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Letter to Baroness Buscombe
you may or may not have heard by Baroness Buscombe the new chair of the Press Complaints Commission is pondering if it might not be a frightfully jolly idea for the PCC to also regulate blogs. Regulating blogs seeming to be an idea that governments just can’t let go of, despite the vast numbers of technical difficulties that would prevent it working for anyone with even half a technical clue. So despite this being an even sillier idea than holding ISPs liable for usenet posts made by people that aren’t their customers, it’s probably best to try and kill it as soon as possible. After all they did end up making ISPs liable for usenet posts, and the evidence is they’ve only got dafter since then.
So go and sign this rather well written letter over at Liberal Conspiracy explaining to the powers that be, that it’s a very silly idea and that we’re doing quite well on our own thanks very much and that maybe the PCC should get the hang of effectively regulating the press first before they start worrying about anything else.
Well worth reading
I’m quite behind all the cool kids with this one but it’s worth linking to anyway.
If you’ve got a few minutes go and read The Conservative Challenge by Sean Gabb. There’s a lot in it to think about, and articulates many of the reasons why I’m joining Old Holborn for his little walk, yes it’s only symbolic, yes it won’t achieve much – but symbols are important and exercising our legal rights to look silly in a quiet and peaceful fashion is important. It may make people think, or at least wonder what we’re up to, it may give us a chance to explain some of the stuff we’re worried about to other people, and it will give us the chance to remind a few PCSO’s and real police that people do have rights and that some of us will exercise them.
24 hours left on petition
I know it won’t do any good, but the petition that our glorious leader should resign has only 24 hours left to go.
It’s still the most popular petition on the Number 10 website, but with so little time left if you’ve not signed it yet you’d best hurry. You can sign it here.
Another post elsewhere to read
I do hope this doesn’t become too much of a habit, but another post elsewhere that really is worth going to read (via Long Rider):
That’s right whip the Libertarian* by Bella Gerens
A nice neat simple summation of libertarianism.
* Please assume I made the obvious “They’ll enjoy it” joke. Thanks.
Handy post of the day
Old Holborn has a handy list of the various fraudulant claims made by our members of parliament. Who are now whinging about having to pay some of it back, when anyone else would be up before the courts.
Do check if your MP’s there or if he’s missed anyone.
Post of the day
I know another post of the day and little more than a week since the last one. However I don’t intend to make a habit of it, and this post by the ever excellent Charlotte Gore is well worth the read:
“They’ve created a hostile, malicious, suspicious country full of jealousy, envy, anger and hatred, winners and losers at each other’s throats because they know the only difference is that one’s got the Government on their side and the other’s got the Government actively working against them.“
Plugging friends again
so someone else I know has dipped their toes into the cold and murky waters of blogging, and are far more likely to do a better job of it than I have. An ex-journalist (though as he’s started blogging so soon I wonder how big an ex that is) and all round good chap, I commend A Compendium of Mallin Miscellany for your delectation.
Not much there yet but I suspect this is one to watch for a feet firmly on ground no tin foil in sight perspective.
UK terror threat status
- Severe 2010/01/25