KM's Paperback (PB)

[Holly Goodhead]

I would happily call members of my own family “nutty”, “completely mad”, “two sandwiches short of a picnic” etc in a light-hearted bantery way, I doubt they’d be offended, and your point is...?

But would you call members of your own family "nutty", "completely mad", "two sandwiches short of a picnic" etc if they had been diagnosed with a mental illness?

[Holly Goodhead]

Yes I have.  A moderator referred to them as “shit parents “. 

IMOThere is a BIG difference between criticising a country and criticising individuals..  Personally I think Portugal is a bit of a tin-pot, backward country with a Kafkaesque legal system but I understand it has some nice beaches.  What damage have I inflicted on Portugal by saying so?  None.  If I describe you as a nasty piece of work, dishonest, child abuser or hider of dead bodies and make a point of repeating it to anyone who will listen, do I do you any damage?

Portugal is ranked by IMF 47/186 by GDP so hardly a bit of tin-pot backward country as you describe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

What do you think our legal system has over Portugal's? 

[Mr Gray]

I don't have any issue with valid criticism of anything Portuguese.  The chouriço here I wouldn't feed to my dog.  Spanish chorizo is far superior.

But when supporters describe Portugal as fascist, a third world country or tin-pot, then yes I tend to respond.

Have you ever seen the McCanns vilified on here in such extreme terms?  I suspect such a post would get wiped sooner rather than later.

I think to say Portugal still has fascist undertones ..with an inept police force who prefer to beat confessions out of suspects rather than find evidence..... A police force in this case who failed to understand the badic evidence.   Is perfectly valid criticism

[Vertigo Swirl]

But would you call members of your own family "nutty", "completely mad", "two sandwiches short of a picnic" etc if they had been diagnosed with a mental illness?

Sure, why not?  I called my mother a “mad old bint” the other day and she’s definitely showing all the signs of dementia.  She wasn’t that pleased about it though, truth be told... 

[Vertigo Swirl]

Portugal is ranked by IMF 47/186 by GDP so hardly a bit of tin-pot backward country as you describe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

What do you think our legal system has over Portugal's?

That’s how it comes across to me, from years of reading about the treatment of people, particularly Brits who for one reason or another fall victim to their legal system - have you not read the numerous frankly inexplicable examples of bizarre judgements and treatments of individuals at the hands of the Portuguese police and judges? The Portugal Resident newspaper is a good source for such cases.

Incidentally India has the fifth highest GDP and is frequently referred to as a third world shithole by a member of this forum.

[Mr Gray]

Portugal is ranked by IMF 47/186 by GDP so hardly a bit of tin-pot backward country as you describe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

What do you think our legal system has over Portugal's?

I quoted two recent cases... A man found guilty of violently raping a hitchhiker received a suspended sentence
A man guilty of beating his wife with a wooden stick that had protruding nails told by the judge it was understandable, as the bible said adulterers should be punished

[Holly Goodhead]

I think to say Portugal still has fascist undertones ..with an inept police force who prefer to beat confessions out of suspects rather than find evidence..... A police force in this case who failed to understand the badic evidence.   Is perfectly valid criticism

Need I say more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Midlands_Serious_Crime_Squad

[Holly Goodhead]

Sure, why not?  I called my mother a “mad old bint” the other day and she’s definitely showing all the signs of dementia.  She wasn’t that pleased about it though, truth be told... 

And if members of your family were suffering from some life changing physical illness would you feel such name calling was still acceptable?

[Mr Gray]

Need I say more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Midlands_Serious_Crime_Squad

No your post, says it, all... You need to quote, an article that's 30 years old

[Holly Goodhead]

I quoted two recent cases... A man found guilty of violently raping a hitchhiker received a suspended sentence
A man guilty of beating his wife with a wooden stick that had protruding nails told by the judge it was understandable, as the bible said adulterers should be punished

Well I would need to read more than just snippets but either way UK policing and the judiciary certainly doesn't have an unblemished past; its not without current problems and I wouldn't mind betting there will be a whole lot more to crawl out the woodwork as time goes on! 

[Holly Goodhead]

No your post, says it, all... You need to quote, an article that's 30 years old

I could sit here for hours uploading recent cases:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-36951422

[Vertigo Swirl]

And if members of your family were suffering from some life changing physical illness would you feel such name calling was still acceptable?

Can you please tell me what this has got to do with the discussion?  Did Kate call someone with a life changing physical illness a nasty name? 
Kate cannot help her upbringing or the way she talks (unless you feel she should have gone to elocution lessons before speaking to the media).  Therefore you are taking the piss out of her background and her class which is much the same as taking the piss out of someone for having ginger hair or a speech impediment or being Chinese.  You either go with the flow and accept that this is all harmless “banter” or you get morally righteous about it when it suits you.  My beef with you is not that you were taking the piss out of Kate’s accent per se, but that you were repeatedly doing it with the sole aim of winding up supporters on this forum, after having been told that it was annoying.  And you are supposed to be a moderator?!

[Vertigo Swirl]

Well I would need to read more than just snippets but either way UK policing and the judiciary certainly doesn't have an unblemished past; its not without current problems and I wouldn't mind betting there will be a whole lot more to crawl out the woodwork as time goes on!

Why are you determined to rubbish the UK justice system in order to defend the Portuguese one? 

[Vertigo Swirl]

I could sit here for hours uploading recent cases:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-36951422

At lease they were dismissed!  Were they still on active service and given high profile new cases to investigate  pending their court case?

[Mr Gray]

I could sit here for hours uploading recent cases:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-36951422

Could you show where a violent rapist received a suspended sentence... Or where, a policeman found guilty of torture was allowed to keep his job