• Pat12@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Could you expand on “get govt permission for everything”? I’m from Germany, and I honestly can’t remember when I last got “government permission”, if ever. Maybe my driver’s license?

    in the UK it seems there’s a regulation for everything and/or you need to get a license for everything, i’ve even seem memes like “oi bruv have you got a loicense for that”

    for example, tv license, getting a dog license, not selling ibuprofen in large quantities (regulation), not selling rubbing alcohol (regulation), the restriction on kitchen knives, butter knives being considered an “offensive weapon”

    https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1356162-count-dankulas-hate-speech-trial

    • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Hm, I guess I can see some of that?

      tv license

      That is indeed strange. Here it’s not a license, just a tax that’s not really a tax.

      getting a dog license

      Only in Northern Ireland.

      not selling ibuprofen in large quantities (regulation)

      That’s not a government license, it’s a prescription. Don’t most countries have something similar, where you can’t just buy any medicine you want?

      not selling rubbing alcohol (regulation)

      I can go on Amazon.co.uk right now and buy some. Could you link the regulation preventing sales?

      the restriction on kitchen knives

      You mean not being allowed to carry them around in public for no reason? Or not selling them to people under 18?

      butter knives being considered an “offensive weapon”

      Okay, but what does that have to do with getting government permission?

      Only one of those things is kind of a “government permission”. Everything else is not regulation for which you need government permission.

      • TheDarkKnight@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Think you need a dog license in Germany too iirc. To be fair, they have the best behaved dogs I’ve met while traveling as a result though.

        • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It depends on the state. There is no general “dog license”, but some states require you to take a test in order to own more dangerous breeds.