Ignore the pointless new wi-fi iPhone-with-no-phone device (although it’ll serve as a good badge of ‘who is a tosser’).
The truly excellent news is that a 160gb iPod is soon to be available. I reckon that’ll last me at least another year of music…
Unrelatedly, I’ve got another Sharpener piece up about the Tube strike – specifically how Bob Crow isn’t even protecting the interests of his members (never mind the rest of us…)
Is he? That's surprising since a) I don't think it is and b) I don't think they should.
I don't think yobs should be allowed to assault people. I don't think those in authority should be allowed to knock yobs unconscious when they're not presenting a direct threat.
The c**ts at the RMT, unsurprisingly, have lied continually about the case being referred to at Pub Philosopher. What happened minus RMT spin was that a chavvy scumbag got a bit lairy on a train, at no point assaulted anyone, and the guard knocked him unconscious effectively as punishment for being an idiot.
Knocking people deliberately unconscious (outside of self-defence and defending others, which is legitimate) is unacceptable, and believing that it is unacceptable is perfectly compatible with believing the public should be protected.
(as an analogy: if someone's trying to murder you, it's entirely fair for you to shoot them. If someone tried to kill you yesterday and failed, then they should be arrested – but you shouldn't go round their house and shoot them. And someone who accused everyone who disapproves of the 'shooting them' plan of being pro-murderer would be Really Bloody Stupid).
1) The RMT have repeatedly demonstrated themselves to be out-and-out liars. It's entertaining the way that right-wingers who'd normally want Bob Crow horsewhipped through Westminster for being a commie are willing to lap up every word they say when it's about Feral Yoof.
2) The first para of my second comment was taking the p*ss out of a BNP-supporting idiot rather than making a substantive point. The second para stated that I think it's worse for authority to abuse its powers than for an individual yob to commit an individual act of crime. I absolutely stand by that; a society that refuses to accept that point is on its steps towards tyranny.
Like most idiots on the Internet, you don't understand the meaning of 'ad-hominem fallacy'.
This is an illegitimate ad-hominem attack: "For someone who claims not to be right-wing, you're sure into your hanging and flogging. Are you just a pervert or something?"
However, it's perfectly legitimate to contend that, because the RMT are proven liars (most recently, lying that Metronet staff's pensions had not been guaranteed when they had), one should not trust their other factual assertions. That doesn't mean that everything they say is *necessarily* false, but it certainly means I'm not going to believe a word they say without external verification. And oddly enough, there is *none* backing up their story in the Yarwood case.
Moving onto the meat of your comment, of course violence dished out to violent thugs is an abuse of authority. What, do you think the IRA are awesome for providing extra-judicial kneecappings and punishment beatings? We have a judicial system to deal with punishment; it works pretty well despite its flaws (hence why crime is not especially high and falling), and it's certainly preferable to your Mad Max vigilanteeism paradise…
It's also funny the way you take some random words that make (more or less literally) no sense out of their DSD-bating context and assume, presumably using your fantastic Freud-like powers of online psychoanalysis, that *they* represent my true views, rather than the detailed and comprehensible statement of my true views that I've been wasting my time on writing down for you.
In summary: I've explicitly condemned both yobs and vigilantes, because I believe in the rule of law. Meanwhile you've come out in favour of extra-judicial punishment attacks. And you've got the nerve to call *me* a bully?
I think kusabi is fundamentally lacking in those virtues that make a civilised man, (inteligence, decency, not being a total fuckwit, etc.). Unusual choice of name as well. I had a quick google and assume it refers to "Ai no Kusabi" but if it doesn't and he is unaware of Ai no's existence I will laugh like a drain.
wonder what he would make of random tasering of students for being a bit stubborn at a debate? http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered….
I Wonder what he would make of random tasering of students for being a bit stubborn at a debate? http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered….
However, it’s perfectly legitimate to contend that, because the RMT are proven liars (most recently, lying that Metronet staff’s pensions had not been guaranteed when they had), one should not trust their other factual assertions.
So why haven't you pointed out how or where their lying in these cases? Are you unable to?
We have a judicial system to deal with punishment;
And we have the right to use violence against scum to deal with prevention, deterrence, and obstruction of crime. Thus guaranteeing public safety and order more than the 'oo, you can't use violence unless you have special authority' brigade would like.
rather than the detailed and comprehensible statement of my true views
That 'detailed and comprehensible statement' was where you said you supported thugs over other people and though violence used to stop them was torture.
Your assertion that you were merely taking the piss out of someone is one hell of a stretch of the truth. Next you'll be telling us you didn't actually make that comment.
I’ve explicitly condemned both yobs and vigilantes, because I believe in the rule of law.
No, you've defined people who stand up to violent scum as being yobs, and actual yobs as being harmless, innocent victims, and have proceeded to attack the very same people the thugs target. Because you believe in the law of the jungle.
Oh and falco, I'm not sure if your idea of 'civilized values' includes 'being the bully's little toady and rushing in to kick someone who's already being assailed', but if it is, let me tell you that in the real world, noone would mistake you for a civilized man, they'd think of you as being an odious little savage.
1) I assume you haven't read the piece I published under my own name, and linked to from this site, on The Sharpener, then. If not, it's something of a slam-dunk on the 'lying about pensions' story. See also: any factual account of the Tube strike the other week…
2) no we sodding don't, that's the point about not living in some kind of comedy anarchy. We have the right to self-defence; punishment which isn't self-defence is dealt with by the law.
3) no I haven't; I've never suggested that the One guard in this case was "a yob"; I've used "yob" exclusively to mean "deliquent chavvy types who break the law". The fact that you're too much of a fuckwit to understand that the comment you're taking as "ooh, that's John B's views, not the ones he's consistently stated he has" only makes sense in the context of taking the piss out of a BNP-supporting moron is Somewhat Relevant [but thanks, you've reminded me that no matter what I say some idiot will take it out of context – I'm not sure if you were out cheering for the forces of moronicy in summer 2005 but it wouldn't surprise me…]
4) no I haven't. As you'll be able to confirm in the unlikely event that you're capable of reading, I've consistently referred to the beaten-unconscious-faredodger as the yob, and the beating-the-faredodger-unconscious-guard as the guard/vigilante/punishment-beater, depending on context.
Bored now. Can we bring on some less stupid trolls?
BTW, is the reason you've changed your screen purely because you're now aware that 'Kusabi' refers to homoerotic Japanesery…?
The facts as reported in the court case, by One Railway and by all non-RMT people quoted do not support the RMT's account. Separately, the RMT are known to lie about other events to paint their members in a better light – so why on earth should I believe them on this example?
And we don't live in an anarchy; the fact that you're painting a society where the streets are generally safe and the rule of law generally holds sway as an anarchy proves that you're a fundamentally unserious person.
at the risk of slightly changing the subject back to what the thread was about originally thought you might be interested to know that Stephen Fry has entered the blogosphere slightly surprisingly with a rather lenghty post about smart phones:
http://stephenfry.com/blog/
Site seems to be down – obviously the assembled masses of Fry-ites have broken it. Ah well, hopefully it'll be up again soon…
I guess he didn't realise. No wonder the poor lad's upset.