Death twitches my ear.  “Live,” he says, “I am coming.”

~ Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), Minor Poems, Copa

‘Jam tomorrow’ is the meme that gets us all through today. It is what makes us say to ourselves ‘five more weeks to the end of term’ as we prepare to face the lower Fourth one more time. It is what makes us clean the gutters of leaves on what may be the last sunny day of summer – when we would prefer to be lying on the beach. It is why we take on 25 year mortgages in the belief that one day it will be paid off and we can spend our money on ourselves.

Hope, belief in a sybaritic future stretching out before us; a future which will be better than the present.

One of the cruelest facets of a cancerous sarcoma such as I have, is not that is one is placed on a ‘whole life tariff’. It is that this whole life tariff contains endless reviews. Reviews that contain a glimmer of hope. Hope that there may be a better life ahead. If I could be sure that there was not another summer ahead of me – do you think I would chose to spend the day clearing the gutters? What matters it if they are blocked next winter? Not one jot. Carpe Diem. I can devote myself to selfish pleasures. I shall lie here and keep watch on the smoke bush, see if the white dove really is planning to build its nest there.

It would be a relief in fact. I could be sure that I was spending my days wisely. As it is, there is always another review coming up. Another scan due; ‘this one’ may change everything. I might have to live with those blocked gutters after all. Instead I have ‘now-you-see-it; now-you-don’t’. Many, many times I have wished the future was settled one way or the other. The uncertainty wraps its slimy fingers round every decision, every thought.

I give you that insight, as a foil to the current hysterical reaction to the news that the European Court of Human Rights insists that a similar uncertainty be inserted into the life of those prisoners on a whole life tariff.

No-no-no! Cry the soft hearted British public, these men have committed heinous crimes, they should be rewarded with the knowledge that they will die in prison. Besides, (*yawn*) what right has Brussels to tell us what to do.

Yes-yes-yes! Say I. Hold out the distant hope that they may be free of the drudgery of their day to day life. Give them 25 year-reviews. They will never know whether to indulge their pleasure of disembowelling another man in the showers, or to behave themselves in the hope of release. Should they chose the route of behaving themselves, they will kick themselves for having denied themselves their particular pleasures when the Home Secretary reviews their case and decides that actually they can just stay where they are, and sends them back for another 25 years….

They will never know how to conduct themselves from one day to the next. One minute they will give up hope and deck a goading prison officer, the next they will waste weeks in the nearest bible class. The uncertainty will infect every waking hour. Nothing could be crueller. It is, actually, how we used to manage murderers in this country. Until the turn of this century, a ‘life sentence’ only carried a minimum recommendation of term in exceptional circumstances, at the judge’s discretion. It was a genuinely indeterminate sentence, constantly under review depending on your behaviour and remorse.

Before you tell me that ‘they should be hung by the neck, not incarcerated’ – that is the easy option. If retribution is your goal, don’t hang ‘em, don’t lock ‘em up for life, leave ‘em trying to decide how to conduct their day to day life with just a tantalising glimmer of hope dangling 25 years in front of them. It’s vicious.

*Today’s decision is that I will clean the windows…

Dai Brainbocs
July 11, 2013 at 13:53

I believe that in Japan death sentences are carried out on the basis that
the convicted man (I don’t know if they hang women) gets no notice, so every
night could be his last but he won’t know it wasn’t until he survives the next
day. That’s still not as cruel as a case in Laos I read about a few years ago,
where three alleged co-conspirators were put in the same cell but not allowed
to talk.

therealguyfaux
July 11, 2013 at 12:58

Unless you are prepared to keep prisoners in a bare cell, alone, at all
times except bathing and a small amount of fresh-air exercise, you cannot
insure they will not injure or kill fellow convicts. Unless you are willing to
assign an extraction team of 6ft+, 16-st-of-solid-muscle officers to remove
him from his cell every time he leaves it and stand constant watch upon him,
you cannot insure he will not injure or kill HM Prisons personnel. Anyone who
advocates the throw-him-under-the-jail-and-let-him-rot solution had better
consider this.

