If he actually wins Clapton then I think we should wall the entire region off, because clearly there's some kind of mind altering contaminant in the water.
This reminds me of how Brits were always totally obsessed with all the regulations that the unelected EU bureaucrats were supposedly inflicting on us all the time, and then you’d go to France and see kids diving off a high-board into a shallow pool contaminated with battery acid with absolutely no lifeguards to be seen, and generally no-one seems to give a shit.
Not all of France is like Paris, and the Seine is not a pool. (Plus, battery acid would probably count as a good attempt to clean it up, not as contamination.)
It’s just a way of funding the BBC that was devised before a TV was something that essentially everyone had. Since it’s delivered OTA it seemed easier to tax the device itself then it was to tax everyone unfairly. So calling it a “license” is fairly outmoded, it’s really a tax. You also don’t have to pay it if you don’t actually receive TV channels.
It should just be rolled into regular taxes now, but who is going to propose and approve a new tax in this day and age? So it’s easier not to touch it.
I wish we had a TV tax in Canada. The funding of the CBC is a political football, so I sometimes feel like CBC News has to walk a tightrope to avoid having the government slash the budget.
It's probably better that there's just a tax on the device. Sure the UK government could meddle with that tax to cut the budget of the BBC, but it feels like it would be less likely since people would rightly ask why they're meddling with it. People are less likely to ask questions if the government is cutting a budget because "gotta pay off the national debt!"
And in Australia doing the same it's "Oy wait up mate, where's your Ocker licence?" Luckily we don't need barbeque licenses, tong licenses, etc. we got away from the UK to escape all that bureaucratic red tape
Also publicly funded TV tends to be way better. They have somewhat more accountability so especially news, politics etc tends to be much better. For leisure programs that varies a bit more by country, but obviously the BBC has produced a lot of great stuff.
They're making fun of how Brexit was pushed on a platform of getting rid of overstrict EU regulations and bureaucracy (as well as a lot of overt racism) but it turned out a load of it was just homegrown British bureaucracy that had nothing to do with the EU but UKIP voters kept complaining that anything they didn't like about Britain was the fault of the EU anyway
It did well for a long time. The BBC produces a lot of excellent programmes. It was also unafraid of holding the government's feet to the fire.
Unfortunately, the Tories successfully gutted it about a decade back. It still produces excellent programmes, but is neutered politically.
As for the licence fee. It is effectively an extra tax. However, if you don't watch TV, you don't have to have a licence. It's not perfect, but better than just a flat tax. It also helped keep them semi independent of the government.
Give it time. It won't be a licence though, it'll be a compatible bread subscription for a discounted toaster, with government enforced felonies for using incompatible bread
*Based on how the software and entertainment industries work
When I learned about needing a license/permit to own and watch TV... I was just in disbelief. How can you let your government get that deep into your personal life?
I never looked into the justification for this either.. I can't imagine a legitimate justification.
Ostensibly the license fees are to help pay for the BBC. However, I don’t live there so I don’t know what people say it’s actually for or if that fee is abused.
Oh.. so BBC is like the U.S. PBS (Public broadcasting service). Kind of strange, so if you want a tv and to watch it, you're forced to support/fund BBC.
In the U.S.:
Public broadcasting stations are funded by a combination of private donations from listeners and viewers, foundations and corporations. Funding for public television comes in roughly equal parts from government (at all levels) and the private sector.
I know Anons are dumb, but are they voting for Nigel Farage dumb?
Surely you know better than to ask that, Satan
Anon has an American flag next to their post. They aren't really Bri'ish
no way 😱
They're so dumb that they're doing it ironically
Well of course! Facism is the solution to an overbearing government, right?
Well the fact that they’re bigots helps them stomach it
Which is worse, Thatcher or Farage?
Thatcher, may she burn in hell, was far better than Farage. She at least had significant political skill, and an actual plan for the UK.
Farage is a grifter of Trump's mindset, but a few more braincells.
If he actually wins Clapton then I think we should wall the entire region off, because clearly there's some kind of mind altering contaminant in the water.
It's probably for the best anyway just to protect the rest of us from Jaywick.
Thatcher’s thangs were thangin’ though.
Ew.
Every time Thatcher sexily spoke about fiscal responsibility I got an inch and a half of blue steel in my sweatpants.
What do you expect from the gaseous and liquid excrement of Satan?
American flag checks out.
Oi! Where's your greentext permit?
Oi! where's your carpet permit?
This reminds me of how Brits were always totally obsessed with all the regulations that the unelected EU bureaucrats were supposedly inflicting on us all the time, and then you’d go to France and see kids diving off a high-board into a shallow pool contaminated with battery acid with absolutely no lifeguards to be seen, and generally no-one seems to give a shit.
Yeah but you can't wear boxer style trunks otherwise they will shout at you. They have weird priorities over there
Lol
Not all of France is like Paris, and the Seine is not a pool. (Plus, battery acid would probably count as a good attempt to clean it up, not as contamination.)
French people let their dogs shit absolutely everywhere and nobody cares. That was the really surprising thing for me.
Paris is beautiful but you better keep an eye on where you're stepping.
This reads like a satire of those greentexts that satirize the knife laws in Britain.
It definitely reads like it was written by an American.
