The argument quoted below could have come from several right-wing and ex-leftie commentators and pundits (including the usual suspects Steve and Mel…):

"Libby Purves argues that the Muslim love of family and tradition is ‘not so very unlike what the despised Middle Britain wants’. In our degraded and crime-ridden society, it is indeed tempting to reach out and find common cause with conservative-minded people who have some sort of spiritual life and sense of orderly behaviour.

"However — and with the greatest respect to people of that religion — the large-scale presence of Islam in our cities is one of the factors that has eroded the Britishness of Britain.

"In a country becoming as Balkanised as ours, with television media and an education system continually promoting multiculturalism and unlimited liberalism, it is little wonder that the framework which once held us together has fallen apart. The choice between an Islamicised Britain and the yobbocracy we have today does not seem to offer a great deal of hope."

It’s actually a letter in the Times from Stuart Millson, an ex-BNP member who hosted a lunch for Jean Marie Le Pen and now supports BNP offshoot The Freedom Party.

I’m increasingly fucking terrified. Not of a few hopeless idiots blowing themselves up: they’re a minor irritation barely worth worrying about (unless it’s your job to arrest them, obviously). No, the scary thing is that people’s irrational fear of these hopeless idiots seems to be pushing them towards the genuinely dangerous lunatics on the extreme right…

This sounds rather fun – back to the days when airline hijacks were harmless high jinks carried out by glamorous socialists, rather than a precusor to mass murder carried out by bearded fundamentalist dickheads.

It’s disappointing to note that the Irish are rather better sports than we are about the whole thing. But gratifying to note how much the Irish decision is pissing off the right people…

This Sunday Times article is the worst piece of journalistic shilling-for-Tony (and of "why the bombings mean you have to support my politics") I’ve read since July 7.

The article nominally evaluates, but in practice argues for, all of the anti-terror measures proposed by authoritarians since the attacks. It achieves its aims mostly through the weaselly use of phrases like ‘experts believe’ (ie ‘we made up’), combined with occasional quotes from tame political hacks.

It also features some epically stupid assertions, such as "why have dangerous radicals been allowed to turn London into ‘Londonistan’?". Err, they haven’t. ‘Londonistan’ is a term made up by right-wing idiots, which means precisely nothing. None of the loons that we’ve allowed (as we should, as a civilised country) to preach nonsense have any involvement whatsoever with the July attacks.

(incidentally, I wonder whether – but strongly doubt that – there’s any truth to this story…)

For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to the latest news about Jean Charles de Menezes’ public execution, read this.

In short, it’s now unequivocally certain that he was wearing a denim jacket and that he used a travelcard rather than jumping the barrier. And it’s highly probable that the police didn’t identify themselves to him…

Unlike some commentators, I don’t see any reason to feel sad for the officers who shot Mr de Menezes. Yes, probably they believed that what they were doing was in the best interests of Society – but it patently wasn’t, and each new piece of evidence makes clear that this should have been obvious at the time.

Actions count, as well as – if not more than – intentions. I suspect the terrorists also believed that what they were doing was in the best interests of Society, and I’m not inclined to offer them any sympathy either.

The necessity of deep state involvement in education. Enjoy…

Brownie at Harry’s Place really is a nasty vindictive loon.

Article highlight: his boast that he’s never encountered a antiwar liberal argument that he hasn’t been able to destroy in ‘a thrice’. Second highlight: the story of the antiwar chap who has the misfortune to sit next to Brownie on the Tube, and leaves before his stop because (Brownie believes) his arguments have been destroyed. Not because, for example, there’s an authoritarian fanatic sitting next to him telling him that he’s evil.

The most telling bit, though, is this paragraph: "So when I hear people whose most important decisions each day are what to play on the iPod lecturing the country’s most senior policeman about the rules of engagement for suicide bombers, telling him how his men are ‘executioners’… I want to be sick, have a shower, scream… do anything in fact, but speak."

Yes. It would be outrageous if citizens were allowed to hold the police to account for their behaviour. Instead, we should ensure the police have total freedom of action unconstrained by liberal concepts such as "accountability" and "not killing innocent civilians". To do otherwise would be a revolting insult to these great men of the police, whose boots the rest of us are not worthy to lick.

"…the rights and privileges between those who served in the armed forces and those who haven’t, therefore called citizens and civilians…", and so on.

Update: Eric seems to have a similar perspective. They’re *our* fucking servants, for Christ’s sake! Unless someone is breaking the law, the police should not be telling them what to do…

David Duff was looking for book recommendations. Larry obliged. Hilarity ensued. Much hilarity.

And you managed not to shoot any of them dead, either. Wasn’t so hard, was it?

Memo to people who want uber-draconian new laws: see, we don’t need them. We’re perfectly fucking OK as we are… now go and read Stormfront or something.

In the unlikely event that you don’t have infinite respect for Paul McCartney (c’mon, while C’Moon was dreadful, as was every Wings song except Live and Let Die, Jet and Band On The Run, his Beatling output was amazing. Well, except for Yesterday, which is mawkish crap), this animation will remind you of what you’ve forgotten. Hilarity ensues.

Oversanctimonious twaddle removed. There’s someone I’d very like to slate here, but it’s not a good idea. Email me if you’re interested in hearing said slating.