My own personal belief is that there are some persons whose continued
presence upon Earth is an affront to humanity which need not be borne and
taken in stride. Hence, my belief is that capital punishment is, quite simply,
the ultimate sanction of incapacitation, which, at bottom, is all there is to
incarceration. We may maunder all we like about rehabilitation, justice for
the victims, etc, etc, but all we really can expect from any prison system is
that it incapacitate a person from being able to commit crimes at will at the
time and place of that person’s choosing.

That having been said, if anyone has a moral problem with the putting to
death of a criminal, let me propose another solution, which some may find even
more barbaric, but is consistent with the incapacitation principle without the
loss of life: Why not lobotomise them and turn them essentially into drooling
idiots? Make no mistake, I am in earnest here– this is not being said for any
shock value. If you are going to keep them alive and under the eye of keepers
at all times, for the rest of their lives, would you not rather have someone
unlikely to do those keepers or fellow inmates any harm? And for that matter,
assuming they are literally reduced to blithering imbeciles, could you not, at
some point, release them into community if there is someone willing to
undertake their care?

Someone explain to me why having a fully-lucid, unrepentant sociopathic
individual, who would kill you as soon as look at you, caged like an animal
for the remainder of his life is nothing more than an amoral retributive
sadism of its own sort which ill befits a civilised society. I don’t look for
him to suffer– I just don’t want it ever again for it to be possible he can
make anyone else suffer.

Moor
Larkin July 11, 2013 at 10:11

@ clever lawyers dancing attention at the state’s expense. In a sense they
are on a power trip. @

They may trip themselves up eventually:

“The European Court of Justice (ECJ) needs more judges to cope with a
backlog of cases, the government said in the House of Commons on 12 July 2012.
Europe Minister David Lidington backed plans by the EU to send more lawyers to
the court’s Grand Chamber, which handles its most sensitive cases. He said:
“The purpose of this is to allow broader participation by ECJ judges in
general in Grand Chamber cases, to increase the wider expertise of the court
and ensure greater consistency in the way in which cases are handled…………………..
Shadow Europe minister Emma Reynolds backed the government’s motion, but
added: “There is a question as to whether these reforms go far enough……………….
The motion was agreed without a vote. ”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9736000/9736916.stm

Ms Mildred July 11, 2013 at 09:07

In this houshold too we struggle with a serious cancer for the last five
years. Wondering whether the next 6 monthly biopsy will have the dreaded ‘full
penetration’ result. The nervous tension is unbelievable. Most are either dead
or ‘cured’ in that time scale. We are at the ages that you wonder how you are
going to die rather than when. These evil men and women can remain in prison
forever, as far as I am concerned. They deserve to be there until they die. I
do not like the death penalty because of the mistakes and arguments over this
measure. I remember when the Seven Sisters Road murderers had been hung at
Pentonville in the late fifties. The naysayers and supporters were having a go
at one another around the bus I took to London that day. It was very
frightening. The way the minds of these murderers work is beyond our worst
imaginings. I suspect the main appeals motivation is to annoy the state,
government and the establishment. It decreases boredom, gives them targets to
aim at and provides outings with clever lawyers dancing attention at the
state’s expense. In a sense they are on a power trip.

Fat Steve July 11, 2013 at 08:31

Can’t say I have much interest in what happens to murderers particularly
any punishment of them save I think once someone has murdered I am not sure
anyone can say they won’t do it again and so whole life tariffs seem to make
sense —issues of guilt and innocence are a matter for the Courts and mistakes
are made the whole time. Much more interesting is the Raccoon I see from my
window who looks a little pensive this morning —doubt I could ever give such a
clever creature worthwhile advice but if I thought I could it might be ‘Work
as if you are going to live forever, Live as if you are going to die
tomorrow’. Bet she knows that already though

Andrew Gunning
July 10, 2013 at 23:54

Anna, you did nothing to deserve your (unknown) fate. Those men did.

I have every sympathy with you; nine years ago today, my wife died of
breast cancer. I have no sympathy with murderers.

