Read this from Sunny. It’s just like being back in Uzbekistan. How far away are we from arrests for blogging about this kind of stuff?
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Galloping Fascism? No, just creeping feudalism. The long shadow of the dark ages, where kings and queens and lords are at home.
`How far away are we from arrests for blogging about this kind of stuff?`
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Not long, within the next few years, the people must be controlled with things going to drastically deteriorate.
Just jaw-dropping – in an earlier age I would said that such an operation would have had to be approved at a high ministerial level, but these days? Are certain high echelons of the police taking it upon themselves to conduct these overtly anti-dissent ops or are they being directed/guided by another power centre?
2 3 alltogether now, ‘die Fahne hoch, die Reihen fest geschlossen, dum dum….’
you could not make it up could you. Who would have thought they’ve got it in them, creating their own tragic comedy, they can be so creative when there are no terrorists around worth the effort.
Charlie Veich was arrested at his home in Cambridge on ‘conspiracy to cause public nuisance’ according to his partner, Silkie Carlo, 21, a second year student at Cambridge University studying politics and psychology.
It has now become crystal clear why Britain has remained silent on the genocide in Bahrain.
Heads-up folks, a backsliding of civil liberties to near savage behaviours was anticipated by Dave Davies on webcameron some years ago. He recognised that the Tory influential neo-cons George Osborne and Michael Gove, would back a pre-emptive approach to squash any right of protest. I applaud him for suggesting at the time police powers were out of control.
In light of that I seriously suggest professional training in techniques to stage activist demonstrations to stay safe and within the present laws. With Craig’s consent I am willing to provide some on-line training here – in the next 18 months I think it will prove useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOli98fgBP0
Disgraceful.
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/511928.html
They Thought They Were Free – Milton Mayer
Germany 1933-1945
Thanks for bringing this to my attention – I’ve posted the link to Sunny’s piece over at the DT. Even the so called “right” need to wake up.
YNWA
Thought crime. wow.
Reminds me of the story of the Morris dancer who was arrested for dancing in the street, and sentenced to death, but was released after protests by crowds. This event was in Edinburgh.
Of course I am talking about the 16th century and John Knox.
Now I know there are mixed opinions about Morris dancing but I think I am inclined to become one and develop ‘meaningful’ new dances. Will that satisfy the police defence of pageantry and public joy?
(The police person that wrote that justification must surely be held up as a source of ongoing ‘comment’).
We are sure going somewhere, not sure where, although it looks seriously like the vehicle is a handcart.
I wonder if the police for these ‘ops’ are now chosen for their resistance to embarrassment.
And what about the ludicrous, vexatious, overly scrupulous interpretation of duties. Is there not a time to start to seek some penalty over such inane police actions.
I`m a little surprised that some web sites that are calling for demonstrations against the condem cuts have not been closed down using the pretext of incitement to commit public disorder, that may well go for some political parties as well!. Coming soon methinks!. By letting the police get away with all they are is I fear a sign that the police are being made ready for what is to come and making them aware that their actions will not face any criminal proceedings.Click onto any pictures on this site, they will enlarge…
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[Mod’s note – I deleted this link – I don’t think it did what you thought it would!]
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http://tinyurl.com/5upfl6
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http://tinyurl.com/36hmflt
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It is said history repeats itself?.
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“OUR UNGOVERNED POLICE”…. http://www.ianhamiltonqc.com/blog/?p=465
Why’s this any more “fascist” than “communist” or merely “democratic?”
And what’s “galloping” about it.
Just because you have a blind hatred of the British Constitution does not mean that the law should not be applied in the case of those suspected of “conspiracy to cause public nuisance and breach of the peace” by conducting a “Zombie Wedding” featuring a mock execution of a member of the Royal Family.
If you think the arrest was such a heinous act by the police, why don’t you make a contribution to the legal defense of those arrested?
And if the arrest was unjustified under the law, then those arrested will presumably be in a position to sue the police for wrongful arrest.
But there is absolutely no evidence of unlawful, brutal or arbitrary in the action by the police. In fact, nothing fascistic about the incident at all.
This evening, 28 April, officers arrested three people – two males aged 68 and 45, and a 60-year-old woman – in Wickham Road, SE4 on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance and breach of the peace.
