Wednesday, August 09, 2006

John Reid Becomes Michael Howard becomes John Reid

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1840482,00.html

Can someone tell me how and why we're living in a more threatening time than during the height of the IRA's campaign(s)? I don't buy the argument for a moment that post-Cold War population mobility has caused society to be in such a state. For that matter what danger IS society in full-stop? I'll buy an argument about technology having broken down barriers - the Internet more than anything else. But surely since 1990 inequalities, particularly down ethnic lines (albeit not ALL ethnic lines) have massively increased down to choices made by governments for easy votes. Surely that's in part given rise to things like people trafficking, and aided a resurgence in global terrorism (which is hardly new).

And what exactly do we need a debate about? The number of white Australians and South Africans illegally working in most of London's bars or the number of dark skinned Muslims? Surely immigration 'issues' only really affect the already 'have nots', who can easily perceive their lives being affected by new arrivals. Maybe NuLabour could think for a moment about decreasing poverty instead of dreaming up more draconian immigration crises, announcements and laws. Somehow I doubt it though.

3 comments:

Mamluke said...

nice post - it's good to see other folks are railing against the belligerant policies and society supported willful ignorance perpetrated by our governments on our populations

Jason said...

I note at the same time that not a shred of evidence has been put forward that any of 'the 21 (23?)' "plotters" is guilty of a single thing. No explosive liquids, no plane tickets have been substantiated at all, oh hang on they HAVE - by unnamed security experts, unnamed local neighbours, and tabloid columnists.

A BOOK is dangerous when the supposed threat was from explosive liquid? And how does putting hand luggage into hold luggage suddenly make anyone safer? Anyone remember Lockerbie?

Sigh.

Mamluke said...

exactly.