By Antony
April 16, 2006 - 10:50 PMSee Also:
Lesley Ann Warren People Guide,
Lesley Ann Warren People Guide Hello World! The UK is often branded a Nanny State. I hate that term, and won't use it myself. It's used against the government when it actually tries to give a damn, and if there's one thing that people hate here is being told what's good for them. "You say I can't eat glass Mr. Blair, well I'm going to eat glass. Nanny state!"
But even I am being pushed too far with the amount of nann... erm... interference that is now going on. Just recently I have seen signs or advertising for the following campaigns:
- Beware of thieves stealing bags.
- Don't have your personal stereo on loudly on The Tube (the subway).
- Don't drink too much.
- Don't drink and drive.
- Don't rape women.
- Don't get unlicensed taxis.
- Don't speed in your car.
- Fasten your seat belt in the back of a car.
- Wear your seat belt.
- Don't buy pirate DVDs.
- Don't record a movie in a cinema.
- Don't hire a non–tax payer to do work.
- Don't buy imported cigarettes.
Those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head, I'm sure there were more.
Some campaigns are very important. Anti-speeding is one that I believe in strongly. Driving at 30mph you are 20% likely to kill a child if you hit them, and at 40mph you are 80% likely to kill them. Facts quoted by one of the adverts granted, but really they make sense. In a populated area, driving this big metal box fast along the road is asking for trouble. And being a "good driver", which is how some people justify speeding, is worth sweet F A. If a kid is to fall off his bike in front of you, then being a good driver is worth nothing. Why not just arrive for work a minute or two later, rather than putting other people at risk? And do you think the people that are killed on the roads would, if they were to come back, say: "Oh I had it coming, I always knew I was such a lousy driver". I think not.
But while I can see the value in some campaigns, the sheer prevalence of "messages" is really making me start to tune out. I also have to start questioning the necessity of these adverts. Take the one about wearing seat belts which I saw yesterday. How many people actually die from not wearing their seat belt? I imagine it's not that much. And quite honestly if people are going to be that stupid, let them! Why waste public money telling people not to be dumb? It's not like speeding, which does put others at risk, it's just purely self-inflicted risk.
The campaign to get you to wear your seat belt in the back of the car was backed by TV advertising, it wasn't a small campaign, and urged people to buckle up because otherwise they could kill the person in the front seat. However, in 2003 just 70 people died this way. I know every life is important, but say they halved that figure to 35—how much did they have to pay to save those 35 lives?
Okay, how can one put a price on 35 lives I hear you ask? Well, it's all about priorities. Think of what all that cash could have done if it was spent on a baby care unit in a hospital or to invest in staff (particularly at a time when hospital staff are losing their jobs due to lack of money).
Right now the amount of "messages" and awareness campaigns has gone too far. When it's getting to the point where money is being spent on campaigns to tell me to turn my personal stereo down, it's just ludicrous. As for things like buckling up in a car, well let people get on with it. Let's instead spend that money on people who don't have a choice on whether they're going to die or not. A premature baby or a stupid idiot who can't do up their seat belt? I know what I want money spent on. Let stupid people die. Talk Desperate! threads Chat with other fans at Talk Desperate!. Poll Results Below are the results of the most recent Get Desperate! poll:
Someone is set to die. Who do you think it'll be?
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One of the Applewhites |
 36.9% - (41
Votes) |
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One of the Youngs |
32.4% - (36
Votes) |
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Someone else |
25.2% - (28
Votes) |
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One of the Housewives |
5.4% - (6
Votes) |
Total Votes: 111
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Carlos and Gaby get temporary custody of baby Lily, Bree’s father and stepmother come to town to mediate between Andrew and her, and Susan suddenly finds Karl back in her life. Plus Parker plays Doctor at school.
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