Why Do We Honour Thugs?
The reaction on Facebook and other places to the death of Raoul Moat has been astonishing, almost to the point of being sick. David Cameron was absolutely right in Prime Minister’s Questions, yesterday. Facebook’s refusal to take pages down that make Moat a hero is typical of them, as they believe all publicity is good publicity. Moat has truly found his five minutes of fame, albeit posthumously.
From what I have read about Moat, he was the sort of man, that I would normally avoid like the plague. He had problems and had actually asked for help, but the system failed him and the people he shot, by not doing more to help him. This seems a familiar tale and could it not be said that the Cumbrian gunman, Derick Bird, had similar problems and no-one took action with disastrous consequences.
It would take a fortune to check up on everyone, who is a potential serial killer, but there are things we can do like better gun control and door-staff licencing, that might find these characters and try to sort them out in a positive way!
Killing the Hand That Supports and Feeds You
Yesterday was a grim day, with four British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, three by their supposed Afghan colleagues. And then we had more rioting in Northern Ireland last night, with shots fired at police.
In these times of severe austerity, we should make sure that the monetary and people costs we spend on these trouble spots are well-spent. If we are not wanted in these places, then the troops, police and monetary support should be withdrawn. At least in Northern Ireland, the politicians seem to be condemning the violence. This is from the BBC’s report.
First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy, Martin McGuinness, said there had been “outright thuggery and vandalism”.
Mr Robinson added: “There is no excuse and no place for violence in civilised society. Both the deputy first minister and I have been, and will continue, to work for a resolution of the difficulties around parading.”
BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson said the violence had brought politicians together, “but the problem was the rioters don’t seem to be listening”.
He said so far police had been unable to stop the violence, but “they had been successful in containing it”.
The problem would seem to be the Orange parades, which give some the excuse for a bit of violence. I can remember these parades in Liverpool, when I was a student. We just used to go out and laugh at them, as to someone brought up in an area, where religious tensions were almost non-existent, they were an alien concept. Incidentally parades still go on in Liverpool, as this report from the BBC shows. But they are very different to those in Northern Ireland. I haven’t heard of any reports of violence for a start.
A Place To Save Our Money
Yet again, we have scenes of violence and bigotry from Northern Ireland as the Protestants march.
Why? Especially, do we have to subsidise the province and its outdated antics in a time of austerity? We will have to face cuts in the police in the rest of the UK. Does that mean we’re paying for the protection of those bigots? They should grow up!
An Interesting Legal Blog
I was married to C for narly forty years and you can’t live with a barrister for that long, without getting interested in how the law works.
C did one of her pupilages in a top libel Chambers and had definite views on that subject. For instance, she believed strongly, that you never got involved in a libel case either as plaintiff or defendant. I never have and probably never will, especially if the libel laws in the UK are reformed so that the courts in the UK can’t be used to suppress such things as scientifically correct views, that go against the commercial interests of others! Let’s hope that what is said in this report actually becomes law.
I was led by an e-mail to this blog, which is one of the more interesting legal blogs I have read. It has already had an effect on my views. Read it, enjoy it and be cynical!
Fraud Is Enormous
According to this report on the BBC, there were 15,000 cases of reported fraud in the first half of 2010.
The body estimated consumers lose at least £35bn through fraud each year – but the actual number might be higher as people fail to report being a victim.
This is a disaster and what are we doing about it?
Nothing mainly, as many still believe that these frausters and their offers are real, when they are just too good to be true!
What Do We Do With the Raoul Moats of this World?
Some who knew Raoul Moat say he was an odious violent man, but others point to a softer and much more agreeable side to his character. But unfortunately, the bad side of his character won the battle and ultimately caused his destruction.
But how do we prevent people from becoming the next Raoul Moat?
Surely, if we could stop just a couple it would be worthwhile.
Whilst, browsing The Times web site, I found this article from Alice Thomson. I agree with virtually everything she says, but how much of it would ever get implemented?
Very little, I suspect.
