There is no logical justification for pensioners (working or otherwise) having to pay NI, since they accrue no benefits by doing so. Probably employers national insurance should apply however (assuming it doesn’t already, i haven’t checked)
Therein lies the problem of hypothecated tax. NI revenues do more than cover retirement and uneployment benefits - e.g. they support the NHS, which pensioners certainly make use of!
I've wondered in the past whether the most logical solution is simply to rename "NI" as "NHS Tax" (after all, everyone loves the NHS, so who could possibly disagree with being taxed for it?) and align its thresholds with those for income tax, so that there is essentially a single "Actual income tax" i.e. "Income + NHS" tax rate in each band. Am sure someone will point out the major flaws in this idea shortly...
Probably ranks quite highly in the "What Would Michael Gove Do?" list had he ended up as Chancellor.
Just roll NI and income tax into one over an extended period of, say, 10 years, to ease the impact. That way people living off non-employment income will contribute at the same rates the rest of do (or did in my case until I retired in December).
Aye, arguably sensible, but is it saleable? "NHS tax" at least presents upfront some theoretical reason why pensioners should pay up. I could live with it being two lines on the payslip for a while (well, am self-employed, but had I had a job) until at a later point the final re-badging exercise merges the two. The risk being, I suppose, that it might develop an independent existence, separate rates, and become unmergeable...
Osborne kicked this into the long grass when if they had acted in 2010/2011 they probably could have got something like this through.
Osborne was too busy with triple locking pensions and tripling student fees.
Absolutely shocking - what is wrong with these vile men - just pure evil
All populations contain a minority who are complete scum. In other circumstances, they'd be working at Auschwitz, or Tuol Sleng, or liquidating Ukrainians.
So basically it looks as if every Council Tax bill in the country is being presented in a way that is dishonest and quite simply factually incorrect.
We hear a lot about mis-selling and enquiries to put things right - well we now have the state in the form of Local Government (of all parties) going straight ahead and treating the public like absolute fools.
It may seem pedantic but it's not - we are talking about everyone's Council Tax bill - there cannot possibly be any justification for this whatsoever - seriously someone should tell Theresa May about this tomorrow morning and she should order that all these bills are sent out properly.
All par for the course with this government I'm afraid. The times we're living in are all about the decline in CONFIDENCE in the government. There comes a tipping point when they've told too many lies to be credible any more.......and that tipping point is arriving shortly in the grand scheme of things.
Absolutely shocking - what is wrong with these vile men - just pure evil
All populations contain a minority who are complete scum. In other circumstances, they'd be working at Auschwitz, or Tuol Sleng, or liquidating Ukrainians.
But some people will act in a manner under all circumstances while many others will do so if they think they can get away with it.
Absolutely shocking - what is wrong with these vile men - just pure evil
All populations contain a minority who are complete scum. In other circumstances, they'd be working at Auschwitz, or Tuol Sleng, or liquidating Ukrainians.
But some people will act in a manner under all circumstances while many others will do so if they think they can get away with it.
People like that come to the fore in revolutionary situations. Stalin was surrounded by exactly the same types of gangsters and perverts as Hitler. The smaller fry who share their tastes then get the chance to indulge them.
Same old nonsense doesn't become more true because someone wrote a blogpost about it. We have had more backing from Norway than Ireland because one is a NATO member and one is an EU member. The Trump extrapolation is also misguided, given he won't survive beyond 2020, if he even survives that far.
The point is that the United Kingdom has very little influence on its own. It needs to act in consort with groups of like minded nations. There really is only one group that fits the bill - the European Union. We don't absolutely have to be members to have a beneficial relationship with the EU, but it will be harder work to get sporadic attention, instead of a matter of course. We will be heaving close to the EU seeking influence on its terms.
Edit. We are swapping member state for client state. Which makes Brexit interesting. No-one has done this before
This is ridiculous. We are talking about influence vis a vis Russia, which has an economy half the size of ours, far fewer allies, and much less cultural influence internationally. You may want the UK to be weak to suit your narrative, but it isn't true.
Why would I want the UK to be weak? I see the relative loss of influence as a bad thing. Influence gets you more of what you want or need. It isn't an abstract concept.
God knows, but it is clearly ridiculous to claim the UK is too weak to operate outside the EU, compared to Russia when we are clearly stronger in every way than they are.
