Saturday, April 14, 2007

In the news from Britain,

found at the Englishman's domicile, we have three pieces tonight.

First, we have this on the loss of freedom of speech:
the government’s exclusion zone that has banned spontaneous protest for a radius of one kilometre outside the seat of our democracy, the Houses of Parliament.

Next, the reaction to the national ID card scheme isn't exactly warm and fuzzy:
The government is predicting that some 15m people will revolt against Tony Blair’s controversial ID card scheme by refusing to produce the new cards or provide personal data on demand.
"What the Home Office is accepting in private, but refuses to accept in public, is that a massive number of ordinary law-abiding citizens simply will not go along with their scheme.”


Let's see, protests- even by one or two people- banned unless you get prior approval... millions of people saying 'screw you', more or less politely, to being told the police will have even more power to say "Papers, please; or else"... What could be the capper to this stuff?

Why, give the bailiffs who write parking tickets the power to invade your home!
More than a million motorists a year face having bailiffs force their way into their homes to collect unpaid parking fines under legislation before MPs.

Action could be taken even when the motorist is unaware that a ticket has been issued or that the debt has been pursued through the civil courts.


Now, I'm tempted to say that, in a way, this last piece of socialist bullshitgovernmental overreach is the real demonstration of how little of the old expected freedoms are left. When the government is thinking of letting a frikkin' meter maid force their way into your house over parking tickets...

Their current authority? Currently, their powers are limited to seizing a car or confiscating goods from the debtor's home - having gained entry by consent.

Confiscating goods from the debtor's home... over a God-cursed PARKING TICKET.

But there are safeguards, of course: Alan Clark, a bailiff and a member of the British Parking Association, played down the threat to motorists.

"These powers would be used very rarely. We would not seek to use them unless it was necessary.


Oh, of course it would be rare, only to be used when 'necessary'. Because minions of the government would NEVER abuse their authority.

Now would they?

No comments: