In a column in the Guardian, British Prime Minister Tony Blair attempts to defend his increasingly draconian anti-terrorist policies on the basis that
Organisations that support terrorism take enormous care to avoid infringing the strict letter of the law.
Those dastardly terrorists. Not doing anything illegal. Whatever vile tactic will they think of next?
hahaha, that was very good I/S "dastardly terrorists" !
ReplyDeleteThe article is very scary. Basically what Blair is saying is that the whole concept of a "nation ruled by laws", which goes right back to Magna Carta, is no longer applicable in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteWhat he is setting up, and he's quite overt about it, is a society where the government can decide, after the fact, that a form of behaviour is unacceptable and subject to extra-legal sanction. Today, it could be be hanging out on a street corner or preaching jihad in a mosque - tomorrow, it could be going on strike or refusing to take part in "voluntary" service..
You might notice at the end of the article that he calls for the Tories join in his "vision" - so that not only would Brits be subject to arbitrary rule, they would have no effective way to vote against it.
Glad I don't live there any more - I hope this doesn't catch on in NZ.
(It already has in Aus - John Howards concept that everyone must "behave like Australians" is another side of the same idea).