Monday 18 November 2013

Should directors restrain their pay increases while workers' pay is frozen?

No.

It would be nice if they did, but then businesses don't exist to be nice. It is illogical to state that all workers should have linked pay, since the employment markets for top management and lowly workers are fundamentally different. Any profit-seeking company will seek the best value from both markets. Accepting this won't change without considerable governmental interference, the best option for unhappy workers is to quit and start businesses of their own.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Should there be leniency for the marine convicted of murder in Afghanistan?

No.

The Taliban's disdain for the Geneva convention is not an example to be replicated. To wage war outside of international law undermines the legitimacy of the winner and the legacy of those who died. If anybody is found to have committed murder, then they should face the same sentencing as anybody else. This should not be unduly harsh; convicted soldiers should be entitled to the same mitigating factors in sentencing as civilians.

Saturday 16 November 2013

Should medical staff be jailed for neglect?

Unfortunately, yes.

It is accepted that dangerous driving, which is deliberately reckless, and careless driving, which may be accidental, can both result in imprisonment. The only way to avoid prosecution for motoring offences is to avoid driving. Working in medicine brings considerable responsibility which is also enforced in law. However, nobody is forced to work in hospitals and clinics against their will. If the potential sanctions are not outweighed by the reward of caring for patients, then it's best to select another career.

Friday 15 November 2013

Should there be a green levy on fuel bills?

Yes, on all bills for non-renewable energy.

Our use of all fossil energy imposes a cost upon somebody else: by using up resources that cannot be replaced, or producing effects that adversely affect the lives of others, such as rising sea levels, worsening weather or simply pollution. While it is difficult to quantify this cost exactly, it is unreasonable to claim it is zero. A levy is necessary both to reduce demand and provide ring-fenced funds to mitigate these non-zero effects.

Will Global Warming make hurricanes more severe?

Yes.

Hurricanes, the world's most violent storms, form above oceans near the equator, where the temperature must be at least 26°C. Their energy comes from water evaporating from the surface of the sea and the air flow this generates. Global Warming increases the temperature in the oceans, providing more energy to fuel more severe hurricanes.

Friday 11 January 2013

Should the Church of England Admit Women Bishops?

Yes.

The ordination of women into the priesthood was agreed by the General Synod in 1993. Given that this was not a mistake, to allow women to be practicing priests but not to allow the more talented ones to be promoted is inconsistent, especially given that the supreme governor of the Church of England is the Queen, widely understood to be a woman.

Saturday 24 November 2012

Prisoners' Right To Vote: A Human Right?

No.

The right to liberty is in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Voting and will of the people is in Article 21.  Most people would argue the right to liberty is clearly more important than the right to take part in elections. The purpose and deterrent of legal incarceration is the violation of personal liberty. Nobody would suggest imprisonment in itself was a violation of human rights. Voting is an extension of the same concept. It is illogical to agree that the right to liberty may be violated but that the right to vote is sacred.