Britons may be forgiven for waking up this morning thinking they are in a staging of Les Mis. For today the news is this: benefit cheats can be imprisoned for up to ten years. Now, I don't know about you, but that's the definition of draconian. It may be morally repugnant to cheat the state of some money, but very few crimes legitimately warrant doing serious time in the klink. Hard time is a serious thing to inflict on anyone - and it is likely to make a soft criminal a hardened one on release. Rather than impose longer sentences for victimless crimes (the state is not a person), the state should find alternatives to cells, bars and Wormwood.
According to the latest CBS, ABC, etc, polls, Clinton is still likely to beat Trump - by percentile odds of 66% to 33% and change. But the current popular vote is much closer, probably tied with the error of margin, around 44% each. Trump has to win more key battleground states to win, and may not - but he is ahead in Florida...
We will all know, in a week, whether we live in a world gone madder, or just relatively mad.
While it seems likely calmer heads will prevail, the recent Brexit win shows that polls can mislead, especially when one of the options is considered a bit embarrassing, rude or even racist - and Trump qualifies for these, at least.
If 42-45% of Americans admit they would vote for Trump, what does that say about the ones not so vocal? For surely, they must be there, as well. Some of the undecided will slide, and more likely they will slide to the wilder and more exciting fringe candidate. As may the libertarians.
Eyewear predicts that Trump will just about manage to win th…
We will all know, in a week, whether we live in a world gone madder, or just relatively mad.
While it seems likely calmer heads will prevail, the recent Brexit win shows that polls can mislead, especially when one of the options is considered a bit embarrassing, rude or even racist - and Trump qualifies for these, at least.
If 42-45% of Americans admit they would vote for Trump, what does that say about the ones not so vocal? For surely, they must be there, as well. Some of the undecided will slide, and more likely they will slide to the wilder and more exciting fringe candidate. As may the libertarians.
Eyewear predicts that Trump will just about manage to win th…