OK, now I've read the piece, and clearly it wasn't what I'd guessed.
In the US we've also been burdened with all manner of restrictions,
most is panicked response tp 911. I know only a little about the
situation in the UK--really, only about the surveilance cameras. How
has this plethora of new laws affected daily life?
Mark
At 09:35 AM 2/28/2009, you wrote:
>You're right, Tim, the phrase "nanny state" is a lazy one, and I
>should have thought of another; "mendacious grasping surveillance
>state" is closer but useless as a term. My remark about "the dustbin
>of history" reflects my great anger with the country of my birth -
>and with the Labour party, considering its history. In fact, I think
>we are all fucked, wherever we live. It's all very sad, and I am a
>sad person, in every sense of the word.
>best
>Martin
>
>Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the
>comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's service when
>it is violating all His laws.
>John Adams to Thomas Jefferson.
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Allen" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask] use it at allAC.UK>
>Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:28 PM
>Subject: Re: pullman on liberty
>
>
>>Martin, I'm not sure what you mean by the 'dustbin of history',
>>even if it is in your mind. I think this needs a bit of explanation.
>>As for the 'nanny state', well, some of us are as weary of those
>>who use that phrase as we are of the New Labour crowd who choose
>>to nanny us in one particular way while doing the opposite of
>>nannying in another. The 'nanny state' is an old insult thrown at
>>Labour's once Welfare State by the Tories and the rich and the
>>reactionary. The New Labour governments of Blair and Brown have
>>made the angle of that insult meaningless as their nanny state is
>>mostly concerned with control, not fairness and equality. In other
>>words they have completely flipped the thing over.
>>
>>I've read Pulman's piece and I know exactly what he's talking
>>about. It's a powerful piece, and quite poetic too, but I doubt of
>>any of those bureaucratic types involved with government and
>>business will have the foggiest what he's talking about.
>>
>>Cheers
>>Tim A.
>>
>>On 27 Feb 2009, at 19:34, Martin Walker wrote:
>>
>>> From where I am, reading the news in various online
>>> publications every day - I remain English thoughr fo I have
>>> long consigned the UK to the dustbin of history in my mind -
>>> what he says is just. It's *that* bad.The nanny-state is the
>>> British way of describing it with humour - but preserve us from
>>> such a devouring nanny! I fear its encroachment as the EU
>>> commission becomes more demanding & controlling. In the end
>>> universal darkness will cover all, only the frozen wastes of
>>> Canada will remain for those who yearn for
>>>liberty to escape to - but how long before they too thaw & the
>>>surveillance rats move in?
>>>mj
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Douglas Barbour"
>>><[log in to unmask]
>>> >
>>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 7:29 PM
>>>Subject: Re: pullman on liberty
>>>
>>>
>>>>very interesting, sad, frightening. is it really that bad yet? or
>>>>just, so to speak, in the laws passed as prologue...?
>>>>
>>>>Doug
>>>>On 27-Feb-09, at 5:28 AM, Martin Walker wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>This was in the Times today - I would have expected it in the
>>>>>Guardian or Independent.
>>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5811412.ece
>>>>>
>>>>>M.J.Walker - no webpage, no blogspot, no idea
>>>>>
>>>>>Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond
>>>>>the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's
>>>>>service when it is violating all His laws.
>>>>>John Adams to Thomas Jefferson.
>>>>
>>>>Douglas Barbour
>>>>[log in to unmask]
>>>>
>>>>http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
>>>>
>>>>Latest books:
>>>>Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
>>>>http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
>>>>Wednesdays'
>>>>http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
>>>>
>>>>It's always night or we wouldn't need light.
>>>>
>>>>Thelonious Monk
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