Mudplugger July 10, 2013 at 20:45

Setting aside the unacceptable interference of the European Court, we come
back to whether a death penalty is valid. My faith in the criminal justice
system is so low that I could not support a state-imposed death sentence for
any criminal conviction – simply because the system gets it wrong, and no
amount of post-mortem pardons can make anyone un-dead.

However, a whole-life sentence is perfectly acceptable, because this gives
the opportunity for appeal, new evidence, alternate culprit etc. to allow an
erroneously-convicted one to be freed and, if appropriate, compensated.

But as a refinement, I would seek to make any whole-life sentence a deeply
unpleasant, utterly mundane, isolated and completely pointless existence. In
parallel with that, I would allow any such ‘lifer’ to request, at any time,
painless voluntary euthanasia. That way, the ‘state’ isn’t killing them by its
imperfect judicial system, but the guilty one has requested that exit
him/herself. Their choice, everyone wins.

Disenfranchised of Buckingham July 11, 2013 at 00:39

If you must keep them alive dump them on Rockall and let them fend for
themselves.

Elena ‘andcart
July 10, 2013 at 19:57

I do not and never will support The Death Penalty, but only because I think
that it is wrong to do this. So hanging or executing innocents never comes
into it for me. It is just wrong. And I very much doubt that any convicted
murderer would rather die than stay in prison for the rest of their
lives.
And if people cannot see this then I despair for them. And I despair
for their inhumanity because they are nearly as bad as the people that they
want to kill.

rdc July 10,
2013 at 20:36

Elena…. I can’t respect your view…. the death penalty is not for everyone
I know…… but don’t despair for my inhumanity….. its not about being
inhuman….it’s about saying enough is enough. Hanging innocents ? let’s start
with say…. Dale Cregan ….. no problem there then…. lets now go for say…… Ian
Huntley….. erm still no problem….. then there’s….Mark Bridger….. Ian
Brady….Jason Richard’s ……Ben Hope……. What about Kenneth Noye…. then maybe
David Mcgreavy……..Mick Phillpot……. the list goes on and on…..and so far, not
one innocent amongst them….. I have been on this planet 50 years, so perhaps
trawling through the records I reckon I can get not one innocent amongst
them….. Remember James Hanratty ? ….they all swore blind he was innocent….
wroooooong ….his DNA proved it was him.

But don’t be fooled by those of us clamoring for the death penalty…. we
are not mad extremists….. we are not inhuman….. we are ordinary hard working
law abiding citizens… who believe the time has come to say we are sick and
tired of seeing the same crappy headlines day after day.

AR’s blog today is very noble and gives a new perspective on this
subject, but there is one flaw…it is this….. I would say that AR appreciates
the sanctity of life….. I might even go as far to say cancer has heightened
that awareness…… Well I also appreciate the sanctity of life, I am not ill
and yes I propose the death sentence…… a contradiction ? No, because the toe
rags I am referring to DO NOT appreciate the sanctity of life. Dale Cregan,
is a ruthless and evil bastard…. he is beyond humanity…. the way he
slaughtered those 2 police woman was pure evil. So the removal of Dale
Cregan from this life is not inhuman….it is removing evil from society…. to
use the analogy…removing a cancer from the human race.

I am an ordinary middle aged, slightly over weight, married man with 2
grown up daughters. I am an everyday bloke who tries to live a good life……
but I am sick of seeing good people taken from this planet, by bastards who
have no moral-legal-compassionate ounce of blood in their body.

So please do not despair for me……despair for those who lost their life at
the hands of these bastards……. regardless of whether you support the death
sentence or not.

Elena
‘andcart July 10, 2013 at 21:16

You really don’t understand, do you. This is sad. But never mind. The
Death Penalty won’t ever be reinstituted in The UK or France. So only the
likes of your thinking will be angry.
I won’t bore you with what most
people have to say because these arguments are irrelevant to me.

The Sanctity of Life? Precisely.

charlotte
July 10, 2013 at 21:43

I feel the same way as Elena. For me the death penalty is legalised
murder and I want no part of it. In my heart it feels totally wrong for
any crime. Some people say that if a policeman is murdered then the
penalty should be death, I say why is the life of a policeman worth more
than anyone else’s? Some say, how would you feel if your child was
murdered? I say how would you feel if your child were on death row? The
death penalty is too barbaric for me and I won’t be brought down to the
same level as a killer. However, life in prison should mean life in
prison, that is the right thing to do. I don’t believe the European
courts should meddle in our judicial affairs.

