Author Topic: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...  (Read 2051 times)

Nearly Sane

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I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« on: December 18, 2016, 01:23:32 PM »
Is this anything more than window dressing?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38355373

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2016, 01:42:33 PM »
Is this anything more than window dressing?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38355373
Surely swearing by the almighty anus of Russell has a better ring to it?

Walter

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2016, 01:53:53 PM »
Is this anything more than window dressing?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38355373
not sure what to think about this yet !

Why the strange title though?

Nearly Sane

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2016, 01:55:56 PM »
not sure what to think about this yet !

Why the strange title though?

A little lightheartedness playing to Vlad's obsession with Dawkins

Walter

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2016, 02:22:26 PM »
A little lightheartedness playing to Vlad's obsession with Dawkins
naughty, naughty! ;)

jeremyp

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2016, 02:26:12 PM »
Is this anything more than window dressing?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38355373
I think it is yes. I think it is a disturbing symptom of the "if you're not with us, you are against us" mentality.
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Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2016, 02:38:01 PM »
A little lightheartedness playing to Vlad's obsession with Dawkins
You know how to treat a guy.

wigginhall

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2016, 02:45:36 PM »
One British value is not swearing oaths, isn't it?
They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

Walter

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2016, 03:24:56 PM »
I think it is yes. I think it is a disturbing symptom of the "if you're not with us, you are against us" mentality.
And what's wrong with that ? Also i am far from being disturbed by it.

Anchorman

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #9 on: December 18, 2016, 03:33:08 PM »
The O/P title makes more sense than the daft oath of allegiance to Mrs Windsor which elected representatives have to parrot -even when many couldn't care less about the old dear - in order to take the seat in the bodies to which they were elected.
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Humph Warden Bennett

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2016, 03:36:41 PM »
Is this anything more than window dressing?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38355373

It reminds me of John Majors rudderless government & their silly assed plan to replace May Day with "Trafalgar Day". These people are just Knobs.

And I don't want to swear an oath of allegience to "Britain" since I consider myself English.

wigginhall

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2016, 03:44:58 PM »
An oath for knobs - bugger off, knobs. 
They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

Harrowby Hall

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2016, 04:17:17 PM »
One British value is not swearing oaths, isn't it?

I entirely agree. This idea has a rather unpleasant whiff of control about it. It is not all that long ago that people found the idea of the SS oath extremely distasteful and uncomfortable.

If Mr Javid wants to encourage a particular ethos in public service, why not make a general statement about the values which public servants should display and make reference to it in individual's employment contracts? Public servants could then be asked to assert their support of these values.
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Gordon

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Re: I swear by Almighty Dawkins...
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2016, 04:45:53 PM »
The idea is, of course, simplistic nonsense that clearly involved little thought since this notion is replete with problems, such as:

Who defines these 'values' and selects the 'British' subset - these sound like being essentially subjective statements so any force claimed for them would likely involve fallacious aruments (from authority, tradition, special pleading etc).

That they are subjective means they aren't fixed.

They can't be validated but can easily be invalidated by pointing out either any obvious flaws or fallacies or an absence of consensus whereby some refuse to be bound by them: for example if this involved pledging allegiance to the monarchy.

If, in true fudge style, anything contentious is avoided then this sounds to me like gesture politics of the worst kind.