Fact check: they only casually call you a cunt in Scotland
Cunt is a greeting, not an offence.
I wish I were greeted by cunt wherever I went
True - in the south they call you a berk.
In Cockney rhyming slang, the second half of the rhyme is mostly left off. In this case, the second half is left off and the first half is shortened.
Berkley Hunt = Cunt
I remember for a long time it was Jeremy
Not true, it just sounds more like Kant south of the border, which I think makes us sounds more philosophical.
Conservatives making things up and getting angry about it
TV licence is a real thing though
It’s just a way of funding the BBC that was devised before a TV was something that essentially everyone had. Since it’s delivered OTA it seemed easier to tax the device itself then it was to tax everyone unfairly. So calling it a “license” is fairly outmoded, it’s really a tax. You also don’t have to pay it if you don’t actually receive TV channels.
It should just be rolled into regular taxes now, but who is going to propose and approve a new tax in this day and age? So it’s easier not to touch it.
I wish we had a TV tax in Canada. The funding of the CBC is a political football, so I sometimes feel like CBC News has to walk a tightrope to avoid having the government slash the budget.
It's probably better that there's just a tax on the device. Sure the UK government could meddle with that tax to cut the budget of the BBC, but it feels like it would be less likely since people would rightly ask why they're meddling with it. People are less likely to ask questions if the government is cutting a budget because "gotta pay off the national debt!"
Queen's dodger can mean
Which is it?
Surely a fruit filled biscuit is another possibility.
"fruit"
Also someone who fringes the ring quite unlike any other.
Surely that would be the Queen's lodger?
rhyming slang, me ol China
But in rhyming slang, you use the non-rhyming word (e.g. "china" = "china plate" = "mate")
well if you google it you'll find it.
Tell me about it, it's like, every time I want to get some grilled prawns there's always someone who goes "Oi mate, where's yer Barbie license?"
And in Australia doing the same it's "Oy wait up mate, where's your Ocker licence?" Luckily we don't need barbeque licenses, tong licenses, etc. we got away from the UK to escape all that bureaucratic red tape
explain NSW then, and their fun police?
Well how else are they going to justify strip searching minors?
Just so everyone's aware the police do not care if you have a TV license.
Yeah, that's handled by the Royal Guard.
Only their TV department though
And here's some reality of over a decade of right-wing rule https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5aJ-57_YsQ
I vaguely knew Britain was hurting after Brexit but I had no idea it was this bad, yikes
I dont undrstand it but its funny
To watch tv in UK you need a tv licence
This was done as sort of a tax to fund public television without taxing people who don’t use it
The person then concludes that they should have voted for the nazis because liberals bad
I mean you do in the US as well, but it's called "A Netflix/Hulu/Disney Plus membership"
And it only funds one channel instead of dozens of TV, radio, web, apps, weather and news channels.
Also publicly funded TV tends to be way better. They have somewhat more accountability so especially news, politics etc tends to be much better. For leisure programs that varies a bit more by country, but obviously the BBC has produced a lot of great stuff.
Accountability to the government, you mean?
BBC news on anything Armenian just stink.
Everything as a bias, BBC generally does better than most.
We have those, too. You can choose not to pay for them.
Truly, the freest country in the world.
They're making fun of how Brexit was pushed on a platform of getting rid of overstrict EU regulations and bureaucracy (as well as a lot of overt racism) but it turned out a load of it was just homegrown British bureaucracy that had nothing to do with the EU but UKIP voters kept complaining that anything they didn't like about Britain was the fault of the EU anyway
I can't believe that is a real thing.
It did well for a long time. The BBC produces a lot of excellent programmes. It was also unafraid of holding the government's feet to the fire.
Unfortunately, the Tories successfully gutted it about a decade back. It still produces excellent programmes, but is neutered politically.
As for the licence fee. It is effectively an extra tax. However, if you don't watch TV, you don't have to have a licence. It's not perfect, but better than just a flat tax. It also helped keep them semi independent of the government.
Funding services by taxing people who use them? Yep, it's a thing.
What about the Cat Detector Van?
Literally 1984
In 1984 it's the TV that turns you in
you neither know what 1984 is about, or the word 'literally'.
What's next, requiring a license to make toast in your own DAMN TOASTER!?
Give it time. It won't be a licence though, it'll be a compatible bread subscription for a discounted toaster, with government enforced felonies for using incompatible bread
*Based on how the software and entertainment industries work
Sorry if I was not clear. I was not serious when I said that. I was referencing this debate.
I was not super serious either. I was referencing Corey Doctorow's recent book, a near future sci-fi
My bad lol
I might try that book actually
The book was Radicalized - a set of short stories, actually from 5 years ago :/
The specific story in the collection was "Unauthorised bread"
When I learned about needing a license/permit to own and watch TV... I was just in disbelief. How can you let your government get that deep into your personal life?
I never looked into the justification for this either.. I can't imagine a legitimate justification.
Ostensibly the license fees are to help pay for the BBC. However, I don’t live there so I don’t know what people say it’s actually for or if that fee is abused.
Oh.. so BBC is like the U.S. PBS (Public broadcasting service). Kind of strange, so if you want a tv and to watch it, you're forced to support/fund BBC.
In the U.S.: