Jurisprudence of Prevention? YOU BET!!!

[j2k4]

Even if they could lay their hands on a nuclear warhead and manage to explode it in a city it would change nothing and the loss of life would simply harden our position even more.

Why should we lose even one more life, Les?

Apart from that, witness the effect of the cartoon fiasco and tell me again about resolve...is not the press a main repository of freedom of speech?

They're shaking in their boots.

[Biggles]

The media and in pacticular the tabloid variety are bullies and their reaction is not particularly surprising. A lot of European media, in particular political magazines and the like, carried the cartoons and the good old Beeb showed them briefly when covering the story.

I agree, why lose one life but the means to protect life has to be sane. If we become so paranoid that joy goes from life then what is the point? The true victory over extremism is to live the lifes we want to lead with the absolute minimum of interference. Not impacting on our lives says more to them than battening down the hatches ever will.

[j2k4]

"Is it possible to go beyond such gut instincts and ad hoc decision making during a crises, and begin to develop a thoughtful set of standards for conduct in this dangerous new world?"

I certainly don't mind devoting some thought to this end, nor do I see a re-formulated and comprehensively preventive legal framework as coercive or oppressive.

I guess I see the point as a refinement of the current system, which is rendered rather slap-dash by events of the past few years.

[Biggles]

I have no problem with the legal minds tweaking the system to plug obvious gaps and loopholes.

I was just a bit less enthusiatic about some of the more Draconian measures. At the end of the day, gun boat diplomacy and assassinations are just that and they open the door to a free for all. To suggest that we might somehow dress up such actions in some legal finery seemed perverse to me.

[ilw]

"dangerous new world"
i think thats the crux of this, we have fundamentally different views of the world. Imo nothing has really changed and I feel perfectly safe.

[Biggles]

"dangerous new world"
i think thats the crux of this, we have fundamentally different views of the world. Imo nothing has really changed and I feel perfectly safe.

To be fair, neither do I.

I am much more concerned about whether the late winter has damaged any plants in my garden, which were fooled into thinking spring had arrived a couple of weeks ago.

I am far more likely to be run over by car (again ) than blown up.

[JPaul]

One sometimes suspects that the great and the good love these opportunities to diminish the rights and freedoms of the hoi polloi.

Great and Good - "People, you might be killed to death by bad men who aren't like us. We need new powers to stop that happening. Unfortunately that may mean you have less freedom and less privacy, but that's a small price to pay."

Hoi Polloi - "Fair point, I want my children to be safe and clever people can do that for me. Anyone who disagrees is a commie."

Terrorists - "Result"

[ilw]

I sincerely hope the libs get a decent wedge of the seats next time round. Theres an awful lot of legislation thats been bundled through (prevention of terrorism act tops my list) that needs serious rework and i have zero faith in cameron or brown.

[Biggles]

I sincerely hope the libs get a decent wedge of the seats next time round. Theres an awful lot of legislation thats been bundled through (prevention of terrorism act tops my list) that needs serious rework and i have zero faith in cameron or brown.

I find Cameron confusing. The only plus point is so do many Conservatives.

A quote from Gorgeous George, who strangely was on Radio 2 the day after Archer, "Brown and Blair are two cheeks of the same arse" Although, I think Brown might be the fairer of the two cheeks (albeit limited competition)

The best we can hope for is a minority Government, with Ming the Merciless holding the balance.

The US go to the polls this year at some time. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[j2k4]

[QUOTE=Biggles]

The US go to the polls this year at some time. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Yes-yes it will.