Thursday, August 18, 2005

Sound Advice for England

The other day I posted a story at Middle Earth Journal about the continually unfolding and evolving details surrounding the tragic police shooting of Jean de Menezes at the London Tube station. (If you're not familiar with that story, or how details have come out indicating that the facts are VERY different from the version originally given by the police, please follow that link to catch yourself up.) Well, not only was the "official version" apparently a load of hogwash, but it seems that the commissioner of Scotland Yard himself tried to block an internal investigation into the details of the shooting, citing "national security" as the reason.

Before getting into my rant on this and my associated advice for the good people of England, please stop by the Sideshow and read Avedon Carol's latest takedown of this truly sad story. It's been covered there in detail since it all began.

Now look, guys. If, by some miracle, you wind up reading this, I have some advice for everyone in Britain who is involved in the government, the police, or the military. Stop trying to imitate the United States. Seriously... just stop it. There's still a whole bunch of really wonderful things about this country, have no doubt about that. But the way we're currently operating our Federal Government, our "Intelligence" agencies, and our law enforcement (where it comes to terror investigations, I mean) is really not our Sunday Best garments, if you catch my meaning. We're not always like this, but we're going through a bit of a rough patch right now, and you really don't want to go around acting like us.

When you do something wrong, no matter how awfully, horribly wrong it may be, particularly when it's an accident, just own up to it and move on. People will forgive you. Your first play should not be to attempt a coverup. That's not only wrong, it's stupid. Criminally stupid, in fact, as Armed Liberal pointed out earlier. Besides, (and quite fortunately for everyone I might add) you don't seem to be very good at it. Bush and his cronies are experts. They can lock up dirty secrets and, in most cases, they'll take them to the grave with them. They run a tight ship when it comes to scamming the public. You lot, however... well, it's not really your strong suit. I mean, the Downing Street Memos and the rest of the associated documents (oh, and we do want to thank you for those again, by the way) are pretty solid proof that your skeletons tend to come strolling out of the closets fairly easily in England. So just come clean with your citizens in cases like this. It's really for the best.

Oh, and while you're at it, try to do something about that Blair fellow, would you? He's marching around like a little miniature version of Bush these days, and that's not good. He's making you a laughing stock in the eyes of the world and getting you in more trouble than you can imagine. Come on now... do you really think that the terrorists are blowing up London because of some seething, deep seated hatred of tea, crumpets and spotted dick? (Ok, the spotted dick is pretty repulsive, I'll grant you, but I don't think anyone's about to start lobbing explosives at you over it.) No. Tony Blair may as well have invited those bombers in personally, and it was because he's been in league with Bush. We haven't been able to get rid of our idiot on this side of the pond, but I was really hoping that you Brits would show some of your legendary sensibility and dump that clod. Try to get to work on that, would you? Thanks a bunch. Oh, and good luck with the Cricket this season.

By the way, if that's not enough blogging for you for one day, swing by my home blog and read a really wonderful story about two ordinary citizens who saved a little girl from being abducted by a pervert. It will give you a warm, happy smile for the day, I assure you.

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