Post hoc ergo propter hoc?

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Just listening to the news on the BBC. An unfortunate woman out on a street in an English town had a paper tissue blown out of her hand, and out of sight, by a gust of wind, and was handed a £50 litter fine by a "street warden", whatever that is.

In other news, the number of people emigrating from the UK is now the highest since records began.

[Mich the Tester]

Just listening to the news on the BBC. An unfortunate woman out on a street in an English town had a paper tissue blown out of her hand, and out of sight, by a gust of wind, and was handed a £50 litter fine by a "street warden"

Is that English for Obersturmbannführer?

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Is that English for Obersturmbannführer?

I don't think so, that's an officer's rank, ISTM that a street warden would be some kind of NCO. I am saddened by this sort of idea that we the people are now seen as the foot soldiers who need watchers to keep us in line.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't think so, that's an officer's rank, ISTM that a street warden would be some kind of NCO. I am saddened by this sort of idea that we the people are now seen as the foot soldiers who need watchers to keep us in line.

I've come to the conclusion that most people don't really like liberty. They prefer to vote for a government who will make other people pay for them, think for them and control their little lives than come to grips with life as one big risky exercise with unknown dangers and unknown opportunities. Sad, I know, but as long as people write to the papers saying 'something must be done about...' or 'these people, coming here and ...', liberty will slip further from our grasp.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

I've come to the conclusion that most people don't really like liberty. They prefer to vote for a government who will make other people pay for them, think for them and control their little lives than come to grips with life as one big risky exercise with unknown dangers and unknown opportunities. Sad, I know, but as long as people write to the papers saying 'something must be done about...' or 'these people, coming here and ...', liberty will slip further from our grasp.

Yes, because, having so thoroughly approved of having their own lives controlled, they will see what a Good Thing it would be for your life to be controlled too.

I listened to an interesting demonstration of that on Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 today, discussing whether Google results should be censored (self- or other). One person argued forcefully that they should; for example, a video of someone being beheaded should NOT be able to be found on Google, on the grounds that it is shocking. He seemed genuinely to have no concept of the idea that, shocking as it might be, it should be up to everyone to make their own decision about it.