Comments on: Family values http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/ Tories running Britain down to win cheap votes Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:42:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Jonathan Miller http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-7 Jonathan Miller Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:21:53 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-7 As pointed out above, the low divorce rate is most strongly related to the low marriage rate. It is a bit rich for this blog to criticise 'unthinking' conservatives if the author cannot even read to the end of a Guardian article that explains the relationship between dropping marriage rates and dropping divorce rates. The benefits of marriage are easily demonstrable. Children of married couples tend to do better at school, are less frequently delinquent etc. They are also less of a burden on the welfare state, and therefore better value than children of married couples. It is hard to see why the left is so down on marriage. Even Communist Russia realised that marriage was a better solution than children being raised by the state. If this blog were actually to check its facts and offer rational debate I might be more inclined to read it. As pointed out above, the low divorce rate is most strongly related to the low marriage rate. It is a bit rich for this blog to criticise ‘unthinking’ conservatives if the author cannot even read to the end of a Guardian article that explains the relationship between dropping marriage rates and dropping divorce rates.
The benefits of marriage are easily demonstrable. Children of married couples tend to do better at school, are less frequently delinquent etc. They are also less of a burden on the welfare state, and therefore better value than children of married couples.
It is hard to see why the left is so down on marriage. Even Communist Russia realised that marriage was a better solution than children being raised by the state.
If this blog were actually to check its facts and offer rational debate I might be more inclined to read it.

]]> By: NorthernMonkey http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-6 NorthernMonkey Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:51:28 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-6 Any politician who moralises about marriage shouldn't be given the time of day. Who cares what the marriage or divorce rate is? It's a personal matter and not something politicians should get involved in. Cameron's lost the plot as expected and he's now desperately trying to shore up the crumbling core vote whilst waving goodbye to the centre ground. There's only four issues Tories love to talk about - Brussels, marriage, criminals and immigrants. Unfortunately for them, the country has far higher priorities like the economy. I would care about what Cameron said if I thought for a second he actually had a chance of being Prime Minister of this country, but as we all know, that's not going to happen. You keep banging on about 'corrupting' video games and nasty immigrants Dave, the rest of the country will ignore you. Any politician who moralises about marriage shouldn’t be given the time of day. Who cares what the marriage or divorce rate is? It’s a personal matter and not something politicians should get involved in.

Cameron’s lost the plot as expected and he’s now desperately trying to shore up the crumbling core vote whilst waving goodbye to the centre ground. There’s only four issues Tories love to talk about - Brussels, marriage, criminals and immigrants. Unfortunately for them, the country has far higher priorities like the economy.

I would care about what Cameron said if I thought for a second he actually had a chance of being Prime Minister of this country, but as we all know, that’s not going to happen. You keep banging on about ‘corrupting’ video games and nasty immigrants Dave, the rest of the country will ignore you.

]]> By: A http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-5 A Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:10:59 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-5 It's not the divorce RATE that is at a low, it's the NUMBER of divorces, which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place. It’s not the divorce RATE that is at a low, it’s the NUMBER of divorces, which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place.

]]> By: A http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-4 A Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:09:52 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-4 Well, actually, it's not the divorce RATE that is at a low - it's the NUMBER of divorces. Which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place. Well, actually, it’s not the divorce RATE that is at a low - it’s the NUMBER of divorces. Which is so low because there are so few marriages in the first place.

]]> By: Fact Check http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-3 Fact Check Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:11:40 +0000 http://www.belittlebritain.org/2007/08/31/family-values/#comment-3 "The falling number of divorces mirrors the decline in marriage over the past decade. The marriage rate in England and Wales in 2005 fell to its lowest level since records began in 1862." Under grumpy Gordon so few people are getting married so less people are getting divorced. More children are born outside the traditional married family than within. This is not progress. “The falling number of divorces mirrors the decline in marriage over the past decade. The marriage rate in England and Wales in 2005 fell to its lowest level since records began in 1862.”

Under grumpy Gordon so few people are getting married so less people are getting divorced.

More children are born outside the traditional married family than within. This is not progress.

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