Disenfranchised of Buckingham July 11, 2013 at 00:37

But why should I pay to keep someone in prison just because you’re
squeamish? The average direct cost of a prisoner is £40,000 per year
in round numbers. Keep someone locked up for 25 years and that’s a
million quid. I reckon an extra million well spent can save more than
1 life. Why waste it preserving a murderous SOB?

Moor Larkin July 11, 2013 at 08:17

I’ll bet that almost none of that money ever reaches the prisoner
even, but is swallowed up by an overweening bureaucracy. I remember
that strange period in the 80′s was it? When Strangeways and one or
two other prisons had roof occupations and they were trashing the
places like something out of Riot on Cell Block 11, and it seemed to
be all about the fact that conditions in there had become less than
tolerable..

In the US Robert Stroud was locked up for over 50 years. I wonder
if the US government would nowadays demand Burt Lancaster hand over
the first £2M in receipts from his Birdman of Alcatraz movie. A new
form of PPP maybe? Perhaps a perfect combination of politicians, the
legal profession and celebrity could develop out of this.

rdc July 11,
2013 at 08:53

Elena, you are right, I agree…. I am angry

Mina Field July 10, 2013 at 19:36

They know they aren’t ever going to get a review that serves to free them.
They just enjoy all this human rights litigation because it helps to pass the
time.

binao July 10, 2013 at 19:10

We may think that any of our close family are capable of rehabilitation. We
just know.
For everybody else prompt retribution, preferably zero tolerance
to make the example would be about right.
Even though ‘making an example’
would be an unfair labour practise in the workplace.

We might need to accept that for some human behaviour problems there simply
is no answer that is fair to all or even some of those involved.
Just do
the best we can and avoid revenge. Accept that we’ll get it wrong some times
because we’re not clever enough.

Even so I’ve often had the thought of automatic execution of certain
offenders, followed by an immediate pardon in case we got it wrong. Tidy and
cheap. Just wouldn’t want anybody I know to be sacrificed to society in this
fashion.

Elena ‘andcart
July 10, 2013 at 18:09

I am pretty certain that this does not mean that any old murderer has to be
set free at any given time. It will always be for The Parole Board to decide
if said murderer is in fact no longer a danger.
Okay, The Parole Board do
not always get it right. But it is inhumane to totally deprive anyone of hope,
regardless of what they have done in the past.
So I suppose I care more
about who I am than who they were.
We are all responsible for society’s
misfits, blah, blah, blah. And they are all some mother’s son or daughter.
Further blahs. But I happen to believe that this is true. And I have to
believe it because humanity is dead if I don’t.

carol42 July 10, 2013 at 17:48

There have been a few murderers released who killed again, what about their
victims? I appreciate the strain of uncertainty, as you know I have also been
down the cancer road and that’s what I hate most about it. I have been lucky
so far but that is only valid until the next scan in August. Personally there
are some, especially child killers, I would happily see strung up. I doubt the
ruling will make any difference and your viewpoint is interesting.

rdc July 10, 2013
at 16:37

An interesting slant on this subject…but sometimes….just sometimes…. we do
want to say ……fook it….get me a rope…we need more rope….. Look at the parents
of Daniel Pelka….. now, I know the trial is still on going and all that…but
his sodding parents….. the justice system should just stand them against a
wall and drive a 44 tonne truck at them full pelt……. keeping those bastards
alive is a complete waste of time money and effort. Sure their vicious
punishment of not knowing whether they will get out of prison or not….. who
cares…. there are good people in this world taken from this life by a cruel a
fate… as you say it could even be cancer….. it could be my wife……I should know
I’m in the Cancer Husband club… but sometimes…just sometimes… society also
needs to have the courage to say enough is enough…… it’s not about
retribution…. it’s not about revenge…..its not about justice…. and it sure as
hell is nothing to do with rehabilitation….. christ sake look at that complete
cnut Dale Cregan….. for some people it is too late.

