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September 14th, 2010
08:07 am - We might start breakin' fings
I'm sorry. I wasn't going to post any more about politics. This is kind of funny. I did laugh out loud. Is this statement from the president of the Police Superintendents' Association as crude a threat as it sounds?
"In an environment of cuts across the wider public sector, we face a period where disaffection, social and industrial tensions may well rise... We will require a strong, confident, properly trained and equipped police service... that believes it is valued by the government... (when) there is widespread disorder on our streets, it will not be police community support officers, or special constables or non-warranted police staff, journalists or politicians [who will be needed] to restore order. It will be our police officers and we must be sufficiently resilient to enable us to respond properly, professionally and safely with the minimum of force."
I don't know. It reminds me of this Monty Python sketch. ''Nice civil society you got here, guvnor. Shame if someone broke it. Shame if someone wasn't sufficiently resilient to respond with a minimum of force.'
People outside the UK might not understand a sinister bit of subtext in the speech.
"From the massacre in 1819, that took place not so many miles away from here... history teaches us that there will always be widespread threats to the public peace."
This is a clear reference to the Peterloo Massacre where Northern pro-democracy protesters were hacked down by law-enforcement (this was before the police as they currently exist were established). 15 killed, about 500 injured. Why does he reference this very famous event? What threat to the peace was there at Peterloo? It wasn't the protesters.
Shelley wrote The Masque of Anarchy about this massacre ('I met murder on the way/ He had a face like Castlereagh'). That's worth a read.
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Damn. We didn't think of leafletting the TUC conference. Maybe I can persuade G to go up there today.
PS Sabred not gunned, on the whole.
Edited at 2010-09-14 10:54 am (UTC) Give out the Masque of Anarchy, it's so brilliant
'Tis to let the Ghost of Gold
Take from toil a thousand fold,
More than e'er its substance could
In the tyrannies of old:
'Tis to be a slave in Soul,
And to bold no strong controul.
Over your own wills, but be
All that others make of ye.
And at length when ye complain,
With a murmur weak and vain,
'Tis to see the tyrant's crew
Ride over your wives and you:
Blood is on the grass like dew.
We do the "Rise like lions after slumber" bit at the anniversary commemorations (also we have it on a mug with the Cruikshank engraving - would you like one?) But I did print out a hundred of our basic flyers for the Heritage Open Days at the weekend, and I know G didn't get a chance to use them, so he can take those. He says he'll try to go in the morning. Sounds good. I will be in Manchester on Friday, and it woudl be nice to meet up. But I don't know how the day will play out - you are probably very busy. It would be great to see you! I don't think I'm particularly busy that day. |
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