Fat tax

Last night he had a final feed at 10.30 and didn't wake up until 4.30. That was six hours. I can see it now. A full night's sleep is just days away.

There was an interesting discussion on the Penn Jillette radio show yesterday. I listened to it on my iPod this morning as I drove to work. Apparently the American Medical Association is about to try and persuade the government to legislate for a tax levy on corn syrup in an effort to reduce obesity and unhealthy eating. I don't know US politics, but the point is, the medical people want corn syrup taxed to stop people buying it so cheaply. Corn syrup is apparently used extensively in soft drinks and many other products.

This idea is not new, it's been kicked around in UK too. The thing I found interesting is the fact that corn farming is apparently heavily subsidised in US. So, if this legislation was to get passed, the government would be encouraging farmers to grow corn with subsidies on one hand, and trying to discourage people from buying it with high taxes on the other. It's not my imagination is it, all governments are mad.

You know what I think the problem is? I'm going to tell you anyway... I think the US, and more recently the UK, has developed a culture of avoiding responsibility. Overweight people are learning to blame everyone but themselves for the problem. We hear people blaming gland problems, genetics, the corrupt fast food companies, or the high price of healthy food. It's none of these things. If people took responsibility for the results of unhealthy diets, they wouldn't do it. Taxing the problem won't help. The price of cigarettes in Uk is something like £5 for a packet of 20, and people still smoke. We're paying £1 for a litre of petrol, and people still drive cars.


There are some interesting news stories around today.

A convicted paedophile in UK, Craig Sweeny, has reoffended just a few days after his parole licence expired. I don't quite understand the complexities of the prison system, but it would seem that convicts are eligible for release on licence after they have served half their sentence, if they have behaved themsleves while in prison. If they violate the terms of their licence they have to return to prison. The paedophile in question reoffended, but since his licence had expired, he could not automatically be returned to prison. He had to be retried for the new offence. He was found guilty and imprisoned again, this time for life. Now, for some reason this means he will be eligible for parole after 5 more years. The Home Secretary apparently made some comments about the inadequate sentence which in turn angered the Attorney General.

The thing that strikes me about this case is not so much the ridiculous complexity of the system. It's the fact that a serious child sex offender received only 3 years for an initial offence, and then 5 for a second offence, despite the fact that he is obviously likely to reoffend. I don't think prison works very well as a deterant, or a punishment, but it does keep the scum off the streets while they are locked up. This is surely a case for longer sentences is it not?

Another story that seems to be headlining currently concerns 2 muslim men who were arrested after a police raid at their home in East London, during which one of the men was shot. There was a lot of confusion about the raid, and even some suggestion that the injured man was shot by his brother. Ultimately, both men were released without charge. This bothers me on all sorts of levels. Firstly it's another example of how the new terror legislation just isn't helping. And of course it appears that it's another example of police incompetance.

The 2 men spoke publicly for the first time today and there was much critisism from them of the police. I'm not sure that these men are entirely innocent, but it does appear that they were raided without enough evidence to charge them with anything. It was ill judged at best. They are claiming that no apology was made and that they were treated badly. They are also suggesting that the police didn't even identify themsleves as they stormed the house, which is a very serious problem indeed. A weapon was apparently discharged by police even though the men were unarmed. One man was shot in the chest, though he seems to have made a good recovery from what I could see. And why was this confusion allowed to continue? After the Stockwell Tube station fiasco, you'd think the police would be quick to stamp out the gossip and rumours.

Heather Mills-McCartney is to begin legal action against the News of the World after allegations at the weekend that she worked as a prostitute. I don't know, or care very much, what she's done in the past, but I can't believe that any paper would be stupid enough to print a story of this nature unless they believed it, since it's bound to result in a legal mauling if it turns out to be untrue.