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  • I love the reoccurring "Pardon the pun. " "What pun?" "Oh, wasnt there one?". Its perfect.

  • Fuckin hell! Steven Fry looks like Alec Peters from The Bill.

  • Well, now I need a tea

  • This is essentially what Ron Paul wants.

  • I forget how political British comedy was during the Thatcher years. Just watched some re-runs of NTNOCN, and they were beastly to the Tories. Hilarious. At least we have a healthy tradition of political satire in this country. It won't save the NHS from the Old Etonian crew, but it's something I suppose.

  • Ron Paul's vision of a perfect world.

  • please, can somebody give me a link, where Fry talks about TV influence upon youth, about fake standards, that TV gives us, and so on... video looks like commercial, but it's not. Video begins with Fry narrating as homeless at the backstreet, as far as I remember. may be it's not him, but.... HELP, neeeeed this video!))

  • "Has everyone suddenly turned American?" Not then, but you have now.

  • A lesson for people who resent paying tax!

  • I'd rather have officers in shiny pants show me brochures than have them commit injustices against me with no accountability.

  • He shouldve said his address is "22 *tap dance* *punch* King's Lane"

  • I'm generally a market libertarian, but there's 4 things the free market empirically fails at delivering as per our definition of a just state: health care, education, defense and law. This is because the free-market is the most *efficient*, but in those four cases, you want universal coverage without monetary bias.

  • 0.0

    My face when Fry stepped out from behind the desk and I saw the pants.

  • SOOOOOO beautiful Fry

  • How the fuck do I get rid of Justin Bieber's bitch ass face in that fucking banner ad at the bottom?

  • @JKwingfan what banner ad?

  • I want those trousers!

  • it's funny because it's true; for anyone who doesn't know already know the police force is a private corporation.

  • I don't even find this funny, I'm just terrified.

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  • Fill out a form... I never really thought about how weird that phrase really is. Fill IN a form makes much more sense! We Americans really are silly.

  • so that's where Matt Lucas and David Walliams got their idea for Moses: if you'll pardon the pun!

  • Has everyone suddenly turned American?

  • Is that the same table/office from the "I wish to report a burglary" sketch [Python]?

  • Fry looks sooooooooo cute in this sketch

  • @mrahmed50 That face + those pants = :D

  • fave sketch of stephen he looks beautiful beyond belief. <3

  • And now it's happening for real. Great.

  • Shows the Insanity of Privatization (corporatization / fascism) Tragically most Americans are clueless to the disasterous results of privatization, just look at the economic disaster, ecological deterioration, social degradation, rampant bribery & corruption of the Supreme Courts, & lack of faith in America's government, you'd have to be a mindless moron to believe things are OK, 373 Military bases world wide, $26 billion in foreign aid + $855 billion for military for FY2010.

  • @shroomduke Seems to me that most of the problems you mention all come from the government itself. (And good privatization is actually the opposite of corporatization.)

  • @shroomduke You forgot about the extinction of the dinosaurs, and of course the Mongol invasion of Europe! How can these insufferable retards not see the truth when it's right in-front of their eyes, that all the worlds problems can be linked to people who have more money then you!?

  • @spartanwarmaster There's no evidence that privatization is always beneficial, and much evidence and logic behind it being less efficient in certain types of industries (ones with very inelastic demand, dealing with public goods, etc). The idea that the free market is always more effective is a myth that popped up during the Cold War, and most people have no reason to believe it other than "I DON'T LIKE GOING TO THE DMV."

  • @BenkaiDebussy It's very interesting how you worded that. You seem to be arguing against points I'm not making.

    "There's no evidence that privatization is always beneficial" for example, as if I had said somewhere is my (admittedly annoying) sarcasm that privatization is always beneficial. I'm not sure how someone can read that out of what I typed, so giving you the benefit of that doubt that you're not a complete fucking idiot, I'd say you're using argument fallacies.

    Try again to see my point.

  • FANTASTIC TROUSERS !!!!

  • Police without tea? madness

  • @StephenFiorentini SPARTA!!!!!!

  • @StephenFiorentini I know; definitely the scariest part of the sketch! NO tea!? - Our national institution is crumbling, I tell you, crumbling!

  • THIS VIDEO WAS SPOILT BY UNNESSECARY ADVERTISEMENT. IS THERE ANYWHERE ON THIS EARTH WHERE WE AREN'T BEING FORCED TO SWALLOW ADVERTS WITH THE PALATABILITY OF A RAZORBLADE COCKTAIL.

