Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 73

Thread: The Honeymoon is Over

  1. #1
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    SE London
    Posts
    9,948
    Thanks
    501
    Thanked
    399 times in 255 posts

    The Honeymoon is Over

    Well, it couldn't last. ConLib earned my ire today with their proposal to interfere with the free market in booze.

    I dunno if pimping one's own blog is frowned upon here, but I've just started one, and gone off on one in my first proper post:

    Poorly articulated blog full of of gratuitous swearing here, NSFW, 18+, thanks.

    To summarise, this measure:

    1) is unworkable.
    2) hands a competitive advantage to big retailers who already are threatening true competition in this country
    3) quite blatantly discriminates against the poorest in society
    4) almost certainly won't make any noticeable difference.

    So write to your MP and ask them what the hell they think they're playing at.

  2. #2
    sneaks quietly away. schmunk's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Wiki Wiki Wild West side... of Sussex
    Posts
    4,424
    Thanks
    40
    Thanked
    163 times in 121 posts
    • schmunk's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Abit NF7-S v2.0
      • CPU:
      • AMD Athlon-M 2500+
      • Memory:
      • 1GB of Corsair BH-5 and 512MB of something else
      • Storage:
      • 160GB Seagate Barracuda
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI Radeon X800Pro, flashed to XT
      • PSU:
      • Hiper Type-M ~400W
      • Case:
      • Antec cheapy
      • Monitor(s):
      • AG Neovo F19 LCD
      • Internet:
      • Virgin Media 4MB/s

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    Quote Originally Posted by Rave View Post
    To summarise, this measure:

    1) is unworkable.
    2) hands a competitive advantage to big retailers who already are threatening true competition in this country
    3) quite blatantly discriminates against the poorest in society
    4) almost certainly won't make any noticeable difference.
    1) I disagree
    2) Explain, please? Surely it's the big retailers who are going to be forced to increase their prices..?
    3) It doesn't 'discriminate' against anybody.
    4) Possibly, although we may see less of Alan Hansen pimping 'big pack beers'.

    You have a rather vested interest in cheap alcohol, no? Your ranting blog post certainly supports this view.

    You also seem rather blase about the problems that alcohol abuse cause in this country (and others). I'm especially shocked at your dismissal of the difficulties faced by the police (and hospitals, remember) EVERY Friday and Saturday night, due to excessive drinking - number of deaths is hardly the issue.

    I think you deserve some of your own medicine.


  3. #3
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    30,748
    Thanks
    1,787
    Thanked
    3,286 times in 2,647 posts
    • kalniel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 32GB DDR4 3200 CL16
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Samsung 970Evo+ NVMe
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GTX 1060 6GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 600W
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF 912
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2721DGF
      • Internet:
      • rubbish

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    As the above, and, not that I like the conlib government, to be fair to the it's not like they were the first to suggest it. I seem to recall that minimum pricing is coming in from the devolved Scottish government first, which has even less conlib representation than England.

  4. #4
    ALT0153™ Rob_B's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    6,087
    Thanks
    345
    Thanked
    699 times in 483 posts

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    What does the evidence say re minimum pricing? If it works then great!

    I'm all for reducing the dependance on cheap alcohol this country seems to have & although I don't have real issue with this policy (I don't drink a lot at all) I think we need a massive change in culture to get anywhere near solving the problem. If this is a step towards it then good. I think with something like alcohol you need to take control out of peoples' hands & give them a gentle nudge in the right direction.
    How that could happen, I don't know, I'm not a policy maker but something needs to be done. Don't they say that if alcohol/ciggies were invented now they'd never be allowed to be sold for health reasons?

    The arguments against seem to (in my limited experience) to come from people/companies with a vested interest in keeping consumption/profits as high as possible with little regard for the lives it (may) be affecting.