CanSpeccy
We are supposed to have the right to free speech, to demonstrate and protest, by not recognising the this pre-emptive arrest was wrong you are bring closer the day when you yourself will lose your right to free speech to demonstrate and protest.
The fact that arrests like this were made around the country suggests there rights of free speech, and to demonstrate and protest were denied.
You may not agree with their sentiments but you must uphold their rights, if you want to exercise those rights in the future.
The arrest was counter democratic.
Charges will be quietly dropped, I bet. I’m surprised the police didn’t claim to have arrested them “for their own protection”; we’d hate to see them torn limb from limb by the likes of CanSpeccy!
Although I am usually quick to criticize the police and armed forces when they overreact, I agree with CanSpeccy about this instance. The key point is the proclaimed intention to conduct a mock guillotining of a member of the royal family. That’s a little close to the bone in a country where one king has already had his head cut off by “democrats” (who turned out to be such dreary, repressive puritans themselves that they got kicked out by popular demand within a few years). Now if it were a fictional drama, in which an imaginary or historical person was guillotined, there would be no problem. How would we all feel if someone carried out a ceremonious public mock beheading of Craig Murray?
Then there is a genuine public order issue. It’s very likely that quite a lot of people would resent, dislike, and perhaps even protest against the proposed drama. That would certainly lead to a full and frank exchange of views – conceivably with the shedding of real blood.
Try doing something analogous in the USA or Israel – i.e. pretend to execute a close relative of the head of state, with much public fanfare – and see what happens to you. Hint – I’d make your will and say your goodbyes first.
Corporate state is the fascist state by nature and by definition.
It has been a while when I watched this video:
http://www.bbc5.tv/eyeplayer/video/john-harris-carpenters-view
of this wonderful men. He clearly deconstruct corporate/fascist/capitalist society. And yet, every time when I re-watched it, I discover, despite life’s experience, age, education, awareness some new moment that I “missed” last time. The evilness of the rulers is so deep and entrenched that the plebs – common people, is simply have no awareness of it. Or, that awareness is suppressed by events such as this imperial weeding, or some other spectacle. In another word, ordinary people are busy and struggling with everyday life, and do not have the time for evil games. That’s why Security Apparatus exists, to “protect and serve” and interpret “law and order” in way that suit “them” not “us”, i.e. enforce various insurance, banking, food, health, educational policies with high fees, and ticketing you when you make wrong turn and the like, everything in the name of the law.
In this context, among many others, this documentary movie: http://thoughtmaybe.com/video/the-mayfair-set is illustrious.
Also, it should be taken into account the first law of The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla:Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation and the picture of any society should have been complete.
Tom Welsh so you agree on the arrests on the grounds that it “would” have been in bad taste!
Think about this:
Then there is a genuine public order issue. It’s very likely that quite a lot of people would resent, dislike, and perhaps even protest against the the Royal wedding.
But they were not aloud too! Get it? You seem to think rights are dependant on what a person thinks.
Expand your thinking.
‘Any criminals attempting to disrupt it – be that in the guise of protest or otherwise – will be met by a robust, decisive, flexible and proportionate policing response.’
So the police have already decided that the people protesting are criminals
“[Mod’s note – I deleted this link – I don’t think it did what you thought it would!]”
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You should have taken the time to click onto the letter on the right!!!. I did say “Click onto any pictures on this site, they will enlarge…” you obviously didn`t check it out!!!.
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Mod says – I followed the link to “anyfreegift.com” with offers of coupons and discount deals; there were no pictures to enlarge. Were they ads? I use Adblock+. Post it again and I’ll try harder.
Presumably if those arrested are released with a caution or something milder, Messrs CanSpeccy and Welsh will be on the case in a flash, calling their MPs and demanding that these ne’re-do-wells be slapped in the stocks and pelted with an appropriate selection of ripe vegetable produce. Can’t have riff-raff disturbin’ the royals, don’t y’know!
Grant, Ruth,
You are making the assumption that the law applicable to “conspiracy to create a breach of the peace” was misapplied with the intention of suppressing free expression.
However, to an unprejudiced observer, that is seems quite unreasonable.
