Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

What were you doing on April 29th?

Seems a long time ago, doesn't it? Can you recall what you were doing that day? I can't.

Let's just imagine you'd been arrested on suspicion of being brown and 'one of them'. Under the new regime, you *still* might not have been charged with any offence. Six whole weeks later.

Under the *current* regime, you could then be released without charge - but kept at home whenever the security forces wanted you to - without ever being able to challenge any of the accusations against you in court.

But that's not very likely. Because in this country, you can be prosecuted for reading a book. You can be prosecuted for looking at certain websites. You can be prosecuted for being a deluded fantasist. You can be prosecuted for having suspicions about other people's intentions, let alone actions, and not reporting them to police, even if they are a family member.

Even if you were released without charge, you would, without doubt, have been smeared in the press in the meantime, without being able to answer back. If you had been shot, despite being unarmed, the person who shot you would be described as a 'hero cop' and sources would say, off the record, that you were armed or had made threats.

Journalists would be steered in the 'no smoke without fire' direction of your past, looking for clues to see if you had been 'radicalised'. Neighbours, friends, people with a grudge would be asked, for money, if you'd behaved a bit oddly in the past few days. Any suspicion of any sympathy you'd ever had for any extremist cause would be inferred to be proof positive that you were bang to rights.

All this in the name of 'freedom'.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Related posts:

1. April Fool?
2. April Fool