  5. #5
    Mostly Me Lucio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Tring
    Posts
    5,163
    Thanks
    443
    Thanked
    448 times in 351 posts
    • Lucio's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P
      • CPU:
      • AMD FX-6350 with Cooler Master Seldon 240
      • Memory:
      • 2x4GB Corsair DDR3 Vengeance
      • Storage:
      • 128GB Toshiba, 2.5" SSD, 1TB WD Blue WD10EZEX, 500GB Seagate Baracuda 7200.11
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire R9 270X 4GB
      • PSU:
      • 600W Silverstone Strider SST-ST60F
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF XB
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 8.1 64Bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Samsung 2032BW, 1680 x 1050
      • Internet:
      • 16Mb Plusnet

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    ...

    IMO my only issue with a minimum booze price is who collects all the extra money? Does it become a tax revenue for the government? Does it stay in the pockets of the supermarkets? Does it get forcebly donated to alcohol support charities?
    Last edited by Lucio; 22-05-2010 at 08:56 PM. Reason: Favour to Zak33

    (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/)
    (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=)
    (")_(") (")_(") (")_(") (")_(") (")_(") (")_(") (")_(")


    This is bunny and friends. He is fed up waiting for everyone to help him out, and decided to help himself instead!

  6. #6
    jim
    jim is offline
    HEXUS.clueless jim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Location: Location:
    Posts
    11,435
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked
    1,639 times in 1,304 posts
    • jim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
      • CPU:
      • i5 2500K @ 4.5GHz
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Sandisk SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ASUS GTX 970
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX650
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Fortress FT03
      • Operating System:
      • 8.1 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2716DG
      • Internet:
      • 10 Mbps ADSL

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucio View Post
    Unless I was dreaming it, Rave most certainly has a vested interest in cheap booze as he's an alcoholic and drinks a lot of cheap vodka.

    IMO my only issue with a minimum booze price is who collects all the extra money? Does it become a tax revenue for the government? Does it stay in the pockets of the supermarkets? Does it get forcebly donated to alcohol support charities?
    It would have to stay in the pockets of the supermarkets - there's no way of calculating what proportion of the price was the result of the new law.

    The only way to achieve those aims would be to increase taxes on alcohol.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Andy3536's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    2,355
    Thanks
    164
    Thanked
    194 times in 135 posts
    • Andy3536's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte GA-880GMA
      • CPU:
      • AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 95w @3.8
      • Memory:
      • 4GB Corsair XMS3 1600MHz
      • Storage:
      • 1T WD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI 4870
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 750
      • Case:
      • Antec P-182

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    Sounds like a sensible idea to me........

  8. #8

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Posts
    6,585
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    246 times in 208 posts

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    I am not sure if this warrant it's own thread so I'll put it here, but on the subject of new proposal, I personally think this is a good one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8695367.stm I *do* think that people accused of sexual crime has a stigma greater than murderers in this country.

    As to the original topic, I am not convinced in the least that you can change a drinking culture by hiking the price on cheap booze, but I also think that drunkenness is not going to help the poorest in the country.

    I wonder if it is not a strategic choice to impose a minimum price, rather than raising the taxes. Tories need to watch out from raising too many taxes.

  10. #10
    Senior Member MaddAussie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Deepest Darkest Dorset
    Posts
    1,708
    Thanks
    628
    Thanked
    297 times in 179 posts
    • MaddAussie's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus ROG Strix Z370G
      • CPU:
      • i7 8700k (5.1Ghz)
      • Memory:
      • 16Gb
      • Storage:
      • 500G 960 EVO NMVE
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX 1070
      • PSU:
      • Corsair RM650i
      • Case:
      • Corsair Carbide A1r 240
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24" Dell HD + Samsung HD

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    I know numerous police ambulance crews and nurses that would welcome just such a move. In fact I'd go one step further and raise the age limit on alcohol to at least 21 and toughen the penalties for underage selling (I'm thinking first offence 20k fine for licencee and 1k fine for the person acualy selling, second offence loss of licence)

  11. #11
    Senior Member JPreston's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    1,667
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked
    124 times in 74 posts

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    The honeymoon lasted this long for you, and this is what finally does it for you?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertrand Russell

    The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.

