Obama supports Israel. Israel is "bribing" those living within the Gaza strip to spy on Hamas supporters, by offering sick people needed care in exchange for information. Do you STILL think Obama's a good choice for president?

I read where some politician in the Tory party is blaming pseudo-porn mags for irresponsible fathers. Riiiight. No, fathers are responsible for their behaviour, not Playboy or Nuts. Albeit, the culture that makes these magazines so popular, and the overall portrayal of women in the media: the fashion industry, shop adverts, radio and television programmes, even films, does contribute somewhat. Still, it's a societal problem that is not only restricted to the UK. The UK--and much of Europe, is a very permissive culture, compared to the uptight Puritain and Evangelical ethihcs of American culture.

I can remember seeing a porn shop next to a toy shop in Leeuwarden, and no one seemed to think a thing of it. British television has no problems showing naked bottoms, wild sex scenes and a profusing of swearing...including the "F" word.

The UK's permissive culture (wildly different from the US) apparently supports alcoholism, by allowing parents to give booze to underage children (strictly forbidden here in NY--parents are arrested for supplying alcohol to minors), allowing minors inside pubs, and generally fostering a drinking culture where consuming large amounts of alcohol (saying this based on just what I read in the media, I accept that I may be wrong) is not only socially acceptable, it is encouraged by one's peers and the media.

The govenment makes no effort to crack down on parents who just leave their kids whlie they go and bend their elbows. In the US, this behaviour--and least in my state-- would bring the police and/or Child Protective Serivces down on them.

Yet, parental irresponiblity is rampant in the US, as well. How do you explain that? My own dad literally ran away (only as far as his sister's house) from my family, after 32 years of marriage, taking all the money with him. I know five co-workers who are single mums, whose dad's didn't want to deal with family responsibilities any longer.

I know nothing very little about the legal system in the UK. But, here in the US, irresponible fathers are required BY LAW to make child support payments to their families. If they fail to do so, they are arrested. A father who goes on the run to avoid supporting his children, can--and has--found himself behind bars.

It isn't lad-mags that are causing fathers to shirk their duties, it's the entrie CULTURE. Rather than tighten up and create new laws to ensure father's live up to at least some of their responsibilities, governement takes the easy way out, and throws the blame on one small aspect of the problem. That's like pissing on a campfire--you may put out one stick, but then there's the the dozen other sticks still blazing away.

This whole lad-mag stunt is just the government's way of shirking its responsibilities, just like absent dad's do.