Astute readers may have noticed that, for a nominally political blog, SBBS has taken little interest in the forthcoming election – beyond occasionally exposing and/or mocking politicians’ more egregious lies and nonsenses.
This is predominantly because, for a nominally political writer, I have remarkably little interest in the forthcoming election. The only way I’ve been able to take even the vaguest interest in the forthcoming election is by placing hefty spread bets on the results and turnout.
I do, however, care quite a lot about the moral bankruptcy of the bastards currently in government – specifically, their plans for a Soviet-style criminal justice system. The latest iteration of the latter is the suggestion that victims of crime should be involved in the legal process – not just as witnesses, but actually influencing the court’s view of how the defendant should be sentenced.
This suggests NuLab doesn’t even understand what a legal system *is*, never mind what its aims are. It lines the government up with idiots like Norman Brennan, who think that soothing the feelings of crime victims (aw! poor victim! you had your telly stolen!) is a sensible use of the power of the state. It isn’t. It’s yet more populist, scaremongering nonsense from the masters of populist scaremongering nonsense.
Alternative Labour manifesto: "We’re only abolishing your freedom to protect you from Very Bad People, and the fact that they don’t exist is neither here nor there. You’re stupid enough to believe that they do, you’ll vote for us because you’re scared of what will happen if you vote for someone else, and that’s good enough for us."
So that’s why I’m not very enthusiastic about this election. The only sane party isn’t going to win (although obviously you should still vote for them); the party that’s almost certain to win is run by an appalling bunch of chancers who don’t believe in the law; and the other lot are almost as halfwitted on criminal justice and civil liberties, while additionally hating the poor and the blacks.
while additionally hating the poor and the blacks.
Not really – it’s just that they are less likely to vote than other sections of the electorate, and even if they do vote, it will likely be for Labour, so why knock your vote by appealing to them?
Labour and the Lib Dems are, of course, equally cynical about sections of the electorate who won’t ever vote for them.
The Lib Dems are pro-involving victims of crime in sentencing, for "low level crime".
The Libs’ manifesto commitment is to let local communities determine the kind of community punishment that low-level crims receive, which doesn’t bother me overmuch. They haven’t made any manifesto commitment to involve victims in the legal proces – although I’d be interested in a cite if they’ve said in a media interview that they’ll do this.
"It lines the government up with idiots like Norman Brennan, who think that soothing the feelings of crime victims (aw! poor victim! you had your telly stolen!) is a sensible use of the power of the state."
Brennan’s organisation, the Victims of Crime Trust is a charity which helps people bereaved by murder, no others.
Get your facts right.
Brennan’s organisation, the Victims of Crime Trust is a charity which helps people bereaved by murder, no others.
And manslaughter, if we’re being picky. But you’re basically right.
Brennan’s organisation, the Victims of Crime Trust is a charity which helps people bereaved by murder, no others. Get your facts right.
Well, it mostly helps Norman Brennan’s colossal ego and lazy journalists. And Brennan is willing to mouth off about any crime-related issue (cf his Jonathan King comments), not just murder and manslaughter.
As a copper and someone who spents alot of time dealing with bereaved relatives I’d say he’s rather well qualified to mouth off about crime related issues, as opposed to just mouthing off.
I don’t ask cloakroom attendants how to wipe my arse. I don’t see why we should be so bothered about what the police think about crime.
I think Meaders’ post has stolen the "Trivialisation of the Day" crown from O’Toole. Not, I may say, that I disagree with it’s primary content (Norman Brennan can indeed fuck off), but I wouldn’t have expressed it quite like that…
Meaders
You’re right. Instead you call the council and get advice from your Arse Wiping Local Outright Worker.
You know what I mean.
Norman Brennan is trivial man and deserves nothing more than comments appropriate to his status.
Norman Brennan is a pillock & a media-junkie. WTf do cops like him care when we are burgled? Or suffer car theft? Less then 50% murders are solved. Hill v. Chief Constable of W. Yorks (!988) in HoL proved how little they did to hunt Yorks Ripper. The Bichard Report showed how the cops ignored Huntley molesting kids (when 2 kids are murdered Brighton 1986, Police botch it up on their own admission, so the killer nearly struck again!!!) Whatabout crime committed By the Police?? Not just taking our taxes for bugger-all, but intimidating us, inflictiong murder on striking miners & blacks.