A Whiff Of Totalitarianism
Nov. 29th, 2008 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloDocuments were leaked from the Home Office and ended up in the hands of the Shadow Minister for Immigration. They didn't contain national secrets, merely information embarrassing to the Government. The police were called in; they arrested the Shadow Minister, ransacked his house and searched his private office in the House of Commons.
The Shadow Minister was doing his job- part of which is to embarrass the Government. That is how things work in a democracy. Only totalitarian states use the police to intimidate the Opposition.
Or so we thought.
Or perhaps Britain under Gordon Brown is a totalitarian state.
The story has been overshadowed by events in Mumbai. That's a shame. Here's a discussion of the ins and outs of the affair- fair-minded as usual- from my favourite newspaper columnist, Matthew Parris.
I was softening towards Gordon Brown. He has- ever since banks started collapsing left, right and centre- looked like a man who knows what he's doing. This affair is a reminder of how clumsy and anti-democratic his instincts- and those of his government- are.
Reminder to self: You must never, ever cast a vote in support of Gordon Brown, or anyone remotely connected with him.
The Shadow Minister was doing his job- part of which is to embarrass the Government. That is how things work in a democracy. Only totalitarian states use the police to intimidate the Opposition.
Or so we thought.
Or perhaps Britain under Gordon Brown is a totalitarian state.
The story has been overshadowed by events in Mumbai. That's a shame. Here's a discussion of the ins and outs of the affair- fair-minded as usual- from my favourite newspaper columnist, Matthew Parris.
I was softening towards Gordon Brown. He has- ever since banks started collapsing left, right and centre- looked like a man who knows what he's doing. This affair is a reminder of how clumsy and anti-democratic his instincts- and those of his government- are.
Reminder to self: You must never, ever cast a vote in support of Gordon Brown, or anyone remotely connected with him.
