2000 AD Online Forum

I thought they might do this, but I dismissed it as low even for them.

Looks like I was wrong.

Link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005520222,00.html

That's like a parody, that list.  The MP's should feel quite proud.

worse still, Striker is back.

So, The Sun have printed a list of the sanest MPs in the UK?  Good on 'em - now I know who to support.

What gets me about this is that the media seem to be willingly missing the point:  the bill was a success for Labour.  Blair's out anyway, so we needn't give much of a toss about his popularity - the bill DID go through - and the maximum period in custody without charge has been DOUBLED.

So, the powers that be can now hold a suspect for 28 days (yes, a whole month) with no trial.  The key word here is 'suspect'.  Remember that old guy that spoke out at the labour conference?  He was held be police as a "terror suspect".  So go ahead and tell me how this new power won't be mis-used.

It's all a far cry from 90 days (thank f*ck) but I doubt very much that labour thought they'd get that anyway.  Aim high and score exactly where you intended to.

Tony really is Teflon Tone now:  he can do whatever he wants, and if he goes too far and has to resign, well, no problem - he has his replacement waiting in the wings anyway.

Jesus effing christ, is there no-one who they won't incite fairly random hatred at?

"Print the list off and stick it on your fridge as a reminder of the TRAITOR MPs who betrayed Britain."

Yeah, great, you can drink your morning tea and have a daily snarl at the list of TRAITOR MPs!!!! to get your blood boiling before you go off to work. Good one.

The thing to remember about the Sun is that it exists in its own little bubble of reality that even the building contractors with questionable opinions about non-whites and gays I used to work with found to be laughable.  The Sun's main readership consists of people who get a fifteen minute tea break and need a paper that doesn't take that long to get through.

When the police asked for this extension after detaining an 80 year-old under the Terrorism Act it felt like a drunk driver asking for a Lamborghini.

- Steve

Skimming the Grauniad this morning, ISTR that the person whose photo the Sun used on their recent front cover supporting the proposed laws - it was the image of a survivor of the July 7 attacks - is furious that they used their photo to promote their agenda - "stealing their voice" is how they put it, I believe.

isn't this kinda what the terrorests want?

Maybe they should have a Panini-style Name and Shame Sticker book.

- Steve

I'm annoyed that my local MP's name *wasn't* on that list. Not that I voted for her in the first place, but she's still supposed to be representing me.

I see no reason to hold anybody without charging them for any longer then 24 hours. If you're sure they're guilty enough to use 90days worth of police resources, then book 'em. Then you've got plenty of time to gather evidence for the courts to decide if they are guilty.

Ive had to stop reading the letters page in the Sun as it makes me MAD. Same goes for the News of the world. And dont get me started on the Daily Records problem page, effing man-hater.

I dont buy any of these, they put them out in the works canteen. Honest guvnor.

What bugs me about the whole revolting business is that Tone and his most ardent supporters were using the fact that "top policemen" had *requested* the 90 day thing as their sole case for the new law.  "The police have asked for it... so it MUST be vital!"

I mean... for FUCK'S SAKE, people!  If the UK's leading Fire Fighter asked for a nationwide ban on matches, gas-cookers, lighters, barbecues and bunsen burners because "it'll make our jobs a tad easier", would we do it?  Dog's cock, we would!

Hey, Tone, it would make it a lot easier for the police to stop Bad Things Happening if we had a 24hour curfew too.  I bet they'd be RIGHT up for the idea.  Let's do it!


Actually, let me rephrase that: what bugs me MOST about the whole revolting issue is that the majority of people - voters - really DID support the 90 day policy.  And we can generalise as much as we want about stereotypical Sun readers, but it doesn't change the sad truth: right now a pretty healthy majority of UK residents are sitting at home feeling as though their parliament has completely failed to represent what they want.

Arseholes.

"I'm annoyed that my local MP's name *wasn't* on that list. Not that I voted for her in the first place, but she's still supposed to be representing me."

And the other 30,000 people in your constituency, not all of whom necessarily hold the same views as you.

Let me explain how this crazy 'mass representational democracy' thing works...

And dont get me started on the Daily Records problem page, effing man-hater

Ah, the delightful Joan Burnie.

"Dear Joan,

I came home early last week and found my husband watching a dirty movie on the telly. I confronted him about it, but now we haven't spoken for days. What can I do?