I didn't claim that. I claimed that Britain would attempt to influence the only organisation that really suits its purpose, ie the EU because that influence is valuable. Effectively the UK goes from being a member state of the EU to a client state. It's a prediction that may or may not turn out.
How many people have received their Council Tax bill?
I received my bill in Hertsmere today and the presentation of the increase is highly misleading - if anyone set it out in this way in a GCSE exam they should fail.
There are two lines for the County Council bit:
Herts County Council Herts County Council (Adult Social Care)
In the % increase column it says both amounts have gone up 3%.
Then underneath there is a note which says "The percentage changes are both applied to the full 2017/18 council tax for the County Council"
Well guess what - the total of these two amounts for Herts County Council has actually gone up 5.99% compared to the total of the two same amounts in 2017/18!
It's deliberately misleading - my charge for Adult Social Care has gone up from £71.40 in 17/18 to £117.07 in 18/19 - a rise of 64% - yet the bill says it's risen 3%!
Of course I know what's happened - they've increased the "non Social Care" bit by 3% and then added another 3% of the TOTAL prior year bill for additional Social Care to give a 6% rise (actually 5.99%).
Ha! Almost the identical thing in North Dorset. Got ours today and from a quick scan was trying to work out how the overall had gone up by 5.6% when the individual components all look like 3%-4% rises. Why can't they just be honest? If adult social care costs are rising so rapidly it would be much better to make that plain.
I understand we as a country need to find a fair way to pay for this. There is no point in trying to hide it.
Absolutely shocking - what is wrong with these vile men - just pure evil
All populations contain a minority who are complete scum. In other circumstances, they'd be working at Auschwitz, or Tuol Sleng, or liquidating Ukrainians.
Questions I quite often ponder:
Which UK politicians would have thrived best and led in a totalitarian system? One imagines how the Blair / Brown feud would have played out after the Cuban Revolution for instance, but maybe it would have been someone down the ranks who ended up in charge.
Which one-party leaders would have thrived in a Western Democracy? - Gen Musharraf always impressed in interviews in my mind.
More than that, and I will leave this as a rhetorical question, if PB contributers were acclimatised in a rogue regime there would be many henchmen and cheerleaders amongst us. Numerous contributers would happily see numerous other contributers hang for their opinions and not just, not even especially, the most partisan elements further to the left and right, it would be a full mix of right, left and centre, those of sweaty anger and those of modest reason, who might show the human temperament to go with the bloodshed.
Though I like, at least, to think SeanT, should such reality bite, would be in Singapore glorying in being the voice of the resistance and opposing with all his might.
Its all 'sensationalised' according to the local plod.
How did Tyson describe it again?
The local plod is probably right...in most of our urban areas we probably have about 50-100 vulnerable young people at any one time...in care, on the verge of care. Many abused within their families first...that's why they are vulnerable. Over 20 or 30 years the number matches up to the 1000 or so. Shine a spotlight in any area...not just Rotherham, Oxford or Telford...you could try Huddersfield, Preston, Blackburn etc.,...the same problem. Vulnerable young people left to their own devices who are beyond the scope of agencies....many are abused within their peer groups and families first, but this fact isn't that great for headlines.
I will say that the pattern of older Asian males, many in ordinary jobs, targeting them is unsettling.
But what we are also talking about is is inter generational poverty, social exclusion, addictions. learning disabilities, poor housing, illiteracy, learning disabilities, anti social behaviour.....not many of these girls are middle class, high achievers. But these kind of social problems do not create the same kind of headlines as gangs of Asian men grooming thousands of white girls.
Its all 'sensationalised' according to the local plod.
How did Tyson describe it again?
The local plod is probably right...in most of our urban areas we probably have about 50-100 vulnerable young people at any one time...in care, on the verge of care. Many abused within their families first...that's why they are vulnerable. Over 20 or 30 years the number matches up to the 1000 or so. Shine a spotlight in any area...not just Rotherham, Oxford or Telford...you could try Huddersfield, Preston, Blackburn etc.,...the same problem. Vulnerable young people left to their own devices who are beyond the scope of agencies....many are abused within their peer groups and families first, but this fact isn't that great for headlines.
I will say that the pattern of older Asian males, many in ordinary jobs, targeting them is unsettling.