  • whilst the commercials are horrible. We must be happy, as its those commercials that keep YouTube up and running.

    Without them, YouTube wouldn't be here. Or it would be a pay-per-month system!

  • Gosh these two are SO hillarious. Both brilliant. We were so lucky to get Hugh Lauri here to do HOUSE. I wonder if he misses his friend Stephen Fry?

  • @LosAHills they still see eachother, they are best freinds from university

  • Fuck off brother adverts!!! Fuck the fuck off! I have to put up with inane promotions when I'm watching TV - let YouTube be a haven from such commerical crap. I can't even fast forward it. ARGH!!

  • 'you havent changed that much' lol :)

  • lovely one :)

  • You laugh, but i bet this works a lot better.. ideally the criminal pays for it.

  • "by a reputable merchant bank... well, by a merchant bank anyway." ;)))

  • Those pants. I cannot deal with those pants.

  • Dude I know what you mean when I said to a friend of mine who happened to be a conservative about welfare problems his responce was this is why it needs to be privitised what an idiot well.

  • The Republican dream for America.

  • @AxelQC If it were less Gay and more southern. :)

  • 18 people didn't make a pun

  • Just like the behaviour of police today XD They looked like I'd gone mad when I asked to report theft x

  • Has everyone turned american? well he has for a start

  • Yeaaaaaahhh Fry I'm gonna need those pants........and you in them...now.

  • Reminds me of America today..

  • I think it's a great system! The American taxpayer people should have the FREEDOM to choose if they want to be protected from criminals! Right now we are FORCED by BIG GOVERNMENT to pay the police with out taxpayer dollars and put up with their so-called "laws"! That's SLAVERY!

    Besides, I don't need a big nanny government to look after me because I've got a BIG GUN! Why do I have to pay with my taxpayer dollars to protect the unarmed WEAK?That isn't what the FOUNDING FATHERS intended!

    Go USA!

  • @Mbalakala You cannot be serious.

  • @lstorrey My sarcasm detector was going crazy.

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  • @Mbalakala Three options here:

    - troll

    - satire

    - retardation

  • @RuaisuKitteh you forgot COMMON SENSE!

    (nah I'm just kidding :)

  • Just as ridiculous as the american private medical insurance

  • Very smart look at the world right-wing conservatives would like us all to live in.

  • The pants make this sketch.

  • The crazy thing is, if the Police Force was privatized then this is what is will be like...

    Not so much Satire as a peek into the inevitable...

  • I love Stephen's glasses and trousers in this :D

    And 1:54 - nice bum :P

  • @MegaPepper123 You might recognize rights of citizens as John Locke presented them, but that doesn't make other people recognize them, nor does it make them right. I think good government protects people's live, liberty and property, but a BETTER society secures also things such as equality and fairness.

    And again,the third time i say you have a controversy having a government but no way to fund it. Unless you suggest bribes, donations or shares, which would IMO make a "tyrannical government"

  • @MegaPepper123 What's your point? There should be a government to protect us (i agree, in many ways other than just property and money), but the government cannot be funded because "taxation is theft" (which i do not agree because majority of us accept taxation as we elect representatives that support taxation).

    And yes i think cannabis e.g. should be illegal but i again with your logic it's just as wrong to tax people as well as to forbid people of killing each other. Both restrict our rights.

  • Very funny, yet eiree at the same time. It's like looking through the looking glass at what our sociaties could and have become.

  • @MegaPepper123 With that logic, all laws are negations of individual rights too.

    No one has ever asked me, for example if i want kannabis smoking or riding a bicycle without a light to be illegal or not.

    Welcome to democracy! Most of us people do gladly pay taxes and vote for people that enforce the usage of taxation in the society.

    If you really want to rid the society of basic safety nets just because it infringes your individual freedom, i think you have a lot to learn about life.

  • LOL this is like corruption only with a tad bit of style

  • "Fill out a form? Fill OUT a form? You mean fill IN a form!.. Has everyone suddenly turned American?"

    Ironic Hugh... ironic =) it's just you.

    excuse the pun <_<;;

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  • Vince Noir (Mighty Boosh) would steal those pants right off of Fry!

  • he has a vincent cassel look =D

  • Oh oh pardon me, sirs, but what can I do about stopping-unexpectedly-in-the-m­iddle YouTube's videos? it's a complete insanity don't be allowed to watch the complete recording for some net issues, over all if that's the cause why I'm not still pissing me off this moment!

