If a majority develops, of any sort, there will be a lot of people working against democratic principles.  I didn't say values. 

You can't pretend to VALUE freedom of RELIGION and then turn around and say, 'Cept for THAT one, right over there!  I understand the temptation to intolerance, particularly when it comes to religion.  I'm faithless, and I have NO patience for anyone's religion, and if I could wave my hand and wipe it out of all skulls, I would, in a hot second, with no excuses or exceptions.  I'd say it's an improvement, like THUMBS.

I rarely utter this secret notion, of mine, that all people who harbour religion are hopelessly stupid.  I never say it, and you don't know it.

spiny mendoza wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2011 at 1:53pm:


Yes they should, but the point is that if they weren't, it is on paper and they can be held to account. - dozy  

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'Get away' and 'come off it' and ' what the hell you talking bout?'

Grey, you anarchal signature monitor.  Who's going to extort those immigrants to sign something?  YOU?  You don't believe that!  You'd forget the pen.  You'd use the paper for paper darts.  And what does that paper SAY?  "I'll be nice if you let me stay"?  or, "I'll obey all the non-rules"?

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It's called doing their job. Like I said, I do not expect the system to be foolproof. I just expect them to do what they can. I expect them to use the same strategies they use to keep out rapists and murderers. Although in this case there is the added advantage that people are more likely to talk themselves out of a chance, so there would be a bigger focus on interview techniques - you know, the 'special abilities' that employers have to keep loonies out of the office. If they have to lie through their teeth, then so be it. At least they will know from the start that their views are not welcome here. I for one would not be keen to lie my way into a country that has the opposite view to me on things like democracy and personal freedom and forces me to not only give up those things, but to say that I want to give them up. In my opinion, 90% of the benefit will come from merely taking a stand. Another big benefit is that we can then easily send home the 'hate speech clerics'.

Or, as Grey put it: Quote:


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Are you suggesting that because of our history we should welcome rapists and murderers? If not, what is your point?

It is advocating new policy if their jobs do not currently include weeding out applicants who are fundamentally opposed to democracy and freedom. I'm pretty sure it is part of their job description to try to keep out Nazis etc. I don't see how this will fundamentally challenge the methods available to them. I'm not even sure why the methods are suddenly being made an issue.

Freediver, the methods are fundamentally at issue when you say that you want them to do a good job.  Consider any job that you want to be done well.  If you know nothing about the process do you automatically accept that you are benefitting from it, and that, in this specific case, that you are safer BECAUSE of it?  Yikes!  That's a statement of FAITH. 

Well, that's okay.  You have faith that the water that comes out of the tap is potable, and the guys at immigration are going to try to weed out murderers and rapists and send them off to countries which will welcome them, and for their own good, too.   You aren't going to have concerns about any of that, and why should you? 

There's nothing inherently racist about not welcoming murderers and rapists.  I think that there's something quite childlike and trusting in the expression of faith that they can be sorted out, but I like children, as long as they are clean and don't touch things without permission.

I understand that children are fearful, and that they hold fears that are purposely taught to them.  That's why nightlights sell.  There are times when I have to fight an impulse to check under the bed for Mormons and astrologers.  We all got some of those buttons.