UK - We can clamp down on antisocial children before birth, says Blair

[Lunar Loops]

This could be a slightly worrying trend. Governments staring into their crystals....where will it all end? World leaders hearing voices from above (and that's already there too). Talk about pre-emptive strikes. This from The Guardian (UK):

We can clamp down on antisocial children before birth, says Blair

· Intervention 'could prevent later problems'
· Package of proposals courts controversy

Lee Glendinning
Friday September 1, 2006
The Guardian


Tony Blair has said it is possible to identify problem children who could grow up to be a potential "menace to society" even before they are born.
Setting out plans for state intervention to prevent babies born into high-risk families becoming problem teenagers of the future, the prime minister said teenage mothers could be forced to accept state help before giving birth, as part of a clampdown on antisocial behaviour. Mr Blair defended the need for state intervention and said action could even be taken "pre-birth" if necessary as families with drug and alcohol problems were being identified too late.
"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, and the kids a few years down the line are going to be a menace to society and actually a threat to themselves," he told BBC News. There could be sanctions for parents who refused to take advice, he added.

Mr Blair's uncompromising remarks in a BBC interview come after the Guardian revealed earlier this week full details of his wide-ranging plans for tackling social exclusion.
The package, worked out at a Chequers summit meeting with ministers and leading agencies such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Turning Point, covers ideas on children in care, teenage mothers and mentally ill people on benefit - those who have been "difficult to reach" in previous government programmes.
The prime minister will set out his plans in a speech next Tuesday, but it his trenchant language in his first broadcast interview since returning from holiday which is certain to stir controversy.
He admitted many people might be uneasy with the idea of intervening in people's family life but said there was no point "pussy-footing".
Official figures released in February showed the conception rate for girls aged 13-15 was 7.5 per 1,000 in 2004. Ministers are looking at new strategies to curb teenage pregnancy and compulsory 12-week programmes for vulnerable young parents to improve their skills bringing up children.
The leader of the government's Respect taskforce, Louise Casey, is a strong advocate of parenting classes for people whose children behave antisocially.
The radical proposal is believed to have come out of that meeting at Chequers and a government policy paper on the issue is due to be published soon.
While help had to be offered, Mr Blair said, "some sense of discipline and responsibility" had to be brought to bear. "You either steer clear and say that's not for government to get into, in which case you don't deal with the problem. Or, and this is really what I'm saying, I think we need to deal with these particular issues and we actually do intervene and we intervene at a very early stage.
"If you've got someone who is a teenage mum, not married, 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," he said.
The Conservatives have objected to this course, saying the government should not try to run people's lives.
Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said: "The answer is not more state intervention. It is to encourage the social enterprise, the voluntary sector, community groups, to help people without trying to run their lives for them."
One thinktank suggested it was almost "genetic determinism" to suggest children could turn out to be troublemakers before they were born. Norman Lamb, chief of staff to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, said: "Empty threats to pregnant mothers will do little to restore confidence in a government that has failed to tackle poverty, crime and social exclusion for the last nine years."

[Nature Boy]

That's downright scary. It brings state control to a whole new level.

[Woodman]

I's all too little, too late!

If Mr Blair had visited Drugsforum lately, he might have actually discovered that we've already arrived.

There's no getting rid of us, now, and there are even MORE on the way!!!

MMMUUUHAHAAHAHAHA!!!!

[allyourbase]

this proposed type of social engineering would require aeons in a conservative estimate of genetic factor alterations in the human genome.

[Allez]

Originally Posted by allyourbase

this proposed type of social engineering would require aeons in a conservative estimate of genetic factor alterations in the human genome.

That's not what they mean at all. Really, they've just saying that if the children are going to be born into a situation that could produce anti-social tendencies, the state could intervene. Situations like broken homes, poor area's, alcohol/drug abuse in the family. They make it out so sound more scientific then it is.

[Voices]

Guilty before birth; how totally absurd.

"Ma'am, we have a warrant for your fetus."

Sounds like some Philip K. Dick nightmare come to life.

[raccchhl]

That is so insane.

[Millsley]

I don't know about you, but it sounds like this law could really be taken out of hand. Yes, he keeps mentioning all the teenage mothers it could help, but depending on the specifics of the bill, it could also be used to take a child from a mother who uses psychadelics/does anything out of the norm for society.