10.11.05

Lock up yer liberals

The Prime Minister, a stalwart defender of civil liberties who ignored the advice of the security services and police chiefs to permit suspects to be held without trial for a maximum 90 days, even with the safety net of continuous 7-day judicial review and an annual sunset clause, is forced to resign amid opposition claims that he has “blood on his hands”.

Mrs. Johnson, newly widowed and childless after her family was wiped out en route to football match, is asked by Jon Snow of Channel 4 news about striking the right balance between preservation of civil liberties and defence of the realm and its citizens.

Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing

The liberty of a subject lieth therefore only in those things which, in regulating their actions, the sovereign hath pretermitted: such as is the liberty to buy, and sell, and otherwise contract with one another; to choose their own abode, their own diet, their own trade of life, and institute their children as they themselves think fit; and the like.

Nevertheless we are not to understand that by such liberty the sovereign power of life and death is either abolished or limited. For it has been already shown that nothing the sovereign representative can do to a subject, on what pretence soever, can properly be called injustice or injury

Comments:

I think you'll find that's a Blair quote, not one of mine.
# posted by  marcus @ 18:04

 

... which you cited approvingly, typed out, and thus became one of yours.
# posted by  Jarndyce @ 19:12

 

Oh dear Jarndyce.

I was obviously quoting Blair as anyone who reads the original post will be able to work out themselves. Does publishing a quote automatically make the words mine? Not where I come from.

I thought the quote encapsulated Blair's attitude to the debate and was worthy of publishing on that basis rather than because I neccessarily agreed with it.

You don't actually know what my attitude to the subject under debate is because I haven't made my mind up yet...
# posted by  marcus @ 19:37

 

Yes, I know it's Blair. But anyone reading the original post can decide for themselves whether you're quoting in approval or just to report. And if my beautifully crafted cap doesn't fit, then ... well, you know the rest.
# posted by  Jarndyce @ 10:00

 

Aren't you going to change your post to make it clear who is being quoted? It's quite misleading of you not to.
# posted by  Marcus @ 12:07

 

No, I knew it was you quoting Blair when I wrote it. My opinion was (and remains) that you were citing it approvingly, not just to report. Your objection is duly noted.
# posted by  Jarndyce @ 12:38

 

So let's recap - you post a quote in my name, I point out it was actually Tony blair's quote, you argue it had become mine by the act of publishing it, I ask you to consider making it clear whose quote it is and you refuse.

It's only your credibility that's at stake...
# posted by  Marcus @ 12:47

 

Alternatively: you cite Blair's words in such a way that they appear to me a proxy for your own opinion. I cite them as your own opinion. You object. I politely note your objection but still haven't seen anything to make me change my original opinion. It's called Fair Comment.

I'm touched by your concern, but my limited credibility will no doubt survive.
# posted by  Jarndyce @ 13:21

 

Well if you claim to know better than me what my opinion is there's obviously no way I can get you to change your mind.

Sorry to have bothered you.
# posted by  Marcus @ 13:35

 

No, but I do know better than you what my opinion is, and that's what I was writing. If you wish to register a public objection then write a few sentences and I'll happily do an update to the original post.
# posted by  Jarndyce @ 13:42

 

Marcus has something of a reputation for starting silly arguments like this and losing them.

(those aren't my words, by the way; several others have noticed)
# posted by  dsquared @ 23:33

 

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