Comments on: Ego sum abbas Cucaniensis - too much drinking and gambling? http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:33:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Rose http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18800 Rose Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:02:53 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18800 If you happen to be back in Cardiff tonight you may "Witness a dramatic, sinister and chilling concert with the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales with Bristol Choral Society at St David's Hall on Friday 4 April." (Thierry Fischer conducting La Damnation de Faust, a period piece morally but Berlioz at his best.) I wish our MP came to our concerts. If you happen to be back in Cardiff tonight you may “Witness a dramatic, sinister and chilling concert with the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales with Bristol Choral Society at St David’s Hall on Friday 4 April.” (Thierry Fischer conducting La Damnation de Faust, a period piece morally but Berlioz at his best.) I wish our MP came to our concerts.

]]> By: Matthew Reynolds http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18708 Matthew Reynolds Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:15:47 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18708 The more things change the more they stay the same ! People who do not learn from the errors of history are thus doomed to repeat them ! The more things change the more they stay the same ! People who do not learn from the errors of history are thus doomed to repeat them !

]]> By: Anoneumouse http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18696 Anoneumouse Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:57:50 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18696 Feudal dee dee, Feudal dee da and we are all now EU Villeins . Feudal dee dee, Feudal dee da

and we are all now EU Villeins
.

]]> By: Bazman http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18695 Bazman Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:44:02 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18695 Ego sum abbas is quite close to Ee bah gum! If you are as stupid as myself. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/364517.stm Ego sum abbas is quite close to Ee bah gum!
If you are as stupid as myself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/364517.stm

]]> By: Freeborn John http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18682 Freeborn John Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:31:01 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/03/30/ego-sum-abbas-cucaniensis-too-much-drinking-and-gambling/#comment-18682 People should be free to do what they want, so long as they do not cause anyone else nuisance. Even if drinking, smoking or gambling can be harmful to the individual, and those who indulge to excess are looked down upon by society, the criminal law should still not be prevent adults from engaging in such activities so long as they affect no-one else adversely. Since the state must raise revenue somehow I think it fair that it taxes the consumption of these vices at whatever rate maximises its revenue as any other rate will mean higher taxes on more worthy activities to the detriment of society at large. And by licensing the sale of these things the state can attach conditions such that publicans, casino owners etc. are effectively co-opted into ensuring their customers cause minimum nuisance to their locality in a way that say pimps or drug dealers do not. The main reason that gambling, alcohol, and tobacco are legal, but other vices are not, is custom. The medieval songs reflect a society in which the church was strong enough to ensure that its own (often illiberal) views of what is wrong were often imposed as the criminal law on all of society, including on followers of other faiths or non-believers that see no evil in the act. There is a desire in all of us that what we find distasteful should not be tolerated in others even when they find it agreeable and it does us no harm that they do it. But is seems to me that the causes of individual liberty, public order and a reduced burden of taxation on more wholesome activities are all better advanced by legalising, better regulating and taxing the provision of ‘immoral’ activities rather than falling back to the instinct to prevent others from doing what we think they ought not to. People should be free to do what they want, so long as they do not cause anyone else nuisance. Even if drinking, smoking or gambling can be harmful to the individual, and those who indulge to excess are looked down upon by society, the criminal law should still not be prevent adults from engaging in such activities so long as they affect no-one else adversely. Since the state must raise revenue somehow I think it fair that it taxes the consumption of these vices at whatever rate maximises its revenue as any other rate will mean higher taxes on more worthy activities to the detriment of society at large. And by licensing the sale of these things the state can attach conditions such that publicans, casino owners etc. are effectively co-opted into ensuring their customers cause minimum nuisance to their locality in a way that say pimps or drug dealers do not.

The main reason that gambling, alcohol, and tobacco are legal, but other vices are not, is custom. The medieval songs reflect a society in which the church was strong enough to ensure that its own (often illiberal) views of what is wrong were often imposed as the criminal law on all of society, including on followers of other faiths or non-believers that see no evil in the act. There is a desire in all of us that what we find distasteful should not be tolerated in others even when they find it agreeable and it does us no harm that they do it. But is seems to me that the causes of individual liberty, public order and a reduced burden of taxation on more wholesome activities are all better advanced by legalising, better regulating and taxing the provision of ‘immoral’ activities rather than falling back to the instinct to prevent others from doing what we think they ought not to.

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