RIPA and file-sharing??

[David Hansen]

On 1 Feb 2008 at 13:01, Ian Batten wrote:

> Indeed.  Labour MPs have exempted themselves and their families from 
> appearing on most population registers (tax records, ContactPoint)  citing
> `security'.  I think `cowards' is the only word that  is  apposite.

I agree, but it is worse than that. Mr Liar and his entourage would 
exploit anybody's medical condition in furtherance of their party aims. 
There are a number of examples. However, on at least two occasions he 
expected his family to be treated entirely differently to the way he 
treated us plebs. The question of MMR jabs for one child and the 
attempted suicide of another are the occasions.

> And yet there is no bunker  deep enough that Gordon
> Brown will feel safe.  He expects  steadfastness from solider, sailors,
> airmen and civilians, but  demands protection and security for his own
> family.

I'm not sure that he is as cowardly as Mr Liar, though I have not met 
him since he ceased being my MP. Mr Brown undoubtedly learnt a lot 
about life and death when he lived in a manse, his eye damage was 
caused by playing rugby too seriously.

I suspect that a large part of the problem is officials, though 
grandees need to have the courage to tell officials they are being over-
protective. Certainly the police here started off by making fools of 
themselves, but they seem to have calmed down a bit now.

One of their silliest ideas was to put parking cones along the road 
where Mr Brown's house is. If one wanted to know precisely where he 
lives, on the rare occasions he bothers to come to Scotland, then the 
centre of the stretch of parking cones on the road was a very good 
guess. It is one of the few examples where security through obscurity 
is a sensible approach. I mentioned this in another place. A week or 
two later I happened to look up from my paper at just the right time 
(and happened to be on the right side of the train facing the right 
way) to notice that the cones were no longer there and had not been 
replaced with the even sillier yellow lines that were once proposed. No 
doubt entirely coincidence, but I did smile briefly. Perhaps as a 
dangerous intellectual who lives in the area some bored official or 
computer is keeping an eye on me. Perhaps I should feel slighted if 
they are not:-)

The police also showed discrimination by harassing pedestrians walking 
along the road and people waiting at bus stops, but there were no 
reported examples of them similarly harassing motorists. The harassment 
appears to have stopped now, perhaps the police have grown-up. I have 
walked along that road on odd occasions since 1985, without once 
wanting to attack anyone and see no reason why some bod should 
illegally demand my personal details or search me just to relieve their 
boredom. I will still be walking along that road on odd occasions after 
the police have taken themselves elsewhere. I doubt if I will want to 
attack anyone then either.


-- 
  David Hansen, Edinburgh 
 I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents 
me   
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54