair comment to say "because your on the left" since it is fair to say that all politicians are horrible examples of humanity when it comes to drug issues as well as a fair few others I can think of.

[ivan_the_terrible]

I am I correct in understanding that people who are "too obese to work" live off your (Brits') tax money?

That seems absurd to me.

[Denny Crane!]

I am I correct in understanding that people who are "too obese to work" live off your (Brits') tax money?

That seems absurd to me.

Why? We're talking about the extreme minority who obviously have major problems either physical or mental. No one actually wants to be there in that position so why would we assume it is there fault and not offer them help?

It is no different to people suffering major depression or other illnesses. Or did you think that some people intentionally just wake up one day and decide to start massively abusing their body randomly?

[Sir Pignans]

Of course. But then neither politician left or right wants a sensible discussion on drugs which is why I thought it was an unfair comment to say "because your on the left" since it is fair to say that all politicians are horrible examples of humanity when it comes to drug issues as well as a fair few others I can think of.

Well, I was under the impression that rightists tended to blame the individual for his/her drug problems and not the situation that lead to it, and thus were typically more likely to refuse to pay for the individual, where as leftists tended to blame society and as such pay more welfare/benefits in order to lift the addicts out of their cycle.

Of course, this was nothing but a hunch I do not know for sure, long time since I did politics A level, and I'm scrathy on the details, and why I said that it was 'possibly because I was on the left'.

[ivan_the_terrible]

Physical problems I can understand, but mental? As in, there's no physical reason as to why they can't lose weight, but they simply sit around getting fat? I wouldn't want my money to go people like that.