What Is A Nanny State?

IRockUrSocks

I hear people, both domestically and abroad calling Ireland a "Nanny State". What exactly is this term?

Explain your understanding of why Ireland is officially a "Nanny State" and what gives people this image of us.

starbelgrade

A nanny state is one that feeds us, looks after us when we're sick & tells us what to do. It does well on the last count.

K-Ren

The bane of Jeremy Clarkson.

IRockUrSocks

starbelgrade wrote: »

A nanny state is one that feeds us, looks after us when we're sick & tells us what to do. It does well on the last count.

Domo230 wrote: »

A nanny state is a state that thinks it knows what is best for you and enforces it.

Left wing governments are more likely to be like that what with things like mandatory health insurance and extra tax and mass public surveilance.

Contrast it with libertarians who believe the state should leave them alone.

Perfect example of a nanny state is the uk.

Ireland is a nanny state just like the UK. It has become one of the most heavily-regulated countries in the world. I'd consider Ireland the "Ultimate nanny state" as someone from the Irish Independent once put it.

Smcgie

Wiki - Prob lies

sceptre

IRockUrSocks wrote: »

I hear people, both domestically and abroad calling Ireland a "Nanny State". What exactly is this term?

Explain your understanding of why Ireland is officially a "Nanny State" and what gives people this image of us.

A nanny state is a state that does anything that pisses off someone who wanted to do something like spit in your coffee because just they wanted to, especially when the only reason spitting in people''s coffee is banned is because too many people were doing it and no-one really liked *their* coffee being spat in.

On a slightly more serious note, it's a phrase often used by someone who wither won't or can't explain in ten words why some governmental decision is wrong. Maybe it's wrong, maybe it isn't but heaven knows they're not going to bother explaining why they think it is. The nanny state may or may not exist but the usage of the phrase says more about the person using it than it does about the state. It's a phrase that tends to defeat the argument of anyone who uses it before they get started. Typically when the entire contribution is "X is such a nanny state" with nothing else added as part-evidence. if there's something added, at least there's some effort being made.

In other words, on a completely serious note, it's a phrase often used by idiots (though obviously not exclusively - non-idiots use it too, though probably less).

Too soft as responses go?:)

MultiUmm

IRockUrSocks wrote: »

Ireland is a nanny state just like the UK. It has become one of the most heavily-regulated countries in the world. I'd consider Ireland the "Ultimate nanny state" as someone from the Irish Independent once put it.

Meh, I don't think Ireland is all that bad compared to the UK. The "Nanny state" attitude has increased over the past decade here though. Loads of primary schools have banned running in playgrounds over "Health and safety issues" :eek: I mean wtf, let kids be kids!

Sharpshooter

That's true, they are told they can hop skip or walk.

Feckin hell how did we get through school at all without being injured.

Overheal

Smoking is bad for you: The Government taxes cigarettes - what, 700% the last time I checked? And they tell you where you can smoke.

Drinking is bad for you!: The government taxes the **** out of drink. Exported Irish drink is in several cases cheaper than domestic Irish drink, due to fewer levies at the point of sale, abroad.

I could probably go on.

K-9

I'd agree with Sceptre on this. It tends to get thrown around on things like the blasphemy, online pornograhy, torrents, parenting type laws.

Most of the time the actual laws have little effect on the day to day life of most.

There's always exceptions to the rule, like Sharpshooters example.

Sharpshooter

Domo230 wrote: »

Wtf thats a load of nonsense. So most people who have concerns about nanny states are idiots who cant come up with legitimate arguments against the state forcing things upon them that they dont want.

Quote his whole post and stop nit picking.

^^Example of Nanny State ^^

Sharpshooter

Papa Smut wrote: »

^^Example of Nanny State ^^

Seriously?

Dude.
It's 3.30.
It's After Hours.


What do you think?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

you might just be a nanny state if it is illegal for newsagents to put cigarettes on display.

Overheal

Papa Smut wrote: »

^^Example of Nanny State ^^

Get in the corner. 5 minutes. Go on. 'Get!

Sharpshooter

Papa Smut wrote: »

Dude.
It's 3.30.
It's After Hours.


What do you think?

I think you are wrong.

Sharpshooter

Papa Smut wrote: »

^^Example of Nanny State ^^

Please back that up with something I can take seriously.

sceptre

Domo230 wrote: »

Wtf thats a load of nonsense. So most people who have concerns about nanny states are idiots who cant come up with legitimate arguments against the state forcing things upon them that they dont want.

It works better if you read the rest of my post.

Or just read the bit you quoted with batteries in your sarcasm detector. Yours is off.

rossie1977

i am just trying to think of a country that wouldn't be considered a nanny state, perhaps holland

Mahatma coat

a Nanny state is a Dictatorship by committee where the Majority of the population are so apathetitic that they just let it happen and still believe that its all for their own good.

Most nanny states start out relativley benignly, but as they get away with heaping more and more regulations on the populace they generaly tend to go ape****, Nanny states are usualy replaced briefly with Anarcholibertarian regiemes, however the next gen of Nannystaters are waiting in the wings tut tutting at their percieved wrongs of society, waiting til they get their chance to nanny us.

well thats my take on it

ShooterSF

IRockUrSocks wrote: »

I hear people, both domestically and abroad calling Ireland a "Nanny State". What exactly is this term?

Explain your understanding of why Ireland is officially a "Nanny State" and what gives people this image of us.

