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LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday the state should intervene early -- possibly even before birth -- to stop the children of problem families growing up into troublemakers.<br><br>One think tank said the idea, the latest step in Mr. Blair's drive against crime and antisocial behaviour in Britain, verged on "genetic determinism."<br><br>In his first interview since returning from a Caribbean holiday, Mr. Blair told the British Broadcasting Corp. that teenage mothers could be required to accept state assistance with bringing up their children and could face sanctions if they refused.<br><br>Intervention might even be needed "pre-birth," he said.<br><br>Print Edition - Section Front<br> Enlarge Image <br><br>More World Stories<br>Afghans tipped to NATO sweep <br>China sentences reporter to prison <br>Iran's nuclear plans pose 'grave threat,' Bush warns <br>Not so blessed are Israel's peacemakers <br>Pakistan wants nuclear bargain <br>U.S. judge orders cleanup of ailing Astor's dirty home <br>Go to the World section <br> "If we are not prepared to predict and intervene far more early, then there are children that are going to grow up in families that we know perfectly well are completely dysfunctional," Mr. Blair said, "and the kids a few years down the line are going to be a menace to society and actually a threat to themselves."<br><br>Mr. Blair is seeking to put the focus on his policies to try to halt a slump in his government's popularity and shift media attention away from the question of when he will step down in favour of his expected successor, Finance Minister Gordon Brown.<br><br>He said the government could say to an unmarried teenage mother who was not in a stable relationship: "Here is the support we are prepared to offer you, but we do need to keep a careful watch on you and how your situation is developing because all the indicators are that your type of situation can lead to problems in the future."<br><br>Anastasia de Waal, of social policy think tank Civitas, was quoted on the BBC's website as saying: "It is teetering on genetic determinism this kind of saying that before children are even born they are labelled as problematic."<br><br>Oliver Letwin, policy director for the opposition Conservative Party, slammed Mr. Blair's idea, saying more state intervention and bureaucracy were not the answer.<br><br>"The only realistic way forward lies with social enterprise, charities and voluntary groups. It is no good the government simply trying to run peoples' lives," he said<br> <p></p><i></i>

Had they done it with Blair's mum, we might feel a little more positive about the idea. <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday the state should intervene early -- possibly even before birth -- to stop the children of problem families growing up into troublemakers.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> The heinousness (is that a word?) of this goes without saying. Thus, along the lines of Avalon's musing, I would propose that citizens intervene early -- possibly even before the election cycle -- to stop the political heirs of the white supremacist system from ever achieving office. <p></p><i></i>

sugarmead, you have a link and source for this news? I suspect it is dark satire. <br><br>***<br><br>Satire (yeesh), fake news or not, my recommendation above stands. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gouda@rigorousintuition>Gouda</A> at: 9/1/06 11:40 am<br></i>

great zeus, it's real. <br><br>From Reuters: <br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-01T030933Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-265664-1.xml">in.today.reuters.com/news...5664-1.xml</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>The heinousness (is that a word?) of this goes without saying.</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>Yeah, that was my first reaction, too. But then I realized that I'd thought the same thing a few dozen times. Only it wasn't in regard to teens, it was to pregnant women who are abusing alcohol or drugs.<br><br>Only I kinda sorta don't think that's what Blair's talking about. I'd love to see the criteria he's going to suggest using to sort these teens into the "right" column and the "wrong" column. Let's see: "Right wing, are you? Right column. Uhoh, what, you don't attend a good Christian church? You go over in the wrong column. Step over here in this railroad car, please." <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 9/1/06 1:42 pm<br></i>

Oh yeah, never mind lack of economic opportunity, crumbling neighborhoods and social support systems, deteriorating educational systems, etc not to mention a big whalloping dose of the overt racism and classism that the elite of our countries seem so eager to flaunt these days...it's all the teen-age girls fault, god knows what they get up to if you don't watch them like a hawk. They might just go on to have healthy kids and that would disprove our little religious, neocon theories...I mean, seems to me many of britain's most notorious gangsters and criminals came from families that were not only 'intact' (in the judeo-christian sense of marriage) but were more than happy to close ranks and protect each other from scrutiny. I bet Tony Blair's mom could teach Babs Bush a thing or two. NOW we're talking abuse! <p></p><i></i>

I suppose someone had to puke this subject up, and who better than Bliar? Are his kids reason enough or do we have to bring the Thatchers into it?<br><br>It's a family affair... <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5303054.stm">Stop it</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> or else!<br><br>It's not DU or the shit we eat and the air we breath but you and your spunk that's killing women! Can't you feel the guilt? <p></p><i></i>

i feel it. its turning me on. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :rollin --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p></p><i></i>