I really wonder how future American generations will view their gun laws, I’m convinced future schoolchildren will be utterly baffled to learn that a system that led to massacre on such a scale was allowed to continue for so long.
Category: Politics
‘They abolished the Human Rights Act” sounds like the first sentence of an Aldous Huxley novel. The Conservatives actually campaigned on a manifesto pledge to get rid of human rights and people voted for it. As electoral choices go, it’s not far off choosing to be ruled by a dry, whispering voice taunting you from an antique mirror.
Here, in what may well be the final years of our civilisation, I would like to ask a question that has been worrying me for some time. What if David Cameron is a genius? A shrewd and malevolent psychopath who thinks two moves deeper into the game than any of his opponents? What if there sits in Downing Street today a modern-day Moriarty, living in a world where his schemes are only kept in check by the deductive brilliance of Harriet Harman? As Holmes would say, look at the evidence. Cameron has managed to set England against Scotland, Scotland against Labour. He has given his enemies the referendums they asked for, and won. He has left Nick Clegg looking like one of those terrified mouse faces that you find in an owl pellet. He has successfully pursued an agenda more radical than Thatcher’s with less popular support than John Major.
Beautiful, angry poem by @JackieKayPoet in today's @guardian pic.twitter.com/iU40YHDdep
— Ian McMillan (@IMcMillan) May 15, 2015
Text in full:
We closed the borders, folks, we nailed it.
No trees, no plants, no immigrants.
No foreign nurses, no Doctors; we smashed it.
We took control of our affairs. No fresh air.
No bird, no bees, no HIV, no Poles, no pollen.
No pandas, no polar bears, no ice, no dice.
No rainforests, no foraging, no France.
No frogs, no golden toads, no Harlequins.
No Greens, no Brussels, no vegetarians, no lesbians.
No carbon curbed emissions, no CO2 questions.
No lions, no tigers, no bears. No BBC picked audience.
No loony lefties, please. No politically correct classes.
No classes. No Guardian readers. No readers.
No emus, no EUs, no Eco warriors, no Euros,
No rhinos, no zebras, no burnt bras, no elephants.
We shut it down! No immigrants, no immigrants.
No snivelling-recycling-global-warming nutters.
Little man, little woman, the world is a dangerous place.
Now, pour me a pint, dear. Get out of my fracking face.
By Jackie Kay
Categories
The Killing of Osama Bin Laden
It’s a long read but an interesting one. Seymour M. Hersh’s article in the London Book Review alleges that the description of events provided by the US goverment (and subsequently depicted in the film Zero Dark Thirty) aren’t entirely accurate.
There are a number of disputed points: the existence of the courier, the involvement/awareness of Pakistani intelligence, the vaccination cover, the burial at sea.
It’s definitely worth your time.
(via various)
Categories
The bleedin’ obvious
What an absolutely wonderful skewering of Chris Grayling's 'heroism' bill by Lord Pannick (via @chrisdaleoxford) pic.twitter.com/pPXEaPj9SZ
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) November 5, 2014
Categories
WTF world?
Welfare minister Lord Freud has apologised for “foolish and offensive” remarks in which he suggested people with disabilities could be paid less than the minimum wage.
I heard this news last week while I was stationary on Gibbet Hill (the perpetual cycle of campus roadworks has turned once again and the half mile journey from Car Park 3 to the Gibbet Hill lights can take upwards of 45 minutes). No doubt fueled by my anger at the traffic situation I took the opportunity to pen a rant against politicians whose views stand in direct opposition to their office. I’ve decided not to post the rant but I do wonder how this happens. As Ed Miliband put it:
These are not the words of someone who ought to be in charge of policy relating to the welfare of disabled people.
No more than the Minister for Women and Equality should oppose equal rights for members of the LGBT community, a climate change denier should chair the Senate Committe on Environment and Public Works, a judge should believe that rape is only possible if severe damage is inflicted otherwise the body ‘shuts it down’, a supporter of homeopathy should be Secretary of State for Health, someone who believes the Earth is about 9,000 years old was made in 6 days serve on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology… there are more.
Whenever I hear another one of these I think, “How the hell did this happen? How did we end up with someone whose views are diametrically opposed to the very purpose of their position,” but I guess that is the reason. If you really truly believe that climate change is a hoax (spoiler alert: it isn’t) you will strive to put yourself in a position where you can combat and refute those claims. If you don’t believe in equality for certain groups what better way to ensure it than as a Minister for Equality.
All just a bit depressing really.