Civil Liberties

[lupestripe]

This morning I was reading a copy of the Daily Mirror (it was left on my kitchen table, it's not my rag of choice) and they are reporting that the Scottish Government are talking about making it illegal for under 21s to buy alcohol in shops. Unsurprisingly, Labour MSPs are said to be "supportive" of the move. Furthermore, it says that there is increasing pressure on Gordon Brown to implement this policy in England and Wales.

If this happens then not only is it another attack on civil liberties by this useless government but it will also mean that you can vote, drive, have sex and buy a gun before you can consume alcohol in this country.

I don't see why this is necessary - strong alcohol laws are clearly not working and if you look at other European countries who have a more mature attitude to booze, you have to wonder what they are doing right and where we are going wrong. Is it a British mentality, is it a lack of education or is it simply down to little parental responsibility when broaching this subject?

After the whole 42 day detention issue last week and the new punitive laws governing the Internet, this is yet another attack on our freedoms. House prices are already too high for me to afford a mortgage (I am 25 and on an average UK salary) and the cost of living (particularly food and petrol**) has increased substantially in recent weeks.

What is happening to this country and how much more of this are we going to take?

What's going to happen next? Perhaps the next attack on liberty will be doing like they did in the seventeenth century when Justices of the Peace came round to people's houses to check if young boys were masturbating in fear that the spilt seed could be used by the Devil to form a legion of demons?

*Addendum - this is also being reported on the BBC website here: Alcohol clampdown plans unveiled

** However, it is worth noting that the cost in road travel in real terms actually fell 10% between 1997 and 2006 and between January 2005 and April 2008, motoring costs fell 4%. The price of public transport, meanwhile, has increased by as much as 25% in some areas and on average 13% between 1997 and 2006. Source: Private Eye

Comments

[fen-ra.livejournal.com]

That's pathetic, they can't even enforce the under-18 rule effectively. We have such a sad government. *Sigh.*

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

All because looking like you're doing something is far more important than actually doing something that will work.

Style over substance.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

That's the problem with having elections every five years - most governments look to the short term fix as their main aim is to be re-elected at the next election. The problem with having an election less frequently is that you have less freedom of choice and it's less democratic.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I'm wary of any government that believes that increasing legislation is going to solve a problem, particularly when it hasn't solved the problem in the past.

[londonwolf.livejournal.com]

You'll be left with the wonderful situation where it's perfectly legal to buy and drink in a pub but not buy in a supermarket. It's pathetic.

[blackmetalbaz.livejournal.com]

Although I also think it's nonsense, that is actually the rationale behind the proposal. They're not really trying to discourage people drinking in pubs, where (in theory) people's drinking is more regulated (either due to cost or control by employees of the pub), but to discourage people drinking large quantities of much cheaper booze either at home or more importantly on the streets.

[londonwolf.livejournal.com]

You can't have different rules for the same product - it'll never work.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I agree with that, it's ludicrous. As much as I admire America, there are also a lot of social problems there and having lived there for a year, the one thing I know is that the last thing we need is to imitate them.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The thing is though, is it the people who are drinking at home that are causing all the anti-social problems, or is it people who are coming home on their way back from the pubs?

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I think that's what they are going for - it's a joined up policy that simply doesn't work. I don't even know why they think that it will. We're fast becoming like Scandinavia with their very strict regulatory laws on alcohol consumption :(

[rustyfox.livejournal.com]

It isn't just our government. At least we're not quite Sweden - where they're about to pass a law allowing any government authority to snoop on ALL electronic communication passing in or out of the country - be it voice or data through whichever medium - at will, without reason or any accountability.

THAT is truly terrifying. I wonder how long before we get this? Planet Earth citizens outside of Sweden would do well to heed that caution too...

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

You might find that EU data protection laws might put the kybosh on that idea. To permit non EU governments permission to spy on data within an EU nation will emasculate the legislation. Sweden might find itself in court unless it rewords this one.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

An EU law that may work in our favour?! Good God...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I wonder how much of this is to do with fear after the Swedish minister got killed in a Stockholm store in 2003. We always consider the Swedes as being a rather liberal people but alcohol laws there are ridiculously tight. If you gear up the populace to strict policing then they are less likely to reject even stronger law enforcement - as what seems to be happening in Sweden. The apathy in the UK is the one thing that is scaring the hell out of me, if we keep going down this route then civil liberties will be gone within the next ten years.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Time to have a tea party? c.c

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Under a CCTV camera whilst drinking alcohol. Oh wait, we can't do that on the streets any more, can we?

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The cheap sale of alcohol is simply down to capitalist market forces though, giving the people what they want at a price they can afford (it's odd that in our current situation of ridiculously high inflation, alcohol is one of the only things that has actually decreased in price).

I don't think banning things from people works, in fact I believe the opposite and that it only exasperates the problem. Granted, I believe that prostitution and drugs should be legalised as it would cause a hell of a lot less social problems but when it comes to drink it simply boils down to education. If parents were more mature and the media less happy to show Amy Winehouse etc drinking themselves stupid as if it's a massive badge of honour, then maybe we would have less of a problem.

The lack of cheap alcohol may work in the short term but if you look at pub pricing policies, you can see that it can only go so far. The reality is the lack of parental responsibility, like most things in life, is the real reason why we have this problem.

[silent-o.livejournal.com]

I really don't see age as the problem. The problem is that some people aren't mature enough to handle responsible drinking at any age.

If I want to go over to my friends house, down a few shots of Jack, and stay the night, thats my business. I don't get out and drive whilst intoxicated (which I belive is extremely foolish), I just talk trash on xbox live.

The government can stay the fuck out of my social life.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It's the same with sex too - I know 15 year olds who have had sex who are emotionally mature to deal with it yet I also know 25 year olds who aren't.

I completely agree with drinking at home - what I do in my own home is my business only and I don't want government controlling that. If I choose to get wasted, that's my choice provided I don't infringe on anyone else's liberties. I still believe that most ASBO damage from drinking comes from the people who are leaving pubs and clubs than those who drink at home.