---

Divorce the dirty wee man. Only incorrigible perverts and child abusers watch porn, and you're just being a fool if you think that he's anything more than subhuman. Get out now, before he starts bumming you and your schemie kids, you sad little woman!"

Dear Joan,
I came home early from work yesterday to find my wife being spit roasted by both my brothers. Shes emptied our bank account to buy heroin and beats me when shes drunk. Im at my wits end as she says if I try and leave she'll hunt me down and kill me. What can I do?

Have you tried buying her flowers,etc,etc

And the other 30,000 people in your constituency, not all of whom necessarily hold the same views as you

Oh absolutely... but if you can't blame the government, who can you blame? (Oh that's right: Evil Terrorists!)


Actually, I see the results of the vote a sucess of democracy, when there are so many MPs not toeing the party line but prepared to vote against their leader on topics they have opinions on. I don't necessarily consider it a failing of the Labour party.

Incidentally, did you contact your MP before the vote to let her know about your views on the issue?

what ?!?

just when ive finally made up my mind to leave the west coast & its f--in' stupid twisted ignorant scum ways... your telling me the whole UK is SHIT ?

lets all leave in protest !

I love Britain me! They can lock em up for as long as our brave British bobbies want to. Espically if they are a bit shifty looking or greasy or smell. I mean people France didnt support our boys in Iraq and look at the state there are in...

confused of Wapping.

Ironically, the squishing of the 90-day legislation is 100% NOT a victory for democracy.

If politicians really were perfect representatives of public opinion the legislation would have gone through without any trouble at all.

So, frankly, thank crikey some of the wheezy old wankers have opinions of their own and *don't* always do what the Mob want.

Surely the general idea of a representative democracy is that the mob might be a bit flighty and stupid at times, and so they need someone level headed to represent them?

Also, Oi! MPs! Where were you when Blair decided to invade Iraq?

I may have mentioned this before but a rather large burgh in england (liverpool, maybe?) held a referendum on local taxes - reminding the population that if they voted for a 0% tax rise, then all their services would be utter shit.

The stunning result:  0% tax rise and utterly shit services.

You say that like the services wouldn't be shit anyway...

Maybe the locals were onto something.

And this, people, is why we need to bring back Feudalism.

er, hey fegbarr, feudalism has never gone?
certainly not in monarch of the glen country. and its definately PANTS.

Firstly, I think Private Eye nailed Blair on this with their "number crunching" feature that compared the maximum detention times in Oz (24 hrs), Spain (5 days), America (a week) and Britain (Blair's proposed 90days) with the amount of people killed by Al'Queada with Britain having suffered the least.

Secondly, the Police should be ashamed of themsleves. No public servants but especially the armed forces and the police should interfere in the political process. How can the public respect the police and treat them as fair and impartial when they keep acting as New Labour's poodles?

Thirdly, whilst personally I feel 28 days is too much surely this is better than 90days or the 60days that was the Government's fallback position? Even better, with the sunset clause we could (hopefully) get rid of the extension when it next comes up before the house.

Fourthly, Edmund Burke defined the relationship between an MP and his electorate the best-whilst the MP must listen to his constituents it is up to him to vote as he chooses. It is then up to the constituents to hold him to account. Of course with the advent of mass party politics and referendums this principle has been weakened.

Last thought, all the DUP MPs voted against the 90 Day detention. Did any of us ever think that we'd see a Labour (or Conservative for that matter) PM sit to the right of Iain Paisley on anti-terror legislation?

Will

Perhaps Paisley was hedging his bets.

Steve Bell is a genius!

perhaps because Paisley was more sickened by the hypocrisy of a government which will lock people up for 90 days for merely suspecting then of something while at the same time allowing the people who contributed to the tally of 3,500 deaths in Northern Ireland being given an effective anmesty. And SF aside he wasn't the only one.  No one will ever stand trial for all those unsolved murders no matter how strong the evidence. Justice turned on its head for political expediency. As usual of course because this concerns Northern Ireland and the people who live there it doesn't warrant a mention. Irrelevant, Not I My back yard, I don't care.

I'm utterly sickened this week. Democracy? Justice? what the f*** does Bliar and the rest of his merry band of apologists know about it?