I can’t be arsed getting angry. But whilst terrorism is boring, civil liberties aren’t. So I’m just going to link to a lot of people who have got angry today. I did stick these on the linklog, but there were far too many good posts today so I thought I’d make a proper post to list them in.
- Bloggerheads (UK) – They’ll never take our freedaaaarrrgh!
- Europhobia: Oh, come on…
- Holyrood Chronicles: He postponed his holidays because of the crisis in Lebanon…
- Kitty Killer: Now is the time for salt, and pinching — What the media reported in the past during similar “security” “scares”
- Cage of Monkeys Weblog | Archived Entry | BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID
- Coffee and PC: Abject terror — Is there ANYBODY who’s actually worried about terrorists rather than the government?
- Liberal England: John Reid: The cloven hoof pops out
So [according to John Reid] the problems we face are the existence of politicians who disagree with the government, an independent judiciary and a free press. In short, the central institutions of a liberal democracy…
This sounds so like a marxist patronising a liberal: Yes, elections and a free press and all that were imporant in their day, but time has moved on. It used to be poverty and the crisis of world capitalism that demanded we give up our freedoms. Today it is global terrorism.
Whatever the supposed enemy, the conclusion is the same: Socialists hate freedom.
- Not Little England: Threats, attacks, terror and freedom
And some related light relief.
- whoopdedoo.net: A lot of people are having very dull flights today
- Chase me ladies, I’m in the cavalry: BRITISH AIRWAYS ARE A LEGITIMATE TARGET
- Boing Boing: Liquids on a Plane – aviation rules and Samuel Jackson
Image via Fridgemagnet, which appears to be down… (Update: Don’t worry, it’s still on his LiveJournal.)
All-in-all then, it seems as though the goverment has cried “wolf” too many times now. Instead of being scared of terrorists, everybody’s just pissed off that they can’t take their laptop with them on a flight.
Update: Tim Ireland asks:
If there’s a real risk that multiple terrorists are carrying disguised explosives, why respond in a way that results in crowding, uncertainty and chaos at the target airport when one small explosion in such circumstances could (via placement and/or panic) cause loss of life that would be unacceptable (if not ‘unprecedented’)?
Will Howells on the current UK threat level Liberal England analyses the true meaning behind Dr John Reid’s words Previous thoughts on the use of fear as a political weapon Mayorwatch asks us all to remember the Rule of Law Doctorvee’s list of angry people
When ever politicians say that we need to modify our civil liberties in the “Short Term” I get very suspicious. Once they have been take away, we will probably have no right to challenge the government to get them back. Why is no one talking about modifying or at least rethinking our foreign policy and relationship with the Christian fashist George Bush?
I’m of the mindset that Adam Curtis said almost everything that needs to be said in his documentary (Power of Nightmares).
Why did I never watch The Power of Nightmares? Everybody goes on about it all the time, and I missed it!
[…] Unlike a lot of people (Doctor Vee has good links), however, my reaction hasn’t been one of immediate mistrust or anger at the government. I find that an unsustainable [sic] view: even though we have been misled in the past (the 40 minute claim, the Menezes shooting etc), we’re always going to be reliant on an institution to suport us in this kind of situation. If there’s a problem with the specific institution – MI5 etc – then those need reform. […]