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Sunday 31 May 2015

Foot and mouth

The Independent reports on a startling comment from a senior UN official.

Britain risks following the example of Nazi Germany if the Conservatives go through with a threat to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, a senior UN official has warned...

...Professor Crépeau, a Canadian academic, said: "We have to remember the 1930s and how the rights of the Jews were restricted in Germany and then the rights of the whole German people.

"I mean, countries that go down the path of reducing the rights of one category of people usually don’t stop there."

Of course the guy isn't actually claiming that the UK has embarked on some crazed rush to totalitarian atrocities. He is merely making use of ludicrously extreme language as so many people do these days. People we once saw as responsible and level-headed because that's what their position was thought to demand are often nothing of the kind.

In any other cause, I doubt not, you would have cautiously weighed the consequences of committing your name to the licentious discourses and malignant opinions of the world. But here, I presume you thought it would be a breach of friendship to lose one moment in consulting your understanding.
Junius – Letter III 1769

3 comments:

Andrew Zalotocky said...

I suspect that you won't be a regular viewer of South Park, but I'm reminded of an episode called "Simpsons Already Did It" in which some of the characters discover that every new scheme they come up with has already been featured in an episode of "The Simpsons". Perhaps all of modern politics could be summarised as "Romans Already Did It".

Demetrius said...

Weird, anyone who can access the net and Wikipedia can work out the history of Rights etc. in the UK. The Act that we are talking about is just another in a long list and one that has had too many unintended consequences.

A K Haart said...

Andrew - I've never seen South Park, but I'm fairly familiar with the Simpsons. As for the Romans, I suspect we no longer pay enough attention to the lessons of ancient history.

Demetrius - weird is the right word. I think these people live in an artificial world and are so keen on making an impact that they don't see how it may be received by the real world.