So by all means fill our jails with MP’s who lie about speeding or lie
about their expenses… fill prison with with murderers….. but for some people….
it is necessary to just call time……MORE ROPE PLEASE !

Moor
Larkin July 10, 2013 at 22:33

Expanding on the old adage, “Give ‘em enough rope and they’ll hang
themselves”, a system of voluntary self-euthanasia might seem a more modern
option than involuntary execution by neck-breaking. Some modified version of
the sort of self-administered morphine infusions for patients in hospital,
(that I am vaguely aware of) could allow a ‘lifer’ to end things earlier
than otherwise would have occurred. I had thought the main difficulty might
be having a management system to ensure it only happened voluntarily, but
the bigger barrier is that it seems to be against the Human Rights laws.

http://www.mojuk.org.uk/MOJUK2012/’DutyofCare’ToPreventSuicide.html
Chamber
judgment in the case of Ketreb v. France(application no. 38447/09), which is
not final’, the European Court of Human Rights held, by a majority, that
French Authorities Failure to Prevent Suicide in Prison had
been:
Violation of Article 2 (right to life) of the European Convention
on Human Rights; and,
Violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or
degrading treatment) of the Convention.

JuliaM July 11,
2013 at 05:22

“…the justice system should just stand them against a wall and drive a
44 tonne truck at them full pelt…”

Seems like a waste of a perfectly good truck. And wall.

rdc July 11,
2013 at 09:10

aaah Julia….. sometimes we need to make sacrifices….. for this
couple….. I’ll happily make the sacrifice and fund the cost of the truck
and the wall…… let’s face it …. Top Gear did it in the name of
entertainment….. So for these 2 now on trial, I am more than happy to lose
a truck and wall in the process….. what got me about the step-dad, was
that he is giving his evidence through an interpreter….. he told the court
how he accidentally broke Daniel’s arm playing hide and seek, but he
claimed he did not take him to hospital for fear they would not believe
him…. so he left this boy with a broken arm and the pain that would give
all because he was more concerned about self preservation…… get me a
sledge hammer, and when I break that step-dads arm….. I bet you wouldn’t
an interpreter to understand his reaction. As for the mother…..just where
do you start…. this case is not about child cruelty….. they tortured
Daniel. The Jordanians had to promise they wouldn’t torture Abu Qatada
before they were allowed to get their hands on him….. but gawd knows what
would have happened if they had handed him over to Magdelena Luczak.

charlotte July 10, 2013 at 16:21

All of the murderers mentioned in today’s popsicle press have been very
high profile killers; Jeremy Bamber and Mrs West etc. and they deserve to be,
along with all of the others. I’m only sorry that they don’t get hard labour –
stripped to the waist shovelling coal or something as medieval. Like many
people I feel all of these awful, greedy people lost their human rights when
the guilty verdict was read out by the judge. What’s to review? In USA
prisoners are incarcerated for years and them put to death, I can’t imagine
they would take cheerily to anyone poking their noses into their business. The
UK grew up a long time ago, we don’t need help form Europe to tell us how to
deal with our prison and sentencing system, and I feel there has been too much
interference from Europe to date in UK affairs.
My mantra is ‘Live every
day as if it’s your last, because one day it will be’

rabbitaway July 10, 2013 at 15:09

I wonder how the concept of a ‘life’ sentence came about. The general
public is right to be outraged when they hear that ‘life’ imprisonment is
really a misnomer in that some ‘lifer’s are released after serving less than
10 years inside. Yes, that’s > 10 years for taking another persons ‘life’.
The concept of ‘whole life tariff’ was, I suppose, developed as a means to
ensure that SOME murderers, whose heads render them so mashed up to ‘see the
light’ and error of their ways, indeed, never again have the joy of witnessing
THE light of day outside of a very small prison window. Personally, I think
that ALL murderers should be accorded this ‘life’ sentence, but that’s me
being subjective. You see, when someone you love is killed unlawfully by
another, you do actually want to see that the ‘victims’ life was worth more
than a couple of years, a slap on the wrist as it were. I don’t agree with
Capitol punishment, I used to, until I read about Derek Bentley and other
crazy verdicts handed down over the years. We need good judges administrating
sensible, consistent sentences. No one should ‘get away’ with their first
murder, and the fact that they are released and repeat the offence is awful to
say the least.

