Friday - Immigration, Middle East & health
Hi, James here in London. Half of the team are on their way from Phoenix to San Francisco for a special show tomorrow (yes that's right - on a Saturday!). Anna is masterminding the show and has written more about the programme here.
While the SF team prepares for that extravanganza, we're getting ready for Friday's show here in Bush House.
So what could be getting you talking today?
IMMIGRATION ISSUE - THE ITALIAN WAY
Italy's centre-left government, long accused by critics of being soft on immigration, has pushed through a decree allowing police to believed to be a danger to society...
..No trial will be needed and proof that they are a danger to scoiety can be as little as the absence of a steady job. Any EU citizen can be kicked out of the country, and threatened with a spell in jail if they ever return to Italy.
Of course the new legislation is causing controversy. It appears to directly contradict the principle of unlimited cross-border travel to which other EU countries adhere. But the Italian government says the new law is vital to stop a spate of violent crimes in the country, which it says has been carried out by immigrants - some of them from Romania.
So is the Italian government right? Is this the way to deal with troublesome immigrants? Are other EU countries too soft on immigration? Or is this a step too far? Your thoughts please.
GRIM PREDICTION FOR US IN MIDDLE EAST
US troops could stay in the Middle East for the , according to a US general. John Abizaid, former commander of US forces in the region, says America needs a presence due to the rise of Sunni and Shia extremism in Iraq, the "Arab-Israeli" conflict and US dependency on oil.
Could this turn out to be a reality? Your thoughts please.
PUBLIC vs PRIVATE HEALTHCARE
What healthcare provision do you have in your country? Do you pay for private treatment or are you somewhere where you rely on the public health system? If you had the choice (and the money), would you prefer to pay for private care? Or do you think systems like the NHS in the UK are the way forward? In our meeting yesterday, Paul came up with the idea of looking at socialist vs capitalist health care systems, using the Michael Moore film "" as an example of exposing around the world. Would you like to discuss this today? Let us know.
HOW OFFENSIVE IS THE "N-WORD"?
We've done a few shows about the "N-Word", but it's back in the news again today - this time in North Texas after a student took offense to the during a class discussion about a classic American novel. Richland High School officials are issuing an apology to one of their students because he was disturbed by the use of the racial slur during a class discussion about Huckleberry Finn.
Should the school have apologised? How offensive is the "N-Word"?
SHOULD PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT OBESITY?
A kids' channel here in the UK is getting ready to broadcast a show that ". These are daily exercise sessions as part of a fun show on Nick Jr. It's got a serious message - recent British government figures suggest a quarter of children will be obese by 2050, and the key is getting younger kids active. But should children - aged two to five - really have to worry about obesity? And why not get them out in the fresh air, rather than in front of the TV?
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