  • I have always loved Stephen Fry but never envied him until I read in his blog about the Hated-by-the-Mail achievement. I wish I possessed a flair for being loathed by such as the Sun, Fox NEWS and the USA Republican party de-facto Godfather, Rupert Murdoch.

    Alas, I owe Stephen Fry, Hue Laurie & BBC, an apology for an unauthorized liberty I have taken by using clips from their Private Police sketch, in a homemade video: Obama Fights Evil.

    

  • Hum, well if the current government keeps going the way it is then this sketch will only be a decade or so ahead of its time.

  • i've been thinking of installing a detention knob on my restraining bar myself.

  • Why does Stephen always hits Hugh in the end?

  • @xrictina56 because Hugh is a genius actor at being hit and Stephen is a genius at hitting him.

  • Dude thats House!! thats fucking awsome!!

  • @biggreenex Hugh Laurie... .. thats Hugh Laurie

  • Fry excels as always  :)

  • Anarcho-Capitalism 

  • is there any clip where Hugh ISN'T kicked or punched? ^^

  • "BritLaw PLC" every time makes me smile

  • Am I the only one who thinks that after Stephen fry kness Hugh in ' his private area'

    That they both almost break character as if they really enjoyed doing it.

  • And now we have Cameron in charge. Doesn't seem so far off now.

  • I want people to see this though I find its prospectus of how a privatised law enforcement organisation would work terribly mendacious and Statolatrist.

  • Wish it was with spanish subtitles ._.

  • Privatise (sp) everything. Get rid of the state. With competition, the consumer wins.

  • @TombaFanatic

    Is 'consumer' a new synonym for 'shareholder"? Or are you just a twat(sp)?

  • @TombaFanatic Are you having a laugh??? So what just let one half of society burn to the ground because they couldn't afford police insurance? Come on no society not even America where mostly anything national is seen as a evil and radical communist Idea would give up free police force.

    Anyway what you would end up getting is Mafia mobs going about. Not a good idea!

    btw what does sp mean? Is it like share price?

  • @NAEIRNBRUFORU actually, i'm not having a laugh. Inner city society burns with police monopoly today. It wouldn't be much different if the police who don't do their job disappear.

    I'm not sure where this "half" comes from, most people work out fine without guns threatening them to do the right thing. The best crime deterent is peer pressure and an armed populace.

    As for Mafia mobs, the state is the biggest one of all, even if they don't want to admit it.

  • @TombaFanatic "most people work out fine without guns threatening them to do the right thing." and how many people do you need not to do the right thing for the whole system to collapse? The analogy of the state to a mafia mob isn't so bad, so we have one massive mafia mob maintaining law and order, it's better than hundreds of warring mafia's creating chaos.

  • @minimacca999

    Examples of polycentric law (the several "mafias" in one region) have historically been more peaceful and respectful towards law than monopolistic law. However, these societies were also before the time of guns and urbanization, so it's possible that's the reason why. I will admit that in cities, a monopolistic police force might be more efficient to everyone. Or it might not, I don't know, it hasn't happened to my knowledge.

  • @minimacca999

    Also, it's important to note that the chaos you describe is what happens when the "mafia's" fighting each other want monopolistic control. I will readily admit that a monopoly the people believe in is much better than 3 groups with guns that each want to be a monopoly.

    Look at Somalia's warlord system. While it does leave room for a lot of violence, most of the violence is being caused by the UN and Islamic Fundamentalists, who both want monopolies on the use of force.

  • @minimacca999 I think it is possible the US is close enough in culture to weak government that in a few generations we could support peaceful anti-statism (provided we reverse the way our culture is going now) with "private" police forces.

    It's likely not going to happen though (especially in our life-times), so you have nothing to worry about with my opinions on whether or not I think a private police force is a good thing.

  • @TombaFanatic Okay so what happens then to the people who can't afford private police?

  • @minimacca999

    I think we have differing opinions on the word "private." To me, that word simply means it is not run by the government.

    A militia, or highly-armed "neighborhood watch" would probably cover low-income regions and would probably do a better job at enforcing what behavior is or is not acceptable for those people.

