Thursday, 27 September 2007

Job application


Terrorism returns to Britain:

A primary school caretaker sent a series of letter bombs to protest against "overbearing" state control over individuals, he has told a court. Miles Cooper, 27, from Cambridge, said he had been angry at authorities and "very concerned about the direction my country was heading in". [...]

Mr Cooper told the jury his anger at the country's authorities had intensified when his father Clive was unable to have DNA samples removed from the police database, even though he had been cleared in 2003 of assault. "I felt my father had been used and I felt unable to do anything about it," he said.

Mr Cooper added that prior to this, he had campaigned about government's proposals to introduce ID cards, but that his approach changed after the episode with his father.

Perhaps, rather than rushing to condemn, we should ask ourselves what drives young men to such mindless acts of terrorism.

Given the state's invasion of our private lives, the surprise must be that there haven't been more attacks. They have, after all, yet to reach anything like the level of the campaign waged by the IRA. But that such attacks continue is a central part of Blair's legacy - and the responsibility of a political class that failed to hold to account those who have encroached on the liberty of the individual, with the most devastating human and political consequences. Until the Brown government makes serious moves to loosen the state's ever-widening grasp, the likelihood must be that the threat will grow.

Can I have a job with the Guardian now, please?

// posted by Mr Eugenides on 27.9.07
Comments:
Whilst not for a moment condoning what Miles Cooper is alleged to have done I must admit I do believe that there may come a time (and perhaps not too far distant) when decent Britons realise that the time has come to claw back some of the powers that the State (particularly in the past 10 years, but before then, too) has taken to itself. Obviusly I do not compare the current NuLabour regime with that in Burma/Myanmar, but I'm afraid that one man's terrorists can quickly become others' freedom fighters.

# posted by Blogger Bill : 27 September 2007 16:02
 
No, but you can have one at the Daily Mail: http://www.septicisle.info/2007/02/littlejohn-watch-beyond-parody.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=435034&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=322

# posted by Blogger septicisle. : 27 September 2007 19:58
 
History shows that violence gets rewards in the political sphere. You only have to look at the Stormont assembly for that. I will vote for Miles Cooper if he stands for election at least he once had a real job not like the parasites that govern us.

# posted by Anonymous peter whale : 27 September 2007 20:16
 
The 2005 film "V for Vendetta" shows the end of this slippery slope.

For the moment, I just concern myself with worrying why the BBC have invented a random new name for Burma.

And Peking too, for that matter.

# posted by Anonymous Geoff : 28 September 2007 00:37
 
"Perhaps, rather than rushing to condemn, we should ask ourselves what drives young men to such mindless acts of terrorism."


Why? You don't hold back from condemning Polly for her mindless acts? Why does blowing up eight people get your restraint?

Blowing up the woman who opens the letters at the DVLA is hardly striking a blow against the Government.

# posted by Anonymous Ellipsis : 28 September 2007 00:48
 
And ellipsis wins the prize for just not getting it...

# posted by Anonymous comic book guy : 28 September 2007 10:24
 
Did I miss the satirical wink?

# posted by Anonymous Ellipsis : 28 September 2007 12:19
 
Geoff, would that be Myanmar and Beijing you're referring to? Names that have been in use for a good long time?

Ignoring the "using Myanmar instead of Burma reveals whether you support the military regime" argument (and that the BBC generally refers to Burma as Burma), Myamnar is the English equivalent of the formal name that the people of Burma use to refer to their own country in official documents, academic works etc. Burma is the equivalent of the colloquial name. It's like criticisng the BBC for using the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead of Britain, or the Hellenic Republic instead of Greece.

Beijing is the transcribed name of the capital city of China using the Pinyin system, which has, since 1979, largely replaced the Wade-Giles system (which transcribed the name as Peking).

Or have I missed something, and the BBC have invented something different?

# posted by Anonymous Alan : 30 September 2007 14:17
 
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