Jailhouse Rock
Further to my mention of the wastes of space in my last post, a mere few weeks after the ASBOs were handed out, two of the three have been incarcerated for breaking them. Perhaps they felt they couln't go more than a month before they needed to start preying on old folk, threatening young mothers and wrecking property again.
Let's hope the message starts to get through that these measures (ASBOs that is) will be implemented to their fullest, and those who think they can ignore them as though they are just another *slap on the wrist*, start to realise that the neighborhoods they terrorise - and, believe me, they DO terrorise them - have started to fight back with the law on their side at last.
Communication Breakdown
Strikes me that there is a lot of political point scoring going on regarding this story from tonight's Manchester Evening News. It's quite obvious the Labour Party feel they have got the Lib Dems over a barrel and vice versa.
Regardless of who has to foot the bill for the translator, at the end of the day, if you are elected as a councillor in the UK, is it not common sense to be able to speak English ? Why is it *playing into the hands of the (odious) BNP* to point this out ?
Once again, no doubt, the debate about this issue will become polarised. Already the Sun and its ilk have been sniffing round the Town Hall. I expect there'll be headlines in the Star, Mail, Express etc., tomorrow full of righteous indignation. The Grauniad will possibly print articles from academics praising this *multi-cultural* breakthrough at the heart of British politics: a true representation of the wishes of the people in his constituency. Conveniently forgetting the size of the turnout. The Anti-Nazi League will, predictably. label anybody who is not 100% in favour of Liaqat Ali a *fascist*.
But I ask this: How can Mr Ali represent HIS constituents in the Council Chamber if he can't communicate properly with his colleagues on the council, council officials and departments, as well as outside bodies ? Depending on the skill of the translator, a lot of things get lost in translation. The semantic nuances of political negotiation and debate are usually the first casualties. Liaqat Ali truly is *walking naked* into the council chambers.
I wonder if he admitted he couldn't speak English on his election leaflets ?
Paper Roses
Have a look at Michael Moore's letter to George Dubya regarding the recent *Saddam's Nuclear Plans Buried Under Rose Bush* revelations.
Dearest and I are missing our kids like crazy. The kids, though, are having the time of their lives.
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