    A police company might be more reliable and humane (or not), but I doubt the poor would just go "ope, we can't afford it, guess the criminals can do whatever they want"

  • @TombaFanatic I can't see it working, so the neighbourhood watch would be made up of the people who couldn't afford to pay for it. So then as well as trying to make enough money to survive these people also have to take part in essentially amateur policing. Civilisation is good because it allows people to specialise, you get people devoting there lives to one thing so they become good at it, they don't have to be farmers, law enforcers and everything else. It would be a step back for society.

  • @minimacca999

    You ever seen videos of thieves getting caught in low-income areas? One of the few instances where the criminal is glad to see a cop. I'm not saying it's the best system for "fairness" but it's efficient for the amount of money put into it (none).

    Is it really that different from what we have now, where the people are expected to take time out of their day to report a criminal to authorities? Hell, that probably takes more time out of their work than just dealing with the problem.

  • @minimacca999

    That, and one big issue with low income regions is the monopoly. The police don't exactly have any incentive to act on small issues due to big problems. They don't have to worry about losing funding, and they have all the power so they don't have to worry about if what they're punishing people for is socially acceptable in that area (drugs for instance).

    Modern policing that i've seen is better than angry mobs. But an angry mob is better than corrupt or (seemingly) uncaring police

  • @NAEIRNBRUFORU

    Furthermore, I don't want everything to be privatised instantly, that would lead to chaos and just make life worse.

    Also, the company in this video is horrible, I don't recommend business with them. On the plus side however, I'm sure there is a better police company and if this one continues its poor service it would lose quite a bit of money.

  • @TombaFanatic

    Yes, that would be true if all the assumptions of perfect competition hold: Perfect information, no barriers to entry or exit, constant returns to scale, homogenous goods, infinite buyers and sellers, and all the other theoretical nonsense that makes for nice clean math proofs but rarely ever holds in the real world.

    In a world of no-bid gov't contracts, monopolies, monopsonies, imperfect competition, increasing returns to scale, etc. citizens may have no other choice here.

  • @nylund154 Perfect competition...huh

    You will never get a society where suppliers of goods are: completely honest, happy to allow competition, constantly provide satisfactory service, constantly provide the same service as competing suppliers, have an infinite amount of consumers, and whatever else you wish to add.

    Yet, even without all these things, markets constantly provide the services they are allowed to run better than the state AND using them is voluntary instead of forced upon you.

  • Nice pants!!!!! I absolutelly adore Fry and Laurie :)

  • Stephen's glasses = LOL.

  • at first i thought it was derrick nippl-e again

  • An old sketch that strangely depicts how the UK has become,the gov has privatised everything that was once public,even parts of the police and the NHS without even consulting the taxpayer.

  • Public services are great if the shortcomings in the system (that WILL emerge in time) are akcnowledged and sorted out

    trouble is no one seems to do that with any public service

  • ...Pardon the pun.

    What pun?

    wasn't there one? Oh, Im sorry

    Those exact lines occur in other sketches from Fry and Laurie :D

    equally funny each time

  • John Lennon?

  • my theory:

    Yes the state owning every single service to the peoplewould be going too far

    but having all services including the ones that some people REALLY NEED (like healthcare and public safety) being consumerist and subject to who has the most money is also going too far

    America may be free and have equal opportunities for all (apparently) but their government is so concerned with freedom of businesses that they don't take care of their citizens

  • This is my favourite sketch I think

  • i wasnt alive when this was made but i love it any way

    its funny foreva

  • Someone help me. I just came onto youtube following a facebook link and now I'm trapped in the unceasing awesome of "related videos"....

  • I remember this from the early 90's. Suddenly it seems all too real.

  • This absurd nonsense is exactly what all the stupid fucking republicans think is the "right way" for absolutely everything. This is what our health care system looks like to everyone else in the world, and is exactly the kind of thing I say to my insane family members who think privatizing everything is the only way to make things better. How is it that companies have convinced middle class America to vote for it's own destruction? Now that corporations can buy politicians, its only worse.

  • @TheRoomy Or maybe you're completely backwards and wrong. One of those two.

  • Funny but Scary. Just love it when he kicks him in the Nuts and says "You haven't changed that much then?" LOL

  • Fill Out a Form? Dont you mean Fill In a Form? Has everyone turned american??

    hahahhahahhahah

  • lol at how this has 25 likes XD

  • really? wow! i feel loved now! and its all thanks to Hugh and Laurie.

  • O.o Those trousers came as a shock.