DtP July 10, 2013 at 14:06

Brilliant, Anna, muchos gracias. I quite agree. I guess there needs to be a
split between the justice meted out by the European Court and whether the
blinkin’ tabloids agree with it, which seems rare. And considering how bloody
inept our own judges are, how much cash was pissed down the drain creating the
Supreme Court (when it isn’t, couldn’t be and never will be) and the general
random bullshit of political interference and group think mentality that
resides in their foisty wigs then my interest diminishes vastly. There’s a
boozer right next to Wakey maximum security prison and the natives (and me on
a couple of occassions) take to signing highly inappropriate songs with
bacchanalial delight on summer’s evenings just to really goad the liferes.
Naughty!

However, on the meatier part of your thread, namely, domestic err…bliss, a
ferkin’ ‘Community Ranger’ left a note through my letterbox telling me to cut
down my triffids in 2 weeks or else – ‘oooohh, thinks I, you cheeky cove – wtf
are you and when did you get legitimacy?’. I bet this is how Old Holborn
started, I may need a lie down! Oh, and as always, good luck with the other
thing.

JuliaM July 11,
2013 at 05:20

“… a ferkin’ ‘Community Ranger’…”

*boggle*

Dioclese July 10,
2013 at 13:48

Were it not for the expense and the legal wrangling I might agree. Much is
said that such treatment of murders is inhuman but I would argue that hanging
them would be more humane than permanent or indefinite incarceration. I would
happy carry out the sentence and sleep soundly in my bed at night.

“Ah but what if you executed an innocent man?” I hear you ask. Well, the
judge and jury did that. I just pulled the lever.

See http://dioclese.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/theres-2-bs-in-justice.html

DisenfranchisedOfBuckingham July 10, 2013 at 15:44

Agreed. The jury are responsible for the verdict.

And if the wrong man hangs then you have to ask how could the jury have
decided “beyond reasonable doubt”? I blame that on the system. So much crap
is discussed in court that has nothing to do with guilt or innocence that
the truth gets lost in the noise.

Any trial longer than a day or two can’t be valid. If it takes longer
than that then the evidence is inadequate. If it requires “expert” witnesses
then the evidence is not clear and a reasonable man must have reasonable
doubts.

Michael J.
McFadden July 10, 2013 at 12:56

Anna, a very thoughtful and insightful way of looking at life and one’s
future. Very few people, whether they’re well or ill, are willing to accept
future uncertainty: they just go on with the full assumption that they’re
going to be living for another X number of years (until they’re at least 90 or
something) and spend an enormous amount of energy in their lives worrying
about ensuring that.

And then they get hit by a trolley. (Or a bus or a lorry… they all leave
you just as flat.)

Those of us (no idea about you Anna, but speaking for me ‘n m’like…) who
grew up in the 60s and 70s had a strange perception of life planning as
children. We were constantly aware that at any moment the sirens might go off
and that we’d have about 15 minutes before being melted into thermonuclear
oblivion. I think that led to a lot of folks truly living by the Carpe Diem
philosophy: after all, why fret about a 30 year mortgage when you figured you
had a 50/50 chance of being around for the five (or, depending on the news,
the next five… hours.)

Today it’s the opposite extreme, at least for those of us lucky enough to
be born into moderately fortunate circumstances: we assume we’re going to live
83.4 years, unless we smoke, and it goes down to 78.7, or we eat that
chocolate muffin and it just dips to 83.39, and we spend out time PLANNING for
our lives instead of LIVING them.

Very sad.

There’s something very much to be said for Carpe Diem, as long as one takes
it in moderation.

Best wishes to you m’lady! Keep on bloggin’!

