Sim-O

The Times:

The government has been accused of trampling on individual liberties by proposing wide-ranging new powers for bailiffs to break into homes and to use “reasonable force” against householders who try to protect their valuables.

Under the regulations, bailiffs for private firms would for the first time be given permission to restrain or pin down householders. They would also be able to force their way into homes to seize property to pay off debts, such as unpaid credit card bills and loans.

The government, which wants to crack down on people who evade debts, says the new powers would be overseen by a robust industry watchdog. However, the laws are being criticised as the latest erosion of the rights of the householder in his own home.

We’re fucked here, aren’t we?

Lets just take one scenario here. You come home from work/holiday/the shops and find your door kicked in. You enter the house to find it’s been ransacked. You enter the living room. The telly, the DVD player. Gone. The draws of the side board are shut, but you know that someone has been going through them. You go upstairs just dreading to what you’re going to find. In one room after another, chests of drawers have been rifled. Someone has gone through all your most intimate items. Your business filing. Wage slips. The jewellery gone as well.

How do you think that’s going to feel? Thinking that someone has broken into your house and stolen your belongings, that’s bad enough, but when in reality the ‘thieves’ have had the law on their side and are allowed to ransack your home, when even the police can’t just walk in, is an abomination.
Now you have all the upset, distress and associated hassle of having to get it all back because it turns out it wasn’t you that owed the bank/loan company/district court money. It was the people that lived where you do previously. Or you just happen to have the same name as some one who owes money. Or it could just be a completely random reason why you have appeared on the bailiffs records.
How does that feel? I bet you’d be feeling a bit shit and angry about it all. Good job you’ve got a strong character and are able to deal with the stress by someones’ typo. How fortunate that you happen to have enough savings to get you by while you claim back everything from the bailiffs. Just remind me, how much do lawyers cost? Because I bet it won’t be a quick and easy process.
It’d be hard but you’d survive the experience. What about the old lady next door? Would she? What’s she going to do when the bailiff sticks his boot through the door?
Or how about the ‘highly excitable’? Ending up being pinned to the ground with a broken arm? Or worse.

I could just about bear it if the Police or Customs burst through the door, with the proper paperwork chasing proper criminals, but these private contractors, for civil debts? No. fuck off. If the state wants to enter my fucking house it can fucking well do it itself.

What the fuck is the world coming to when a private entity is given authority to trample all over the rights of an individual.

BBC:

The government has held talks with Jaguar Land Rover over the possibility of state aid for the carmaker, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has confirmed.

He said no decision had yet been made – as it was too early to tell if any car firm needed help – and that ministers did not have “an open chequebook”.

What?! Colour me stupid, but isn’t Jaguar Land Rover Indian now?
I’m as idiotic patriotic as the next bloke and would hate the idea of two of the most iconic British names to be relegated to the pages of history, or at least one of those ‘Worlds Greatest Cars’ books that turn up at Christmas.
I sort of understand the reasoning behind bailing out helping out the banks, what with them being such an integral part of the economy that when these private institutions get it wrong and don’t make any money to trickle down to the ordinary public, the ordinary public have to chip in and keep things going.
And I sort of understood why Woolworths got shown the middle. After all, it is a private company and we wouldn’t want to distort the market now, would we?
So why is cunty-chops* talking state aid with a foreign company to keep 15,000 employees in work making stuff that very few people will be able to afford (new, at least), but fucks off a British company that is selling stuff that is out of reach of only the most desperate of people and putting twice as many people on the rock ‘n’ roll?

Related:
Tim Almond: Jaguar Bailout

*Sorry for the swear, but he is, isn’t he?

… tedious cock?

Via

Haaretz:

The President of the United Nations General Assembly tried to prevent Israel’s ambassador, Professor Gabriela Shalev, from speaking at a special commemorative plenary session marking 60 years since the UN adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, scheduled for Wednesday.

The General Assembly President, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, tried to cancel speeches that were to be given by representatives of the unofficial regional group known as “Western European and others,” after he learned that Israel’s ambassador was to represent the group as its rotating chairman.

*Applauds Mr Brockmann* Ooh, hang on. What does it mean ‘tried’?

However, European representatives rejected the motion to cancel the meeting, and voiced outrage at his attempt to prevent the address.

Oh, so the Europeans are ok with a representative of a country that has continously flouted human rights, and in fact its’ very existence is predicated on the abuse of those rights, to speak at the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Once again, the Palestinians are shown to be sub-human. Way to go Europe.

Via

Press Complaints Commission:

The Editors’ Code of Practice Committee, which writes and revises the voluntary code of standards overseen by the Press Complaints Commission, is undertaking its annual review of the Code.

It welcomes suggestions from the public, civil society and the industry on how the Code might be revised to improve the system of self-regulation of the press, of which it is an essential component.

Suggestions should be sent as soon as possible, but no later than 31 January, 2009 to:

Ian Beales, Code Committee Secretary,
PO Box 235, Stonehouse,
Glos
GL10 3UF.

Or by email to: ianbeales@mac.com

Here’s a suggestion for starters, how about having non-industry people on the commitee so that the commitee can be and be seen to be a little more independent.
I don’t know about you, but if I had to submit a serious complaint to the PCC, I wouldn’t be especially confident it’s neutrality.

Here’s why:

The Editors’ Code committee members are:

• Chairman, Paul Dacre, Daily Mail
• Neil Benson, Trinity Mirror’s regional newspapers
• Adrian Faber, Express and Star, Wolverhampton
• Mike Gilson, The Scotsman
• Douglas Melloy, Rotherham and South Yorkshire Advertiser
• Ian Murray, Southern Evening Echo
• David Pollington, The Sunday Post
• Jonathan Grun, Press Association
• Alan Rusbridger, The Guardian
• June Smith-Sheppard, Pick Me Up magazine
• Neil Wallis, News of the World
• Harriet Wilson, Conde Nast magazines
• John Witherow, Sunday Times.

Did no one at Chorley FM really not think the strap line “coming in your ears” is just a little bit, well, dirty?

[[image:dirty_ears.gif:Chorley FM. Hmm, nice:center:0]]
(Sorry for the quality of the picture. It’s taken with a shit phone on full zoom)

Via

Little Willy Hague:

There are no circumstances in which the next Conservative Government will propose joining the Euro.

If you win the next election, we’ll hold you to that, Mr Hague.

Reuters:

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said the jackets marked with the words “Community Payback” are designed to strengthen the public’s confidence in the effectiveness of non-custodial sentences.

“The public, the taxpayer, has an absolute right to know what unpaid work is being done to payback to them for the wrongs the offender has committed,” he said.

“Chain Gang Betty” definately sounds the better choice of words.

Telegraph:

Mr Green, who is the shadow immigration minister, was arrested at his home in Kent by counter-terrorism police officers.

The arrest follows a series of leaks to the Conservatives about Government policy, including a sensitive memorandum from the Home Office’s most senior official on crime figures earlier this month.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, is said to be “extremely angry” about the arrest and has privately accused the Government of “Stalinesque” behaviour.

Mr Green is understood to have been arrested at lunchtime today and is still in custody. He has not been charged.

No surprise that counter-terrorism police were used. Feels like it’s the default apparatus to use.