Where are we going?

Even a fool can see that our governments, of whatever flavour, move inexorably towards more and more repression and restrictions upon our liberties.

As long as we have career politicians who can only make their mark by making mean-spirited laws designed to erode our liberty this is bound to continue.

The arguments put for each new erosion all sound reasonable at the time, but are mostly founded on shifting bases.

We have had laws making crash helmets and seat belts compulsory 'to preserve our own safety'.

During the oil shortage we had capped speed limits on the grounds that it would 'save oil,' laws which still apply today.Laws forbidding the chastisement of children or even touching them, 'for humanitarian reasons.'
Anti-foxhunting laws for 'cruelty reasons.'
Dog-owners banned from beaches 'for health reasons.'
Free speech censored 'for racial harmony.' with more being proposed.           Surveillance cameras everywhere, watching our every move, to protect us.
And a whole shooting sport wiped out as an overreaction to Dunblane and Hungerford.
And guess what? Gun crime is on the increase!
 
And most of these arguments come complete with a statement that some other country had a similar law which worked successfully. As if this were a sound enough reason for us to follow suit.
Almost everything has been tried by someone at sometime, so why don't we cut off the hands of thieves. That too has been tried successfully for many years in some places.
American police are armed, so perhaps ours should be too.

We may agree with the spirit of some or all of these laws, but the fact remains that these laws are blunt weapons, and impact indiscriminately on everybody, usually with unforeseen, far-reaching consequences, criminalising otherwise innocent persons.

Governments of all colours today have an unhappy knack of making laws to address the wrong problem.  So for the sins of the few, the whole population is punished, or at least inconvenienced by these measures.
 
It amazes me to see how easily folk are willing to relinquish someone else's liberties, never caring that one day soon it will be their turn.
 
I think the root of the trouble lies in the fact that most people have a strong streak of bigotry in them, useful in evolutionary terms, but dangerous in a civilised society.
We just love to hate something, it relieves our frustrations and makes us feel part of a cosy hating community.

You name it, and we have hated it and killed it. And some politicians pander to this basest of instincts.
  
In this country alone, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Witches, Germans, Blacks, in fact anything looking or sounding 'foreign' have all had their turn. (And if these had never existed we would be hating redheads or brown eyes, or indeed anybody who wasn't 'us').

Then in more recent years we have villified Men in general for 'ruling the roost' for so long. And a whole string of politicians who had the temerity to speak their minds. (I thought that was supposed to be their function).

Child molesters, noisy neighbours, dog owners, caravan towers and smokers.
 
Ban smoking in all public places by all means, but be prepared for the next step! Sooner or later it will be your turn!
 
As obesity is costing the Health Service more money than smoking we must surely place a ban on all fattening foods, or at least tax them out of existence.

Gambling addicts are actively catered for in this country, causing grief to victims and their partners.
 
Alcohol, the most pernicious mind-altering drug known to man, causing
accidents, death to others or through ill-health, marriage breakups, wife beating and hooliganism continues to be advertised and  openly sold.        And yet no politician dares to take up the cudgel. I wonder why?

Could it be that it would damage their career to speak out? They're much safer up there on the bandwagon.
 
Fluoridation is good for the teeth, so we're told. So let's have it put in all our drinking water whether we need it or not, but let's not offend the purveyors of teeth-rotting foods and sweets.
Come to think of it high blood pressure is a problem too, so why not include aspirin in the drinking water? There must be plenty of goodies we can compel people to drink. Ban sunbathing, caffiene, cars and dangerous or violent sports.

Now a man has been savaged by a badger. Time for a Nationwide badger cull, like we did to pit-bull terriers.

Come to think of it - wouldn't we all be safer if a blanket curfew was imposed on everyone? Night workers could be licenced (for a hefty usual licence fee). So much easier to police. 
  
About a quarter to a third of the population are smokers. What arrogance to think that their feelings can just be ignored. I venture to say that there are more smokers than churchgoers, so let's ban all those noisy muezzins and bellringers who offend our ears with their call to prayers.
 
I am being ironic of course. I love my wife, am not a gun sportsman, don't hunt foxes or fish. I don't abuse women or children, I wear my seat belt and like the occasional pint or two. (but the latter not at the same time)

I do however enjoy smoking, and am proud of my resolution not to be cowed or browbeaten by Health Nazis. 
 
The only people I hate are the ones who insist on doing me good, because I know that they will do harm to someone else.

I'm quite capable of managing my own lifestyle without their help.
 
Finally, the phrases 'passive smoking' and 'second-hand smoke' seem to have found their way into our vocabulary, despite the fact that no connection with bad health has ever been satisfactorily found. And whole careers have been spent looking for a link.

So when someone without breeding waves their hand about or coughs
ostentatiously when you light up, you are watching a bigot perform its tricks.
Watch long enough, and you will see their face change when their
own particular peccadillo is banned.

I saw a child performing this ritual some years ago when an adult friend took out his pipe. No attempt had been made to light the pipe, yet the child pulled a face, coughed and started fanning imaginary smoke away. The child's mother excused her son's conduct by saying "It's all right, they teach him to do that in school"  So that's where education money goes is it? Teaching bad manners.

Now that child's brainwashed generation has grown up to become 'movers and shakers' of our society, proudly displaying their bigotry like a medal.
 
Thank you for reading this, if you have got this far.
 
Tony Collins