SUGGESTATION

(via Bloggerheads)

Seems that you can’t even go for a drive in private these days… Well, of course, we all knew that really, but who expected traffic camera images to be transmitted to the US? That reciprocal is it? Yeeeaaaah. Didn’t think so.

Not the only big brother story floating about today.

Came across this Times article on Blears talking about immigration’s effect on communities etc etc. Usual stuff, stretches resources, can’t be sure of the impact, need to gather more data etc, with a throwaway comment towards the end about using footfall in supermarkets to measure population growth. Boggle. I didn’t think too much of that, but someone else did -

Supermarkets ’should spy on migrants’

Ho ho. Paying in cash? Sound foreign? Let our supermarket checkout assistant guess your nationality. Stay off the couscous!

Bit of an overreaction I think, though it’s been a long day and I’m tired. Would you get any meaningful data at all out of supermarkets? Certainly not on nationality - and even straight up population figures are surely going to be skewed by a whole heap of variables in different towns.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/16/immigrationpolicy.immigration

The Guardian has an article up on a study conducted for the Association of Chief Police Officers, which shows that despite scare stories in the tabloid media about an influx of eastern european immigrants causing a massive crimewave in the UK, crime rates in general have continued to fall - rises in crime numbers have only been proportional to the increase in population. In other words, immigrants are no more likely to commit crime than the British born populace.

Tabloids often like to confuse rates with simple figures - One of the biggest issues highlighted is the burden that immigrants place on infrastructure and public services. Problem is, that despite the increased tax revenue that immigrants bring, public spending has not risen in line. The problem is solveable, but it is much easier to blow a dogwhistle blaming immigration for the deterioration in services, or flat increases in crime figures than to open up purse strings.

I’m trying very hard to refrain from writing a few lines about everything Justin twitters - very difficult though, he’s a cornucopia of interesting links.

This time I couldn’t resist. Daniel Davies has a CiF article up proclaiming the death of the Euston Manifesto.

The Euston Manifesto had a big impact on me when I first encountered it. I’d stumbled from blog to blog reading diverse opinions on the Iraq war, interventionism, and foreign policy in general - the EM was supposed to be a consolidation of ‘decent’ opinion - neither neocons nor islamists. Ho ho. I left a few comments around the blogosphere trying to get a handle on what this manifesto meant, but only slowly came to the dawning realisation that this group had a wildly different political outlook to my own.

The biggest impact (revelations of Jherad,2:1) to me was in highlighting the very real divides in lefty politics. I’ve learned to be a little more cautious these days - I’m almost afraid of commenting on something good a journalist writes in case they turn out to be a raving loon.

These days, the word ‘decent‘ carries a nasty connotation for non-Eustonites in the know. Lines were drawn in the sand, but it isn’t just them and us - plenty of other lefties get my back up. I’m glad the Euston Manifesto is dead or dying - though there are big divides in the right wing of politics, they always seem (at least to me) to pull together when it comes to elections. The EM was a very visible sign of the rift on the left.

(via Chickyog)

An incredibly moving post by Rachel North on the 7/7 bombings. First, as PDF notes in the comments there, it is important for everyone to put down harmful conspiracy theories. I am possibly the least known blogger on the planet, but if I can get one friend, work colleague, relative or random browser to read this, then great.

There is a lot we don’t know about the events on 7/7 (and indeed 9/11) - but we are also starting to hear the good, documented evidence. Conspiracy theorists often dismiss outright any evidence which contradicts their viewpoint, and in doing so debase the search for truth - something which hurts the very real survivors and bereaved relatives of those lost in these terrible events.

There are very good activists who question establishment narratives, and push for deeper investigation into events. The difference between these people and the conspiraloons is that they base their opinion on an objective view of evidence, rather than looking for evidence to support a proconceived opinion. We’ve all heard stories on how evidence was gathered, shaped and accepted or discarded in order to make a case for for the war in Iraq - conspiracy theory is constructed in the same way. Fitting that some of the most anti-establishment nuts adopt some of the worst examples of establishment behaviour.

Rachel’s piece is moving as it tells the story of one of the bombers, Mohammed Siddique Khan, saying goodbye to his two year old child before leaving. We must remember that we are facing human beings with human motives, hopes, fears and ambitions. When we devolve those we fear into some biblical ‘evil’ force, we cannot hope to understand. We do not have to agree with, appreciate, or in any way condone their motives - but without understanding, we cannot hope to succeed.

Recent reports suggest that the Information Commissioner Office may force Phorm to be opt-in.

Good news then it seems, although it does appear that both the ICO and the home office have refused to clamp down (so far) on Phorm using current interception laws. The ’service’ has yet to start trials, and more may be decided once these are ongoing.

Phorm is obviously keen to press ahead. In a statement to The Register:

We’re very confident, as has been the case with the DPA and RIPA, that closer scrutiny will demonstrate that the way in which we obtain consent will substantially exceed any legal requirement.

Hah.

Blood and Treasure has a post up about an Independent article concerning those nice cuddly students in blue tracksuits escorting the Olympic torch.

Turns out that they’re… not students. They’re members of the People’s Armed Police, a paramilitary group responsible for repressing political demonstrations in China / Tibet.

Go Olympic spirit!

Gordon, you cheeky little devil - you knew, didn’t ya.

Update: Beau Bo D’or has the best pictures