But what we are also talking about is is inter generational poverty, social exclusion, addictions. learning disabilities, poor housing, illiteracy, learning disabilities, anti social behaviour.....not many of these girls are middle class, high achievers. But these kind of social problems do not create the same kind of headlines as gangs of Asian men grooming thousands of white girls.
Sorry but that is underplaying the level of exploitation that these gangs have been undertaking. And underplaying the issue created by authorities choosing not to engage with certain communities for fear of damaging community relations.
Allowing no-go areas to exist for the Police and Social Services creates an atmosphere where 'ordinary' men feel able to do these disgusting things. Particularly when these communities have those who teach that white girls matter for nothing.
Poverty and other issues play a part in this - but the evil at the heart of it is the men who are willing to exploit the vulnerable. It is a hell of a lot more than grooming. It is rape, drug abuse, pimping out of girls under the age of consent. It is also not just older males - some of the perpetrators are barely out of their teens. It is the culture in which they were brought up that allows them to act in the way they have.
Its all 'sensationalised' according to the local plod.
How did Tyson describe it again?
The local plod is probably right...in most of our urban areas we probably have about 50-100 vulnerable young people at any one time...in care, on the verge of care. Many abused within their families first...that's why they are vulnerable. Over 20 or 30 years the number matches up to the 1000 or so. Shine a spotlight in any area...not just Rotherham, Oxford or Telford...you could try Huddersfield, Preston, Blackburn etc.,...the same problem. Vulnerable young people left to their own devices who are beyond the scope of agencies....many are abused within their peer groups and families first, but this fact isn't that great for headlines.
I will say that the pattern of older Asian males, many in ordinary jobs, targeting them is unsettling.
But what we are also talking about is is inter generational poverty, social exclusion, addictions. learning disabilities, poor housing, illiteracy, learning disabilities, anti social behaviour.....not many of these girls are middle class, high achievers. But these kind of social problems do not create the same kind of headlines as gangs of Asian men grooming thousands of white girls.
How many people have received their Council Tax bill?
I received my bill in Hertsmere today and the presentation of the increase is highly misleading - if anyone set it out in this way in a GCSE exam they should fail.
There are two lines for the County Council bit:
Herts County Council Herts County Council (Adult Social Care)
In the % increase column it says both amounts have gone up 3%.
Then underneath there is a note which says "The percentage changes are both applied to the full 2017/18 council tax for the County Council"
Well guess what - the total of these two amounts for Herts County Council has actually gone up 5.99% compared to the total of the two same amounts in 2017/18!
It's deliberately misleading - my charge for Adult Social Care has gone up from £71.40 in 17/18 to £117.07 in 18/19 - a rise of 64% - yet the bill says it's risen 3%!
Of course I know what's happened - they've increased the "non Social Care" bit by 3% and then added another 3% of the TOTAL prior year bill for additional Social Care to give a 6% rise (actually 5.99%).
Ha! Almost the identical thing in North Dorset. Got ours today and from a quick scan was trying to work out how the overall had gone up by 5.6% when the individual components all look like 3%-4% rises. Why can't they just be honest? If adult social care costs are rising so rapidly it would be much better to make that plain.
I understand we as a country need to find a fair way to pay for this. There is no point in trying to hide it.
For the taxpayer, it is less than clear, of course - and appears misleading.
The format of the bills and presentation of the percentage changes is set by Ministers not councils. Blame Sajid Javid if you think it is misleading!
Here are the relevant regulations as approved by parliament.
The whole concept of the adult social care precept is misleading anyway as much if not most of the rest of the council tax levied by social care authorities - counties, London boroughs and unitaries - also goes on adult social care. In fact more spending is incurred in many areas on younger adults with physical and learning disabilities than on care for pensioners - something most people don't realise - as those younger adults tend not to have homes to sell to find their care.
There is no logical justification for pensioners (working or otherwise) having to pay NI, since they accrue no benefits by doing so. Probably employers national insurance should apply however (assuming it doesn’t already, i haven’t checked)
Therein lies the problem of hypothecated tax. NI revenues do more than cover retirement and uneployment benefits - e.g. they support the NHS, which pensioners certainly make use of!