Pfizer Strikes Back
Vast amounts of spam are advertising one of Pfizer’s products; Viagra. On a spam list, I’ belong to, there has been a lot of discussion, about how the company has gone for a guy in the UK, who has been faking Viagra and selling it on the web. Here is a report from the Sydney Morning Herald.
I applaud Pfizer for what they are doing here, although others think that the company is acting outside of the law. But in the UK, if you do go outside the law, you’ll receive the proverbial ton of bricks.
Has Iran Backed Down?
There are reports in The Times and on the BBC, that Iran may have backed down over the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.
But if you read the reports, Iran would not deny they have substituted hanging, which in Iran is often from a crane in a public square. How barbaric is that?
I have just read the BBC report and find that her husband was murdered. What was she doing in court anyway? Or is that how Iran treats its victims and widows?
Why have we not sent the Iranian ambassador home?
Digital Radio
I generally listen to the radio through SKY or Freeview, except when I’m in the car. The government wants to switch off the AM and FM signals, but they don’t seem to be getting far according to this BBC report. People just won’t switch.
I tried an add-on digital radio for my 5-year-old Jaguar, but I couldn’t get it to work. As the radio for that car is fully integrated with Bluetooth and my phone, I doubt a proper replacement will be available, especially as the car is being discontinued. An add-on for the Lotus Elan is probably easier, as that car has a replacement modern Sony radio with a USB connection.
So what would owners of cars like my Jaguar do to get radios, if the AM and FM signals were discontinued. Probably moan a lot and not vote for the government next time. You wouldn’t spend several thousand to change your car, just to get the added safety of a radio on the move!
AM and FM may not be as good as digital, but this does seem to be rather a bodged and badly-thought out change.
By the way, when I’m in the near-continent, I get the BBC on AM. Are the BBC doing to abandon, the many people who listen to Radio 4 on LW? It looks like they are!
Five Years On
It is now five years since the London Bombings of the seventh of July in 2005.
On that day, when it became obvious what had happened, I wrote the following :-
Tuesday, I went to the funeral of a friend. Alex died young at 48. Life is cruel. But even the funeral was not a sad affair! Alex wouldn’t have wanted it so and stated it probably many times before she died!
Wednesday, I was in Trafalgar Square, when my fair and beloved city, London, was announced as the winner of the 2012 Olympic Games. Life can be so sweet.
But then we have the bombings of today!
Thousands of times, I’ve travelled through the tunnels under London. Many times, I’ve done the stretch between Kings Cross and Russell Square, where most of the casualties occurred. Occasionally, I’ve used the two parts of the Circle Line, where the other two bombs went off.
Am I bitter? Angry? Sad? Vindictive?
Not sure!
Sad yes! As why would anybody want to do such a thing! How would I feel if one of my sons did that? I would know I had failed. How would I feel if one of my sons had got caught in the blasts. I don’t know! But thankfully they didn’t.
So it has to be sadness at the moment. Vindictiveness only follows the old eye for an eye maxim, which means that we all go blind!
But perhaps, the greatest thing we can do is just carry on, remembering those that died and vowing to be more vigilant so that it won’t happen again.
Fay would have done that. She worked for my father and during the Second World War, the shy girl from North London, worked as a conductor on the buses. One day, the bus she should have been on, was hit directly by a German bomb. Everybody died! She just remembered the tragedy, I suspect she cried long and hard, and then she carried on.
A few crackpots, who take the good name of Islam in vain, should never be able to bring London to its knees, when the evil Hitler and the Luftwaffe failed.
A last point for Bush and all those who think that the death penalty is a deterrent in these sort of cases. I’ll ignore the fact that the London atrocities may well have been suicide bombers, which are usually pretty difficult to execute. But as I am someone who has no belief in any religious being at all, I do believe that we should do all we can to preserve reasonable life here, as there is nothing more to come. So if we ever execute anybody, then we are losing our own humanity and descending below their level.
Carry on London.
Since then London has picked itself up, dusted itself down and started all over again. But it always does and looks forward rather than backward.
I might be in a worse state having lost my wife and son to serious cancer and suffered a couple of strokes.
But I must carry on.
The Anonymous Widower 