No do your own homework. You should have started that essay before 2am anyway!

rubadub

IRockUrSocks wrote: »

I hear people, both domestically and abroad calling Ireland a "Nanny State".

What country were the people from who called Ireland a nanny state?

Seems to me every country should have its far share of self-deprecators, so could imagine loads of people in whatever country calling them selves nanny states, or using phrases like
"ah, only in Belgium",
"ah, typical Swedish begrudgery",
"ah, rip off Norway as usual" etc.

Maybe when the smoking ban came in, but since then many have copped on what a great idea it is and did the same.

johnny_knoxvile

a "Nanny State" is when you find yourself eating prunes and knitting jumpers for everyone related to you.

Long Onion

Can we have a Swedish AuPair state instead please?

Thanks

johnny_knoxvile

Long Onion wrote: »

Can we have a Swedish AuPair state instead please?

Thanks

would a Fritzel State do?

maggy_thatcher

Nanny-stateness is the government thinking it can do a better job of looking after you than you can. Some examples:

1. Alcohol restrictions:
   • Can only purchase at certain times of day
   • Can only purchase it at certain locations
   • Can only purchase it if you are in a particular age group
   • Cannot advertise it if it's likely to be a "children" event
   • Can only drink alcohol in certain designated areas
2. Tobacco restrictions:
   • Can only purchase it if you are in a particular age group
   • Cannot advertise at all
   • Can only smoke in certain designated areas
3. Media restrictions:
   • The Irish Films Classification Office (the government decides what you can and cannot watch, and at what age you are allowed to experience it).
   • The watershed

Some people might argue that some of that is helpful nannying, others might decide that "personal responsibility" should trump everything (the very concept of personal responsibility seems to have died a death in this country though).

El Siglo

I think this is an example of this so called "Nanny State"...

BobTheBeat

MultiUmm wrote: »

Meh, I don't think Ireland is all that bad compared to the UK. The "Nanny state" attitude has increased over the past decade here though. Loads of primary schools have banned running in playgrounds over "Health and safety issues" :eek: I mean wtf, let kids be kids!

Well in fairness, that was brought in to stop the multitude of claims that were being field against schools across Ireland by mama and dada when little pauline fell on her hole playing tig. I think that claim culture has somewhat subsided though. PRIMARY SCHOOLS WE BESEECH YOU LET THE CHILDERS RUNNIN ABOW DA PLAYACE!

DrumSteve

El Siglo wrote: »

I think this is an example of this so called "Nanny State"...

I think you'll find thats a Nazi state.

Capt'n Midnight

Overheal wrote: »

Drinking is bad for you!: The government taxes the **** out of drink. Exported Irish drink is in several cases cheaper than domestic Irish drink, due to fewer levies at the point of sale, abroad.

I could probably go on.

Excise on Beer/Cider hasn't gone up in about 15 years,
in fact it halved in the last budget for lower alcohol beers 2.8% ABV
VAT did change though swinging wildly between 20% to 21.5% in the same period

remember the prices in Lidl / Aldi include all taxes, the differnce to more expensive brands and for pubs has nothing to do with government taxes.

Cookie_Monster

maggy_thatcher wrote: »

Media restrictions:

• The Irish Films Classification Office (the government decides what you can and cannot watch, and at what age you are allowed to experience it).
• The watershed

IFCO are no longer able ban films iirc, only rate them. As long as an adult goes with you you can watch higer rated films anyway can;t you?
If fact last year it was changed from Censorship to Classification to reflect that

The watershed is a sensilbe idea; would you like your kids watching some insane horror film or pornogaphic stuff at 3 in the afternoon?

maggy_thatcher

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

IFCO are no longer ban films iirc, only rate them. As long as an adult goes with you you can watch higer rated films anyway can;t you?

The watershed is a sensilbe idea; would you like your kids watching some insane horror film or pornogaphic stuff at 3 in the afternoon?

IFCO do still ban things occasionally, and someone under 16 can't go in to see 16 or 18 rated films regardless of if they are accompanied (the equivalent to NC17 in the US).

As for the watershed -- that's what parental locks are for. It should be up to the parent to decide what is/is not suitable for watching, not the government.

Anyway - my point is that having these kind of restrictions is a form of nanny-statism. I didn't say necessarily that they are all bad (personally I like the smoking ban, but only for purely selfish reasons in that I don't smoke!)

Mr.Obvious

A nanny state is a state run by a person or group of people who display some degree of paternalism in their attitudes.

These people generally see themselves as above the general population in some way (generally wisdom or intelligence) and assume that they are qualified enough to enforce certain life-choices on the population.

A line typically use by such people is "We're protecting people from themselves". The term "nanny state" reffers to the adults in the population being treated like children (incapable of making their own decisions) rather than given the benifit of the doubt and treated as responsible adults.

AnonoBoy

A Nanny State is any state run by or governed over by Fran Drescher.

IRockUrSocks

I'm all for liberalism.

irish_bob

Mr.Obvious wrote: »

A nanny state is a state run by a person or group of people who display some degree of paternalism in their attitudes.

These people generally see themselves as above the general population in some way (generally wisdom or intelligence) and assume that they are qualified enough to enforce certain life-choices on the population.

A line typically use by such people is "We're protecting people from themselves". The term "nanny state" reffers to the adults in the population being treated like children (incapable of making their own decisions) rather than given the benifit of the doubt and treated as responsible adults.

an example of this would be leftys who patronise so called socially disadvantaged people by claiming they are too poor to ever become better off so the state should continue to instead hand out wellfare to them