Comments on Tory Bear - right-wing political gossip: Guest Post - I Challenge You To Care

Thanks for printing, and the comments. I guess the...

2009-08-13T00:23:46.039+01:00

Thanks for printing, and the comments. I guess the dilemma of a police blogger is how far along the political road do you tread? We can easily point out what's wrong, but talking policy and taking sides politically is out-and-out against our code of conduct. So there's a balance, and we can only "suggest" answers.

OK - so I just re-read this post and, yes, I still...

2009-08-12T14:32:38.652+01:00

OK - so I just re-read this post and, yes, I still can't quite grasp it!

"I challenge you to care?" - was a lack of caring ever really the problem? Is there mass apathy to crime in this country? Is any reasonable individual going to say they do not care about crime in this country or the morale of our police force - err... no!

All this post tells us is policing is unpleasant due to Labour policies? But has there ever been a time when policing has been pleasant? Surely that's what policing is - dealing with the criminal underclass.

This post is essentially telling us that criminals take drugs, are violent, unpleasant and swear. Is this news? What did she think policing was going to be? Escorting the Russian ballet across the road?!

I, personally, think New Labour's brand of social democracy has augmented welfare traps which has in turn created an environment where it suits this underclass thrive.

But this: They neither seek, want nor accept help, and in any event we haven’t got any to give them.

is a very good point. If this statement is true then it shows the very futility of an expansive welfare state.

Sorry to look at this from a complete policy wonk angle here but there's very little in this post in terms of what can be done in regards to making/changing policy. It's emoting without thinking and that's never a good formula for effective policy making.

so what we've just been told is that we have a...

2009-08-12T11:16:23.343+01:00

so what we've just been told is that we have a young criminal underclass who are on drugs and that locking people up, as has been going on for ages, is not solving the problem. Explain to me why that means we shouldn't try different approaches such as rehabilitation?

I'm struggling to understand this piece. It...

2009-08-12T00:56:56.683+01:00

I'm struggling to understand this piece. It's completely emotive.

...it occurred to me that it may only be possible to be a left-wing liberal if you have never experienced the true face of crime.

Left-wing and liberal - so socialist and anti-statist or socialist and/or anti-statist?

Or do you mean liberal as in bereft of "traditional values"?

All the new laws, new sentences, and new attitudes just aren’t working. Perhaps it’s time to try something old.

Isn't this a contradiction to the above? Previously the author has complained that you can only be a "left-wing liberal"if you haven't experienced the true face of crime but then goes on to complain about "new laws" - does this refer to the expansion of the state? Does "attitudes" and "sentences" not mean our expectations of what should be the remit of the state?

Is "old" pre-victorian as in before drug prohibition? Or "old" as in capital punishment?

How would a right-wing authoritarian approach help?

They have no hope and nothing to lose. Told what t...

2009-08-11T23:56:43.593+01:00

They have no hope and nothing to lose. Told what to think and feel. Thanks Labour.

Give that woman a job at the Home Office!

2009-08-11T19:48:34.784+01:00

Give that woman a job at the Home Office!