Fox hunting

Fox hunting is an activity were you track, chase and sometimes even kill a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other hunting hounds, and the hounds are led by a so called master of foxhounds, who follows the hounds on foot or by horse.

Fox hunting originally comes from the United Kingdom in the 16th century, but people do it all over the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, and the United States.

Fox hunting is a political issue because either it should be banned or it should not, is a matter of opinion. The Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, is like the majority of the people in Britain, against fox hunting. However a lot of members of the controversial party in Britain are in favor of keeping fox hunting.

People in favor of the hunt see it as an important part of culture, useful for conservation and pest control, but opponents argue that it is cruel and unnecessary.

The assignment

Discuss the topic "fox hunting" in class.

Form pairs and choose that you are either against fox hunting or in favor of fox hunting. Write a small letter in which you explain if you are in favor or against, and why, use arguments.

If you have finished you can send it to me in the box on the bottom of the page.

Help with the assignment

A newspaper article against the fox hunt:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/fox-hunting-is-a-barbaric-sport-2247161.html

A newspaper article in favor of the fox hunt:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/422486.stm

Some arguments you might use

In favor of the hunt:

Foxes are pests and hunting is a good way to control their numbers.

Against the hunt:

Wildlife areas are damaged by the hunt passing through them.

A traditional fox hunt.

Britain joining the Euro

The Euro is a single currency arrangement that came into theoretical operation between 11 members of the European Union in January 1999. On January 1st 2002, 12 EU members got rid of their own currencies and introduced the Euro as their sole currency. If Britain had joined the Euro.  The government had offered the British public a referendum on Britain's entry into it though some ministers have clouded the issue as to whether Britain's entry (or not) will be a political or an economic decision. Jack Straw, Home Secretary, has stated that a decision will almost certainly be a political one.

These are some of the arguments put forward for

Britain joining the Euro

• A single currency will be an important complement to the Single European Market, which would make the European Union a more powerful player in the global economy, and the UK might benefit from full-scale participation in this.

• A European currency will strengthen European identity. Federal Europe is not necessarily going to be a consequence of a shared single currency.

• The new Euro will be among the strongest currencies in the world, along with the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen. It will soon become the second most important reserve currency after the US Dollar. Britain stands to lose political as well as economic influence in shaping future European economic integration if it remains outside a new system.

These are some of the arguments put forward against

Britain joining the Euro

• Currency unions have collapsed in the past. There is no guarantee that EMU (European Monetary Union) will be a success. Indeed the Euro may be a recipe for economic stagnation and higher structural unemployment if the European Central Bank pursues a deflationary monetary policy for Europe at odds with the needs of the domestic UK economy.

•  There are obvious structural differences within the countries of Europe so, even if EMU begins in a state of convergence, economic shocks, such as crisis of supply of primary products, will lead to imbalances and there will be no mechanism to restore the balance.

• The UK is thought to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than other EU countries. Joining a currency union with no monetary flexibility requires the UK to have more flexibility in labour markets and in the housing market. The UK rented sector is too small to be a flexible substitute for owner-occupation. The UK has instituted within the Bank of England a very effective apparatus for managing interest rates. The EMU will remove this policy lever, along with removing the opportunity for exchange rate policy.

Here are some websites in which you can find useful information:

www.freebritain.co.uk/

www.labour.org.uk/policies/europe

www.conservatives.com/policy/where_we_stand/europe.aspx

Before you answer the questions we want you to give your own opinion about the Euro.

(Give an answer in about 10 sentences.)

Assignment

Make a graph in Microsoft office excel about what people in Britain are against (and how many?) in joining the Euro, and what people are in favor (and how many?) in joining the Euro.

Also anwer the following question: How European are the British? 

(EXTRA: if you can manage to interview a British person in Holland, you should ask him how he thinks about the Euro.)