Draconian Drug Tests 'The government's welfare reform bill, due to return to the House of Lords in October, will give Jobcentre staff unprecedented new powers that are intrusive, potentially coercive and take the benefit system into worrying new directions. As the bill stands, benefit claimants who refuse to answer probing questions about their drug or alcohol use or attend a substance misuse "assessment" could see their benefit withdrawn for up to 26 weeks and potentially have Jobcentre staff "impose" one or more drug tests to determine whether there is or has been any drug in their body.' Simon Johnson: 'Barack Obama, Like Louis XIV Before Him, Knows Exactly What is Going On' 'During the reign of Louis XIV, when the common people complained of some oppressive government policy, they would say, "If only the king knew . . . ." Occasionally people will make similar statements about Barack Obama, blaming the policies they don't like on his lieutenants. But Barack Obama, like Louis XIV before him, knows exactly what is going on.'
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Posts