I've wondered in the past whether the most logical solution is simply to rename "NI" as "NHS Tax" (after all, everyone loves the NHS, so who could possibly disagree with being taxed for it?) and align its thresholds with those for income tax, so that there is essentially a single "Actual income tax" i.e. "Income + NHS" tax rate in each band. Am sure someone will point out the major flaws in this idea shortly...
Probably ranks quite highly in the "What Would Michael Gove Do?" list had he ended up as Chancellor.
Just roll NI and income tax into one over an extended period of, say, 10 years, to ease the impact. That way people living off non-employment income will contribute at the same rates the rest of do (or did in my case until I retired in December).
No, as we need more hypothecated taxation not less and the aim that NI should specifically fund the NHS and most welfare payments.
If the Government is going to use NI increases as the prime means of raising more funds for the NHS all to the good
Its all 'sensationalised' according to the local plod.
How did Tyson describe it again?
The local plod is probably right...in most of our urban areas we probably have about 50-100 vulnerable young people at any one time...in care, on the verge of care. Many abused within their families first...that's why they are vulnerable. Over 20 or 30 years the number matches up to the 1000 or so. Shine a spotlight in any area...not just Rotherham, Oxford or Telford...you could try Huddersfield, Preston, Blackburn etc.,...the same problem. Vulnerable young people left to their own devices who are beyond the scope of agencies....many are abused within their peer groups and families first, but this fact isn't that great for headlines.
I will say that the pattern of older Asian males, many in ordinary jobs, targeting them is unsettling.
But what we are also talking about is is inter generational poverty, social exclusion, addictions. learning disabilities, poor housing, illiteracy, learning disabilities, anti social behaviour.....not many of these girls are middle class, high achievers. But these kind of social problems do not create the same kind of headlines as gangs of Asian men grooming thousands of white girls.
repost the original post you made on the subject
I just have...I'm putting a nuanced angle...I think the Telford story, like Rotherham is sensationalism...
You could say thousands of bikes have been stolen in Norwich....headline....and then in the small print say over 30 years...If you do not read the small print you would think that thousands of bikes get stolen every night.
In terms of Rotherham the number of victims coming forward have been in the tens...again from the headline you would have thought that no white girl was safe from a Muslim rapist...Jay's report was based on extrapolations over decades which probably could result in a figure of 1500....
We do most certainly have a problem in these urban areas where young people are so vulnerable....I would know, my career was in social care....
I probably know a lot more about this than someone like SeanT...but then we live in a world where experts are routinely derided....
It appears that Time’s Up for James Bond. The character once described by Dame Judi Dench’s M as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” will finally meet his match in the #MeToo era, according to film-makers.
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
It appears that Time’s Up for James Bond. The character once described by Dame Judi Dench’s M as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” will finally meet his match in the #MeToo era, according to film-makers.
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
It appears that Time’s Up for James Bond. The character once described by Dame Judi Dench’s M as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” will finally meet his match in the #MeToo era, according to film-makers.
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
Has there ever been a leading female Bond villain?
I can see the plot line already. Bond is accused of sexual harassment, imprisoned awaiting trial, has to escape in order to save the world from the powerful female villain character.
It appears that Time’s Up for James Bond. The character once described by Dame Judi Dench’s M as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” will finally meet his match in the #MeToo era, according to film-makers.
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
It appears that Time’s Up for James Bond. The character once described by Dame Judi Dench’s M as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” will finally meet his match in the #MeToo era, according to film-makers.
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
Has there ever been a leading female Bond villain?
Elektra in The World Is Not Enough (TWINE) springs to mind...which makes Robert Carlyle Bad Bond Girl, btw...:-)
To explain:
As the sexism of the Bond films became less acceptable, the tradition of the Good Bond Girl and the Bad Bond Girl grew up: one nice one to look wistfully into the sunset and get ahem'd by Bond, and one nasty one to wield big weapons with stormtrooper aim. You could deflect accusations of sexism by pointing to the BBG, who to be fair had agency. But they were still subordinate to the primary villain.
But in TWINE the positions are swapped in a twist: Elektra King is the primary villain and Renaud the henchman
(incidentally this technique was used by Schwartzenegger and for the same reason: he often had a minority GBG and a Wasp BBG. Total Recall and Commando spring to mind
Allowing no-go areas to exist for the Police and Social Services creates an atmosphere where 'ordinary' men feel able to do these disgusting things. Particularly when these communities have those who teach that white girls matter for nothing.
