Comments on: Detention Roulette

By: opit

opit — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:40:51 +0000

The meme ‘terrorism’ - an emotion ! - is used to ‘justify’ repressive measures in several countries. This cannot be simple coincidence.
“Conspiracy Theorist’ is the instant response.
To which I think : “If it waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck - this does not persuade me that it’s a fish !”

By: Jherad

Jherad — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:36:01 +0000

Pleasure. Thanks for raising the issue

By: Garry

Garry — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:15:58 +0000

Jherad, indeed. It’s almost become one word- terroristsuspects. Whether innocent or not, a person’s life will never be the same once they’ve been branded a terroristsuspect.

(I forgot to say thanks for chipping in on the other thread the other day so I’ll do it now. Thank you.)

By: Jherad

Jherad — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:21:56 +0000

I hope my sarcasm tags weren’t broken in my above comment

Ever since Tony Blair’s ‘hound them out of the country’ moment a while ago, I’ve had the impression that Nu Labour simply believe that suspects are just terrorists who haven’t been found guilty yet. Longer detention means longer for them to find something, anything, which will put them away (I have a copy of Milestones at home, that’d do). It’d also mean that the release of some innocent suspects would be timed further from any big ‘terrorist plot uncovered!’ headline, and thus more politically convenient / easily buried.

By: Leighton Cooke

Leighton Cooke — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:21:38 +0000

I’m for a one off 666 myself. It’s a popular number and is easy to remember.

By: Garry

Garry — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:47:16 +0000

I’m going to plump for 14.

sam, fascinating guy to have known, I’d imagine.

Jherad, in an ideal world, certainly. There are situations where it can’t be the case.

Thank you Rachel.

I would have emailed you but I couldn’t think of anything constructive I could add to the position you’ve already expressed.

Hope it went well today.

By: Tom Freeman

Tom Freeman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:55:57 +0000

On the basis that a week is a long time in politics, I’ll guess that an extra 7 days will be deemed sufficiently tough-yet-liberal-yet-courageous-yet-humane-yet-necessary-yet-sellable.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:07:14 +0000

If you want me to say anything about this when I am giving evidence on this very subject at the Home Affairs Select Committee then please shout me ( email or comments) and I will do my best to put people’s views across.

By: Jherad

Jherad — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:30:28 +0000

How about ‘until found guilty’.

By: sam_m

sam_m — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:35:14 +0000

The older members of the present Govt. began their political careers protesting the S.African Govt’s repression of its citizens. Now they seem hell bent on reproducing it. I don’t know it they think they are learning from history or repeating it.
But then, I knew Albie Sachs when he was able bodied.