Michael

Elena ‘andcart
July 10, 2013 at 11:46

I worry about when I will be able to afford to replace my rotting windows.
And then I think, For Christ’s sake, I could be dead before they fall to bits,
so what’s the point in worrying about it.
As for The European Court, I can
hardly applaud them for forcing Britain to pay me The Winter Fuel Allowance
and then castigate the same Court for giving prisoners hope. Although I don’t
actually care for how long they go on hoping.
However, if I win my case for
back payments on the WFA, which I suspect I might, I will be able to buy a lot
of windows.
Funny how things sometimes come together.

Ms Mildred July 10, 2013 at 10:58

It is more the fact that UK cannot punish its criminals in the way our
judges and juries decree after being found guilty, that annoys the Euro
Sceptics amongst us….we just want them to be punished our way. At this time I
am educating myself about the EU by reading Aurevoir Europe: What if Britain
left the EU? by David Charles. He describes many ways that Brussels intrudes
into our own ways of running public services and our own affairs. There are
frequent additions to rules already agreed. Many of which cause employers
heavy additional expenses. Effect the economy and good treatment of patients(
lack of continuity and agency workers). Working time directive to 48hrs weekly
is a basket case of a ruling. It is festooned with complex additions so that
its tortuosity is unbelievably bonkers. Fireman fear that the rules affecting
our retained fireman will put lives in danger in the UK if Brussels overcomes
UK exemption. If Brussels does not like something: pressure is applied until
the country toes the line; Ireland springs to mind.We force you to keep voting
until you submit. Poland has charismatic guy who has formed a cabal of former
Eastern Bloc countries for more clout in Brussles. Think how low now are our
chances to get more than a few votes in that crazy Eurovision song contest.
The author is very direct that the trading effects of leaving the EU may be
dire and not to rely heavily on the Commonwealth to bail us out. Though there
is huge potential there but……Brussels threat to our financial services sector
is very serious for our economical wellbeing. There is a deep well of
emnity/envy in Europe against the former power of the UK. Some would like us
run out of our pretences to be powerful in world affairs. Subjugated to a
minor, or no role. That would be very painful for some. The biggest conumdrum
that ever was invented by man. A FREE TRADE bloc made into a ‘nanny knows
best’ fest on a grandiose scale. A thorn in the side of our politicians since
1973. We will be unable to safely make an escape from this one size fits all
philosophy, so it seems.

Stewart
Cowan July 10, 2013 at 10:30

“…the next they will waste weeks in the nearest bible class.”

I know a man who spent ten years inside for killing another man. He
“wasted” his time going to hear a prison preacher, laughed and joked about it
at first, then it changed his life. Since his release several years ago, he
has been going round churches preaching and schools warning of the dangers of
carrying knives.

DisenfranchisedOfBuckingham July 10, 2013 at 10:26

I have no problem shorting the sentences of whole life prisoners – provided
they stay whole life. Where is Pierrepoint when you need him?

Budvar July 11, 2013 at 11:59

Old man Pierrepoint (not his lad who had the pub in Manchester) used to
live in the same village as my dad.
He (Pierrepoint, not my dad) was as
mad as a shithouse rat. I recall my dad telling me the tale of one day
Pierrepoint had been “Worried” by a bull in a field, and he ran through the
village screaming with a sack over his head.

macheath July 10,
2013 at 10:24

Awe-inspiring, Anna!

Much of our penal system was devised at a time when, in the eyes of many,
the ultimate certainty awaiting life prisoners – or those executed – in the
form of divine judgement, fear of which was supposed to dictate how they
approached their sentence. As in so many other British institutions – moral
education of the young, social welfare, elderly care – the decline of religion
left an awkward gap in the original structure.

That is not to say that we need religion; simply that the systems that once
relied on it as an integral part should be effectively re-engineered to
compensate.

Anna
Raccoon July 10, 2013 at 10:34

“That is not to say that we need religion; simply that the systems that
once relied on it as an integral part should be effectively re-engineered to
compensate.”

A superb insight Macheath.

Moor Larkin July 10, 2013 at 11:41

When Ian Brady surfaced recently, it was noticeable in the vox-pops in
the papers, that when someone said,”they should just let him starve
himself to death”, many would pop up saying something along the lines of,
“No – he must be kept alive so he can suffer as long as possible.”

Hell on earth…..