From now on, it will be illegal to keep an eye on the police!

“Whereas in the past the police have not had the power to prevent photographs being taken of them, from today they have. Under the new Counter-Terrorism Act it is an offence to take pictures of officers “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”. This is such a catch-all measure that it can be used – and, in view of recent trends, will be used – to prevent photographs to which the police object merely by invoking counter-terrorist requirements.”

(Source)

Middle Eastern Wisdom and a Debate on Islam

According to Ayatolah Khomeini: „The sweat of a camel that eats unclean substances is unclean.“ For more Islamic wisdom, see here.

On a somewhat related note, Robert Spencer has posted the first part of a debate with Daniel Peterson on the subject “Islam threat or not?” The first part looks interesting and, unlike some in the comments section, I am not yet ready to conclude that Peterson is an idoit [sic].

Labour Ministers are Revolting

OK, we all knew that, but it seems they are now rebelling against the infamous ‘Bill of Rights and Responsibilities‘ –good! Jack Straw unwittingly summarised what exactly is wrong with this project: „He said the charter would bring under one umbrella European human rights and social and economic entitlements linked to the welfare state.“ (source)

Indoctrinate U on the Web

An excellent documentary on the impact of political correctness on US universities: Indoctrinate-U.

EU Commissioner: Smoking Bans not Draconian Enough

EU Commissioner Vladimir Špidla seems to be upset that not all member states are as draconian as the UK in implementing the smoking ban:

“Smoking bans currently differ widely across the EU. While Ireland was the first EU country to make its pubs and restaurants smoke-free, puffing cigarettes is still allowed in some pubs in Germany and Belgium. And smoking is still common in both bars and restaurants in central and Eastern European countries like Hungary and Romania.” (source)

Clearly, such differences can’t be tolerated. This would be bordering on subsidiarity.

No Victory in Sight in the War on Drugs

“Millions uprooted, terrorized or made refugees. Hundreds of thousands imprisoned. Thousands killed. Trillions of dollars lost. Wiretapping and government surveillance of civilians. Our civil rights eroded. No end in sight. Iraq? Hardly — it’s the war on drugs.
(…)
This war has gone on for years. It has cost hundreds of billions of dollars and filled our jails. Criminal gangs prosper and proliferate. It has eroded our civil liberties. The drug trade has seriously destabilized Mexico, Columbia and Bolivia. There is no victory in sight.

The economics of the drug trade are clear. Demand remains undiminished. The cost of production remains low. Arrest a horde of producers, smugglers, wholesalers and retailers and all that can happen is that the profit margins go up. That is what must take place when supply diminishes while demand remains steady. Higher profits brings more recruits into the trade. ” (John Frary in the Western Standard)

More on that Bill of Rights and Freedoms

Almost a year ago, I commented on plans for a UK Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (now renamed to Bill of Rights and Freedoms). I concluded at the time that: “A UK version of the EU charter [of fundamental rights] is then probably the best one can hope for. A more authoritarian document should come as no surprise either.” A draft outline for a “UK Bill of Rights and Freedoms” has now been published by a Joint Committee on Human Rights.
As expected,

Debating Ireland’s No Vote – German Style

Die Welt, one of Germany’s leading broadsheets accompanies an article about Ireland’s No! vote on the ‘Lisbon Treaty’ with a short online poll. The question asked is: “What should the EU do if the Irish reject the Reforms?” The possible answers: 1. Exclude Ireland immediately, 2. Revise the Lisbon Treaty, 3. Continue the Reforms without Ireland, 4. Ask Ireland to vote again.” The possibility

Were the supply-siders right?

A short report by the Centre for Policy Studies, Keith Marsden’s “Big, not Better?”, published in April this year claims to provide evidence from 20 countries that slim governments work better. It’s a conclusion I like to hear. Unfortunately the evidence is less than solid.

The report compares 20 industrialised economies and classes their governments as big or slim depending on which side of a 40% of GDP threshold their government revenue and expenditure lie. Slimmer governments are shown to have lower top rates of tax, higher average growth figures and lower debt and deficit burdens on average.

Marsden then goes on to argue that

Save the Planet

For those who are concerned about our environment David Burge has some useful advice:

1. Turn off faucets when not in use. While a single dripping faucet may not seem to be much of an environmental hazzard, the numbers really begin to add up when you’re hosting a Sierra Club fundraising party for Laurie David and all 10 of your bathrooms are in use. Have your domestic staff check to make sure that electonic sink sensors are working properly, and use other water conservation methods such as installing low-flow bidets. Remember to remind your guests: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.”

2. Upgrade to a new Gulfstream G550. Next time you take off for Cannes or Sundance or that big Environmental Defense Fund gala, stop and think how much fuel that clunky old G450 is using. Not only does the new G550 have 10.8% better fuel efficiency, it’s quieter, has real burled walnut, and with a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.885 you’ll never be late for the Palm d’Or ceremony!

3. Crush a Third World economic development movement. One of the most pressing threats facing our environment is rising incomes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Only a generation ago, these proud dark people were happily frolicking in the rain forest, foraging for organic foods amid the wonders of nature. Now, corrupted by wealth, they are demanding environmentally hazardous consumer goods like cars and air conditioning and malaria medicine. You can do your part to stop this dangerous consumer trend by supporting environmentally aware leaders like Robert Mugabe and Fidel Castro to foster an economy of sustainable low-impact ecolabor camps.

For more, go here.