Snap, approximately speaking. (See next posting, done in ignorance of this one.)

Good links.

Huhne's big crime is not his motoring mistakes, but his desire to ruin the world economy, and in particular, given that he hasn't the power to wreck the world's economy, Britain's. Any stick to beat a maniac like that, I say. We are told that if Huhne has to resign, that will weaken Cameron's Green Agenda. Ergo, I say, he must resign, for his motoring offences if that's what does it. Capone, taxes, etc. Messy, but necessary.

Hmm, taken in conjunction with Paul Nurse's CiF bleat (Link) about FOIA and the problems it causes poor put upon scientists, I note that the Guardian is doing it's usual bang up job of defending liberty.

If it wasn't enough, seeing the Guardian statists defending it puts the case closed.

Btw

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/stephen-gutowski/2011/05/26/video-dc-liberals-sign-petition-ban-conservative-websites

"The undersigned hereby adamantly demand that the United States government shut down right wing hate sites. The hate speech propagated by sites like the Drudge Report, Hot Air, Instapundit, Big Government, and others must not be allowed to corrupt our political discourse any longer. These sites are dangerous not only to truth and freedom but also to our society as a whole. BAN THEM NOW!"

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/stephen-gutowski/2011/05/26/video-dc-liberals-sign-petition-ban-conservative-websites

Brian, you write:

"Huhne's big crime is not his motoring mistakes, but his desire to ruin the world economy, and in particular, given that he hasn't the power to wreck the world's economy, Britain's."

While I agree that Huhne's desire to ruin the economy should cause him to be opposed and ridiculed, I have to say that his big crime - or rather the big crime of which he is accused - is not the speeding, but attempting to pevert the course of justice by getting his wife to say she was at the wheel.

Hmmm.
Turkeys celebrating the arrival of Christmas?
So you will all become responsible members of the state, as defined by the state?
That's nice.
No more AGW exposés, though.

Kevin,
I read the Nurse piece. It comes to something when a Nobel winner is advocating a model of science rather like medieval demonology.

I've psted on it.

I'm not sure what you mean, John B. I think you are saying that for me to say that Chris Huhne ought to be prosecuted by the State for perverting the course of justice constitutes "Turkeys voting for Christmas." If that is correct, three points in reply:

- would an ideal libertarian society have speed limits? Probably, in most places.
- would an ideal libertarian society be down on perjury and perverting the course of justice? Certainly - it strikes at any system of justice, including, for example privatised courts and competing legal codes.
- and finally, in the world we've got, those who put themselves up for election as lawmakers can bloody well obey the laws they make!

Natalie, I misunderstood you. I had better grovel.
I thought you were going along with the idea that some controls on the internet would be a good thing if the greater good required it.
I will be more careful.

"I thought you were going along with the idea that some controls on the internet would be a good thing if the greater good required it."

Yikes! The day you hear me say that, John B, ring 'em up at Colney Hatch and tell them to make the siren go!

Making a false declaration is a serious offence. People who sign a piece of paper decaring something solemnly to be true when it is not undermine the whole system of criminal and civil justice, and damage the fabric of civil society in general. They should be punished for it. (Somewhat similarly, I have little sympathy for people who took out mortgages and got into trouble with them after signing a piece of paper claiming that their income was higher than it actually was. They have committed fraud, and should suffer the consequences of this).

What Huhne has allegedly done is more serious that that, though - he has apparently asked somebody else (his wife) to make a false declaration for his benefit. If so, he should be prosecuted for this, and he should lose his job for it. If that also stops him from destroying the British economy, well good, but the offence is a serious one in itself.

And Martin Kettle and his class believe they have the moral high ground. Tossers.