[Gllug] I can't work out if this guy is a genius troll or just a complete fool

[Daniel P. Berrange]

On Thu, Apr 27, 2006 at 07:27:54AM +0100, Christopher Hunter wrote:
> On Wednesday 26 Apr 2006 19:53, Richard Jones wrote:
> > On Wed, Apr 26, 2006 at 03:41:02PM +0100, will wrote:
> > > http://shelleytherepublican.com/2006/04/linux-european-threat-to-our-comp
> > >uters.html
> >
> > That's quite funny ...
> >
> > I didn't think Americans had a sense of irony before I read this
> > comment on the story:
> 
> Actually, they don't.  Irony completely passes them by.  Bizarre beliefs like 
> those in the article are really common, and the majority know nothing of the 
> world outside their own borders - many have never even left their own home 
> state!  Less than 15% of Americans have passports.
> 
> I was over there recently, and it's becoming quite an unpleasant place for 
> Europeans to visit, particularly anywhere away from either coast.  We are now 
> viewed with deep suspicion, and a series of laws passed since 2001 have 
> effectively curtailed /all/ Civil Liberties.

"Do you think that's air you're breathing?"

The UK government doesn't exactly have a great record on civil liberties over
the past couple of years. It has tried to overturn the Human Rights Aact provisions
to allow the of return people to states where torture is routinely practiced.
It tried to increase the amount of time you can be held without charge to 3
months, up from 14 days - the compromise of 28 days was no great win for civil
liberties, just the lesser of two evils. Banned people from protesting within 
250m radius of Parliament without first getting agreement from the Police, which
is a disgraceful afront to democratic rights & liberties. Blanket curfews on
entire age groups - eg ASBO banning any under 16 year-old from some town centres.
Restrictions on free speech through ludicrous offences such as 'glorification' 
of terrorism, and lets not even mention the ongoing ID cards debacle, and our
unquestioning support for the Iraq war.

So sure Americia may be an easy target, particularly  with a lame duck like
Bush to poke fun at, but this has diverted peoples attention from the crasy 
ass shit our own government is doing, or attempting to do to civil liberties.

Dan.
-- 
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|=-   berrange at redhat.com  -  Daniel Berrange  -  dan at berrange.com    -=|
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