I just finished reading Blair’s ideas on how to make the UK safer. I especially liked this part:

“The list of “unacceptable behaviours” published by the Home Office includes fomenting terrorism, advocating violence and expressing “extreme views that are in conflict with the UK’s culture of tolerance”. “

Culture of tolerence. How quaint.

While I understand that the obvious success of terrorist tactics in the UK warrents a thorough investigation, and careful consideration of existing intelligence and legal enforcement systems, I do not see this as an opportunity to rewrite broad-scope laws in haste. Forgive me, but isn’t this what “Old Europe” is all about? I fondly remember my German friends chuckling in the kitchen over the brash, young United States headlessly overturning it’s civil rights, and heading off to war in a sand-filled quagmire. I understood that Old Europe had a certain maturity of experience preventing it from doing anything so obviously stupid.

“Special anti-terror courts sitting in secret to determine how long suspects should be detained without charge are now under active consideration, it emerged yesterday………..detention before charge should be extended from the current 14 days up to three months. “

What was wrong with the old laws?? Weren’t thay created to handle all types of illegal acts? If they weren’t, why didn’t they prove ineffective long before now? Where’s the sense of history?

Why are legal changes being considered without a thorough investigation of intelligence first? It has recently come out that both France and Saudi Arabia knew of the planned attacks before they were committed. Was MI5 asleep? Or all busy shagging?

It seems that once again, a logical review and thorough investigation of the circumstances surounding a use of terrorist tactics is being passed over, in favour of a beauracratic interpritation of holding one’s head and screaming.

I can’t wait for Blair to tell me what to use duct tape for, in case of emergency.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1545404,00.html (Secret Courts)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1545168,00.html (France Knew)