  • somehow this makes me think of the american healthcare system (the soon-to-be-ex one)

  • either way we are screwed. public or private. we need it changed a little bit, by getting rid of the ridiculously high malpractice suits so doctors dont have to charge $20 000 for a simple operation

  • Yea ok, that's nice if little waiting is too much to handle compared to equal healthcare system.

    I'm from Finland, and yes we have long lines especially in dental care, but that has just been played wrong. It seems no one really has respect for public services anymore and let them down, and then complain how bad the system is. You yanks are so full of your freedom fantasy that you see every act of solidarity as terrible god forsaken communism. Keep your shit.

  • It is not solidarity when it is imposed by force idiot.

  • @QDIGS04 Moi mäkin oon suomesta=)Mut miten se sitten pitäis tehä, kun siis jos amerikan capitalismi ei sitten toimi, mut ei kyl ihan suomen systeemikään, kun jonot on niin pitkät, eikä kaikille oikeesti anneta tai rahat riitä antaa sitä hoitoa.

  • @Lilliz91 if this is in english

    most people will speak english

    so write in ENGLISH

  • @THEdancefreaks999 Don't be so fucking arrogant. YouTube is a site on the WORLD wide web, the emphasis being, if you hadn't noticed, on the 'world' part.

  • @THEdancefreaks999 Lilliz91 wrote "@QDIGS04"

    Why the fuck do you think, Lilliz91 gives a shit about what you want and what not ???

    Pls keep your small minded ideas for yourself, ok ???

    Thx in advance

  • @QDIGS04 Indeed. There is nothing that is communist about a state that provides for its people.

    Communism is about relinquishing all private property to the hands of the state. There is a difference between a state that tyranically wields every aspect of people's lives and a state that provides free healthcare and education.

    Also, there is a huge difference between the freedom of the market and the freedom of the individual. Both can exist at the same time or separate from each other.

  • @rigstula i agree

    having public healthcare doesn't make Britain Communist

  • @QDIGS04 public services are great, if you can afford them...

  • @QDIGS04 Public services are great, if you can afford them...

  • @QDIGS04 Bravo. There are certain human rights agreed upon by most people on Earth. Yet Corporate greed has brainwashed many dumb & dumbers in the USA, to call people with a brain and heart Socialist, greeny etc. Its organized crime of the worst sort running amok. Rupert Murdoch. I made few videos about the Republican party gangsters. Obama fight evil. on YouTube

  • @QDIGS04 I have as much respect for public services as it has towards me: none.

  • @QDIGS04 Some of us ARE English you know!

  • @freddiedug Yeah, refusing to put people on your waiting list in the first place is a very effective way of keeping them short. Well done America.

  • "Pre-existing Condition" is one of the most terrifying phrases to hear in the US. I'm a cancer survivor, so nobody wants to cover me unless they have to. Luckily I'm on a group plan, but if I lose that I'm screwed.

  • "Fill out" a form? You mean "fill in" a form. Has everyone suddenly turned american? LOL

  • judging by the way this country is going it wouldn't suprise me if this actually happens. xx

    i love these two, they are amazing!!

  • 1:54-1:57 beautiful ass, Mr. Fry.

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  • LOL! Sadly, I could see America doing this. They already privatized a prison...

  • I am now determined to get a pair of pants like Stephen Fry's in this video :D Soo shiny!

  • lol they did that pun part in the trick or treat one ^-^

  • LOL

  • i actually wish some police stations were like this! ha ha

  • It was all supervised by a reputable merchant bank...well...by a merchant bank anyway...

    hahahahahah!!!

  • I spat beer all over my monitor when I saw those trousers.

  • Laurie's quote "Has everyone turned American!"

  • Quite ironic isn't it, considering his latest part in an American TV series.

  • yeah, life's a bitch

  • no.

  • @atarau No, that's not what ironic means...

  • Those trousers...I want them

  • Privatization of the police force!! 

    Not that far away

  • Community Policing gone awry!

  • "well you havent changed that, much then"

    haha, funny stuff. i love it

  • Dear god, that was camp! XD Brilliant sketch!

  • So this is what Britain would be like if it was taken over by China

  • @Dzillaa What? Aren't the Chinese communists? Why would they privatize anything?

  • This shit is happening in Harding Montana right now.

    Can't wait for the beatings to get rationalized. DURR HURR GUBMINT BAD FREE MARKET ALWAYS WORKS

  • ziderazzi, Hugh Laurie was born in England, and moved to America about 10 years ago. He just has a very convincing American accent.