Archive for the ‘Public Safety’ Category

Dame Stella Rimington, former head of Britain’s domestic security service MI5, just said Britons should spy on one another on behalf of the government. Specifically, The Daily Mail reports, she claimed:

The community has the responsibility to act as  the eyes and ears, as they did during the war … where there were all these  posters up saying the walls have ears and the enemy is  everywhere. There have often been  indications in the community, whether it’s Muslim or anywhere else, that people  are becoming extremists and spouting hate phrases.

Which would be a welcome admission that Britain is honeycombed with Islamic radicals thanks to decades of wilfully obtuse immigration and multicultural policy despite the careful “whether it’s Muslim or anywhere else” (since when people shouting “Allahu Akbar” attack infidels we all know it could as easily be, say, Quakers or Mormons as anyone else). Except for two small points.

First, Britain is already a “surveillance society” thanks to the passion of Tony Blair and others for closed circuit cameras everywhere. With the government spying on everyone, why do citizens have to join in?

Second, one of the alleged suspects in the broad daylight murderous attack on soldier Lee Rigby had been under surveillance by the authorities for years. They just didn’t bother doing anything.

Nor, of course, can ordinary Britons do much of anything, thanks to the foresight of Blair et al in taking away their guns, when they encounter a blood-stained weapon-brandishing member of whatever the heck it is whose members shout that Allahu thing. Except confront them with their bare hands, a cell phone and legendary British pluck and wait for PC PC to show up and arrest the obviously dangerous people shouting rude things outside a mosque.

Other than that you’re bang on, Dame Rimington. Thanks.