سيطرة الدولة علي شئون مواطنيها

Welcome to BBC Xtra English.
Cath and Somaya are talking about the nanny state.

How much should the state regulate our lives?

Should governments take an active role in telling us what we should eat or drink, how safe our workplace should be, or what repairs we can do in our own home?

Many people in Britain complain that the government over-protects them.

Critics suggest that the state acts like a nanny with a child, telling its people how to run their everyday lives, which is where the term nanny state comes from.

Now a new law regulating the size of wine glasses to be used in bars and pubs, is being considered in the British parliament.

Some people say the nanny state has now gone too far. The latest law is designed as one way of restricting the amount of alcohol drunk in pubs.

There are other health and safety laws in Britain. They regulate where people can smoke, there is a requirement to use a seatbelt in a car, and there are regulations that state who can work on heating and electrical systems in people's homes.

There are two sides to the debate. Some people feel less free as a result of these laws, but others are glad they are in place, and they feel safer.

What is the situation where you live? Are there too many, or too few health and safety laws? Let us know what you think.

هل هنالك الكثير أم القليل من اللوائح و القوانين المعنية بالصحة و السلامة أينما تعيش؟

أنقر هنا للاستماع للكلمات

nanny state
عبارة تعني تحكم الدولة في شئون مواطنيها

regulate
تقنين - وضع قوانين و لوائح للتنظيم

an active role
دور نشط و فعّال

workplace
مكان العمل

over-protects
تقوم بالحماية بشكل زائد عن اللزوم

designed
مصمم

health and safety laws
قوانين الصحة و السلامة

seatbelt
حزام الأمان

هل هنالك الكثير أم القليل من اللوائح و القوانين المعنية بالصحة و السلامة أينما تعيش؟

Dr. M Taqi writes from Bahrain:

The honest state has the responsiblity to treat all its citizens equally. When some of its citizens exceed their rights to the limit, and deprive other citizens their rights, then the state should intervene and improve the regulations.

Mahmoud from Domyat in Egypt says:

I think that my state isn't a nanny state at all. My state doesn't regulate health and safety.

Zaher from Saudi Arabia tells us:

I think the state over-reacts in terms of protection because they think they can control all the population as they like.

Bana Haddad writing from Austria says:

I am happy when the state cares about its citizens. People feel safer, can live more comfortably and perform their work easier.

Amr Sadek Argon in Egypt writes:

I think that we must be more responsible, and publish health and safety laws.

Khaled in Yemen wrote to say:

All we want from our government is education and give us some freedom to talk about their mistakes.

Hamada from Gaza told us:

I think the nanny state is good.

شروط وبنود الاستخدام