It's only a no go area because of the social class of the victims. If the abused girls had been from Roedean you can bet the full fury of law enforcement would have descended on the perpetrators immediately no matter what the cultural and religious background.
Without a class analysis any discussion of these incidents is futile.
Allowing no-go areas to exist for the Police and Social Services creates an atmosphere where 'ordinary' men feel able to do these disgusting things. Particularly when these communities have those who teach that white girls matter for nothing.
It's only a no go area because of the social class of the victims. If the abused girls had been from Roedean you can bet the full fury of law enforcement would have descended on the perpetrators immediately no matter what the cultural and religious background.
Without a class analysis any discussion of these incidents is futile.
Sorry but no. The no-go areas cover a whole range of activities that were (are) being inadequately investigated because of the fear of being accused of racism. If you only view things through the perspective of class, you will only see what you want to see.
I believe in the rule of law - and laws of all sorts have not been properly enforced in the name of community relations. I find that abhorrent.
The blame for the abuse lies with the abusers. Not with the victims - but the abusers.
Focus on the cultural norms that exist that create men who think that abuse of underage girls is acceptable. The norms that allow men to believe it is acceptable to share these girls around, to drug them up to make them more compliant.
Focus on the abusers. Investigate the abusers. Prosecute the abusers. Whatever their age, ethnic background or religion. Expose them for what they are. Without fear or favour.
Re-establish the rule of law equally in all communities. Anything else is to deny the victims of these horrendous crimes real justice.
Allowing no-go areas to exist for the Police and Social Services creates an atmosphere where 'ordinary' men feel able to do these disgusting things. Particularly when these communities have those who teach that white girls matter for nothing.
It's only a no go area because of the social class of the victims. If the abused girls had been from Roedean you can bet the full fury of law enforcement would have descended on the perpetrators immediately no matter what the cultural and religious background.
Without a class analysis any discussion of these incidents is futile.
Sorry but no. The no-go areas cover a whole range of activities that were (are) being inadequately investigated because of the fear of being accused of racism. If you only view things through the perspective of class, you will only see what you want to see.
I believe in the rule of law - and laws of all sorts have not been properly enforced in the name of community relations. I find that abhorrent.
The blame for the abuse lies with the abusers. Not with the victims - but the abusers.
Focus on the cultural norms that exist that create men who think that abuse of underage girls is acceptable. The norms that allow men to believe it is acceptable to share these girls around, to drug them up to make them more compliant.
Focus on the abusers. Investigate the abusers. Prosecute the abusers. Whatever their age, ethnic background or religion. Expose them for what they are. Without fear or favour.
Re-establish the rule of law equally in all communities. Anything else is to deny the victims of these horrendous crimes real justice.
Is he under any serious pressure, or will this all blow over? The fact he became the deputy, then the head of the civil service resigned and he was confirmed as the head in the same meeting is utterly ridiculous.
Is he under any serious pressure, or will this all blow over? The fact he became the deputy, then the head of the civil service resigned and he was confirmed as the head in the same meeting is utterly ridiculous.
I don't know - its a classic 'old boys stitch up' that would have stunk to high heaven and led to sackings and resignations in Westminster......as for the EU....we shall see....
Comments
https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/974791036017967104?s=21
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/19/council-tax-bills-could-rise-100-a-year-government-relaxes-cap-sajid-javid
For the taxpayer, it is less than clear, of course - and appears misleading.
Which UK politicians would have thrived best and led in a totalitarian system?
One imagines how the Blair / Brown feud would have played out after the Cuban Revolution for instance, but maybe it would have been someone down the ranks who ended up in charge.
Which one-party leaders would have thrived in a Western Democracy? - Gen Musharraf always impressed in interviews in my mind.
More than that, and I will leave this as a rhetorical question, if PB contributers were acclimatised in a rogue regime there would be many henchmen and cheerleaders amongst us. Numerous contributers would happily see numerous other contributers hang for their opinions and not just, not even especially, the most partisan elements further to the left and right, it would be a full mix of right, left and centre, those of sweaty anger and those of modest reason, who might show the human temperament to go with the bloodshed.