  12. #12
    Registered+
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Bournemouth
    Posts
    21
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    The plan is likely to ban retailers from running loss leader promotions on lager, wine and alcopops.
    As a student most of us do shots at some point in a night so basically we do more shots and buy less actual drinks? Students will still binge drink because of student loans and 0% overdraft. I guess it should help against some people binge drinking (like people with real jobs).

    This guy knows what's happening though:
    Andrew Opie, food policy director of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Irresponsible alcohol consumption is not about price, it's a cultural issue.

  13. #13
    ALT0153™ Rob_B's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    6,087
    Thanks
    345
    Thanked
    699 times in 483 posts

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    Quote Originally Posted by Tikkabhuna View Post
    <Snip>Students will still binge drink because of student loans and 0% overdraft. I guess it should help against some people binge drinking (like people with real jobs)<snip>

    That's a whole other, very worrying issue though. To be fair it's not limited to students though (although they are probably in the majority of people with no money spending 50% of their income on booze and fags - from personal experience)

  14. #14
    SiM
    SiM is offline
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    7,787
    Thanks
    300
    Thanked
    633 times in 422 posts
    • SiM's system
      • Motherboard:
      • P5K Premium
      • CPU:
      • Q6600
      • Memory:
      • 8GB PC2-6400 OCZ ReaperX + Platinum
      • Storage:
      • 3 x 320gb HD322HJ single platter in Raid 0
      • Graphics card(s):
      • PNY GTX285
      • PSU:
      • Corsair TX650W
      • Case:
      • Antec 1200
      • Monitor(s):
      • 2407-HC

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    My idea is:
    1) Give out free 100% alcohol to everyone that opts out of the health service.
    2) Let nature take its course.
    3) Burn dead bodies of the alcoholics to generate energy.
    4) The rest of us can live in a better society.



    Otherwise anything to increase prices and tax income from alcohol will do!

  15. #15
    IBM
    IBM is offline
    there but for the grace of God, go I IBM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    West London
    Posts
    4,187
    Thanks
    149
    Thanked
    244 times in 145 posts
    • IBM's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P5K Deluxe
      • CPU:
      • Intel E6600 Core2Duo 2.40GHz
      • Memory:
      • 2x2GB kit (1GBx2), Ballistix 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-6400
      • Storage:
      • 150G WD SATA 10k RAPTOR, 500GB WD SATA Enterprise
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Leadtek NVIDIA GeForce PX8800GTS 640MB
      • PSU:
      • CORSAIR HX 620W MODULAR PSU
      • Case:
      • Antec P182 Black Case
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 2407WPF A04
      • Internet:
      • domestic zoom

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    I see that Rave's not been back in to comment....probably nursing a cracking hangover....
    sig removed by Zak33

  16. #16
    Efficiently lazy shadowmaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,233
    Thanks
    397
    Thanked
    310 times in 208 posts
    • shadowmaster's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD5
      • CPU:
      • AMD Phenom II X4 965 @ 3.6Ghz
      • Memory:
      • 4GB Corsair XMS3
      • Storage:
      • Kingston SSD V series 64GB + Samsung F3 1TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • XFX 5870 1GB in Crossfire
      • PSU:
      • BeQuiet 1200W Dark Power Pro
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster Stacker 832 SE
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • 3 x BenQ G2222HDL 21.5inch 1080p
      • Internet:
      • BT Infinity 2

    Re: The Honeymoon is Over

    They needed a research paper to conclude that? Spend one Friday night in A&E, and you would want to ban alcohol.

Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Honeymoon Cruise Insight
    By Kezzer in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-01-2008, 02:06 AM
  2. So, Honeymoon in Florida...
    By Lucio in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 17-10-2007, 01:10 PM
  3. Is the Firefox honeymoon over?
    By Steve in forum HEXUS News
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 22-09-2005, 09:46 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •