Dominic Sandbrook writes an interesting article in today's Daily Mail calling for an end to politicians apologising for Britain's Empire.
The Empire was in my opinion a good thing but this sentence is politically correct nonsense:
"The Raj survived not at the point of a bayonet, but thanks to the enthusiastic co-operation of thousands of ordinary Indians, who relished the order that their colonial partners"
No one here or in India saw Indians as "partners". If the sentence had finished "colonial masters" it would have more semblance to the truth.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Good for Oxfordshire CCC and its abolition of speed cameras
Oxfordshire County Council could be turning off all its speed cameras in am effort to save money after Labour's mismanagement of the country.
Naturally, this has brought out the "road safety campaigners" in a hot flush. Ellen Booth, a campaigns officer for road safety group Brake, said, "It would be a disaster. It would be especially hard to justify the idea that all speed cameras should be turned off. Speed cameras are a really cost effective way of managing speed, which is one of the biggest issues on our roads. To get rid of them would be a backward step and we would really be risking people's lives."
Brake claims it exists to "stop the carnage" - emotive words indeed and more appropriately used when describing a battle. However, it does seem to confirm that Brake believes that there is indeed a war on motorists.
It would be impolite to say that "campaigns officer" Miss Booth is talking utter cobblers but she is. What does she mean "speed... is one of the biggest issues on our roads"? It is easy to say that speed kills which is presumably what she is talking about. It doesn't - inappropriate speed kills and most accidents are caused by people not paying attention to where they are going not because they are driving too fast.
Swindon turned off its fixed point speed cameras and has seen no change in serious accidents or deaths on its roads.
There is no evidence that speed cameras do anything except raise revenue.
Naturally, this has brought out the "road safety campaigners" in a hot flush. Ellen Booth, a campaigns officer for road safety group Brake, said, "It would be a disaster. It would be especially hard to justify the idea that all speed cameras should be turned off. Speed cameras are a really cost effective way of managing speed, which is one of the biggest issues on our roads. To get rid of them would be a backward step and we would really be risking people's lives."
Brake claims it exists to "stop the carnage" - emotive words indeed and more appropriately used when describing a battle. However, it does seem to confirm that Brake believes that there is indeed a war on motorists.
It would be impolite to say that "campaigns officer" Miss Booth is talking utter cobblers but she is. What does she mean "speed... is one of the biggest issues on our roads"? It is easy to say that speed kills which is presumably what she is talking about. It doesn't - inappropriate speed kills and most accidents are caused by people not paying attention to where they are going not because they are driving too fast.
Swindon turned off its fixed point speed cameras and has seen no change in serious accidents or deaths on its roads.
There is no evidence that speed cameras do anything except raise revenue.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
What choice, Mrs Spelman?
It must be the necessity to have a first class degree that makes you utter such stupid comments.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, a first in European Studies from Queen Mary, University of London, says that banning the burka would infringe a woman's right to "choose each morning when you wake up what you wear".
What choice does a woman have if she wears a burka? "Hmm, shall I pick the black one or the black one?"
Last year, I drove past a mosque with my wife and sister-in-law, both practising Muslims, and we saw a woman in a burka reading a fashion magazine. I said, "What's the point of her looking? She will never be able to wear anything in it."
My sister-in-law replied, "That's just what I was thinking."
The burka is not a symbol or religious freedom or intolerance. It is a social garment. Nowhere in the Koran does it say that women must cover their faces when they leave the house or are among men to whom they are not related. It calls for women to dress modestly.
The burka has no place in civilised society.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, a first in European Studies from Queen Mary, University of London, says that banning the burka would infringe a woman's right to "choose each morning when you wake up what you wear".
What choice does a woman have if she wears a burka? "Hmm, shall I pick the black one or the black one?"
Last year, I drove past a mosque with my wife and sister-in-law, both practising Muslims, and we saw a woman in a burka reading a fashion magazine. I said, "What's the point of her looking? She will never be able to wear anything in it."
My sister-in-law replied, "That's just what I was thinking."
The burka is not a symbol or religious freedom or intolerance. It is a social garment. Nowhere in the Koran does it say that women must cover their faces when they leave the house or are among men to whom they are not related. It calls for women to dress modestly.
The burka has no place in civilised society.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Stop calling murderers "Mister"
Psychopath Raoul Moat continues to evade the police hunt for him. It appears that the SAS are now involved.
One thing bothers me: can the senior police figures stop referring to him in their press conferences as "Mister" Moat. It is not exactly as if he is going to take umbrage - he is annoyed with the police enough as it is...
One thing bothers me: can the senior police figures stop referring to him in their press conferences as "Mister" Moat. It is not exactly as if he is going to take umbrage - he is annoyed with the police enough as it is...
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