Though I like, at least, to think SeanT, should such reality bite, would be in Singapore glorying in being the voice of the resistance and opposing with all his might.
The local plod is probably right...in most of our urban areas we probably have about 50-100 vulnerable young people at any one time...in care, on the verge of care. Many abused within their families first...that's why they are vulnerable. Over 20 or 30 years the number matches up to the 1000 or so. Shine a spotlight in any area...not just Rotherham, Oxford or Telford...you could try Huddersfield, Preston, Blackburn etc.,...the same problem. Vulnerable young people left to their own devices who are beyond the scope of agencies....many are abused within their peer groups and families first, but this fact isn't that great for headlines.
I will say that the pattern of older Asian males, many in ordinary jobs, targeting them is unsettling.
But what we are also talking about is is inter generational poverty, social exclusion, addictions. learning disabilities, poor housing, illiteracy, learning disabilities, anti social behaviour.....not many of these girls are middle class, high achievers. But these kind of social problems do not create the same kind of headlines as gangs of Asian men grooming thousands of white girls.
Allowing no-go areas to exist for the Police and Social Services creates an atmosphere where 'ordinary' men feel able to do these disgusting things. Particularly when these communities have those who teach that white girls matter for nothing.
Poverty and other issues play a part in this - but the evil at the heart of it is the men who are willing to exploit the vulnerable. It is a hell of a lot more than grooming. It is rape, drug abuse, pimping out of girls under the age of consent. It is also not just older males - some of the perpetrators are barely out of their teens. It is the culture in which they were brought up that allows them to act in the way they have.
Here are the relevant regulations as approved by parliament.
The whole concept of the adult social care precept is misleading anyway as much if not most of the rest of the council tax levied by social care authorities - counties, London boroughs and unitaries - also goes on adult social care. In fact more spending is incurred in many areas on younger adults with physical and learning disabilities than on care for pensioners - something most people don't realise - as those younger adults tend not to have homes to sell to find their care.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/188/pdfs/uksi_20160188_en.pdf
If the Government is going to use NI increases as the prime means of raising more funds for the NHS all to the good
You could say thousands of bikes have been stolen in Norwich....headline....and then in the small print say over 30 years...If you do not read the small print you would think that thousands of bikes get stolen every night.
In terms of Rotherham the number of victims coming forward have been in the tens...again from the headline you would have thought that no white girl was safe from a Muslim rapist...Jay's report was based on extrapolations over decades which probably could result in a figure of 1500....
We do most certainly have a problem in these urban areas where young people are so vulnerable....I would know, my career was in social care....
I probably know a lot more about this than someone like SeanT...but then we live in a world where experts are routinely derided....
Bond girls in the next film will be written with “the modern world” in mind, said Danny Boyle, who confirmed on Friday that he was working on the 25th instalment of the franchise.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2018/03/16/danny-boyle-promises-bond-girl-reflect-metoo-era/
To explain:
As the sexism of the Bond films became less acceptable, the tradition of the Good Bond Girl and the Bad Bond Girl grew up: one nice one to look wistfully into the sunset and get ahem'd by Bond, and one nasty one to wield big weapons with stormtrooper aim. You could deflect accusations of sexism by pointing to the BBG, who to be fair had agency. But they were still subordinate to the primary villain.
But in TWINE the positions are swapped in a twist: Elektra King is the primary villain and Renaud the henchman
(incidentally this technique was used by Schwartzenegger and for the same reason: he often had a minority GBG and a Wasp BBG. Total Recall and Commando spring to mind
Without a class analysis any discussion of these incidents is futile.
I believe in the rule of law - and laws of all sorts have not been properly enforced in the name of community relations. I find that abhorrent.
The blame for the abuse lies with the abusers. Not with the victims - but the abusers.
Focus on the cultural norms that exist that create men who think that abuse of underage girls is acceptable. The norms that allow men to believe it is acceptable to share these girls around, to drug them up to make them more compliant.
Focus on the abusers. Investigate the abusers. Prosecute the abusers. Whatever their age, ethnic background or religion. Expose them for what they are. Without fear or favour.
Re-establish the rule of law equally in all communities. Anything else is to deny the victims of these horrendous crimes real justice.
https://magazin.spiegel.de/SP/2018/12/156332543/
https://twitter.com/quatremer/status/974639948002455553