As Grant has pointed out, the proposed “orgy” and mock beheading of a member of the Royal family, timed to coincide, more or less, with the Royal wedding was surely well calculated to provoke a breach of the peace.
But those arrested can argue their case in court, a right that one does not associate with “Galloping Fascism”.
“Mod says – I followed the link to “anyfreegift.com” with offers of coupons and discount deals; there were no pictures to enlarge. Were they ads? I use Adblock+. Post it again and I’ll try harder.”
Strange, here is the link again…. http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyeve14.htm
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Mod says – the direct link works fine; the problem must have been with Tinyurl. It’s best to post direct links so people can see where they lead before they click on them.
“Messrs CanSpeccy and Welsh will be on the case in a flash, calling their MPs and demanding that these ne’re-do-wells be slapped in the stocks and pelted with an appropriate selection of ripe vegetable produce.”
This is the kind of silly thinking that turns the brains of a liberal to mush. Or maybe all liberals have brains of mush to start with.
In any case, as I made clear in my last comment, I merely expect that the law, whatever it may be, will be properly applied and justice served. And as far as I can see, no one has provided any reason to believe that this is not how things will turn out.
(In my last post, I mistakenly attributed to Grant a view expressed by Mike Walsh. My apologies to both.)
CanSpeccy ‘But those arrested can argue their case in court, a right that one does not associate with “Galloping Fascism”.’
Yes, we have that right but also we have a lot of bent judges.
Plod was making arrests right left and centre.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13240683
Interestingly the BBC reports (as Mary references above):
“Over the past few days police have arrested three people believed to be planning to behead effigies at the wedding.”
whereas the Guardian says:
“Raddie said the event was peaceful and the organisers did not expect to get near Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate are getting married. The plan was to join Republic’s Not the Royal Wedding Street Party in Red Lion Square, Holborn, central London.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/28/royal-wedding-protest-three-arrested
Slightly different, don’t you think? Taking the BBC’s version there would be some reason to think that disruption might arise which would, at least partially, justify the police’s action. From the Guardian’s version it’d be a lot harder to see.
Well, it’s entirely possible for the law to be applied and for injustice to be the result. Have read a summary of the Section 60 under which the arrests were made, and it is a incredible example of mail-fisted authoritarianism. Section 60 seems to be have been written to deal with terrorist situations but is being applied in this case to an incident of popular dissent. It is disgraceful.
“Yes, we have that right but also we have a lot of bent judges.”
No one’s saying the World is perfect.
If judges were consistently bent, then one might take this as evidence of Fascism. But’s that’s another argument altogether.
But here, we’re talking about “galloping” fascism, so the onus is on those who support the thesis to show not only that there is corruption but that there is corruption on a greater scale than at some time in the past when Britain was presumably not fascist, but that the extent of corruption is rapidly increasing. I think it might be possible to make this argument, but I don’t see that it has much to do with arresting people for supposedly conspiring to cause a breach of the peace by insulting the institution of monarchy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-13237702
Charlie Veitch is arrested
Man arrested in Cambridge for royal wedding protest plan Charlie Veitch said he was planning to protest against the royal wedding
A campaigner has been arrested at a house in Cambridge a day before he planned to protest against the royal wedding in London.
Charlie Veitch was arrested at about 1700 BST on Thursday on suspicion of +++ “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance”.+++
CanSpeccy, these three people were NOT plotting or conspiring to cause a breach of the peace. They were going to perform a sketch. It would have involved beheading a dummy, true, but having heads lopped off heads was traditionally the prerogative of monarchs, so it would have been appropriate satire. If their performance resulted in other people attacking them, the attackers should have been arrested, not the performers. The police action was clearly a stupid infringement of freedom of expression.
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Honestly, Alfred, you’re sounding like a right stuffy royalist with no sense of humour. Such people are the very reason that we need satirical performances.
We are clearly moving away from the kind of liberal/democracy form of state, where laws enshrined and protected basic bourgeois values and rights, towards a form of state where Control of the citizenry and public spaces is going to increasingly characterise society.
We are leaving the democratic era behind us and moving towards a form of totalitarian democracy, or a new form of fuedalism.
Ed Davies, thanks for the BBC propaganda alert. That BBC article mentions both the three arrested performers, and the street party they would have performed at, but it keeps the two apart from each other.