When does Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair have his tea? When Jean-Charles de Men-'az 'is

[webofevil]

So today is officially National What The Hell Happened There? Day, and Panorama is going out tonight while I'm here at work, dammit. Given what we now know about Special Branch's desperate attempts to occlude their every fuck-up, it's amazing de Menezes wasn't found with the gun in his hand and a note saying "ITS A FAIR COP I DUN IT SARGE".

Silver linings:

(1) Jean-Charles de Menezes no longer poses a threat to British security.

(2) He now has his own Wikipedia entry.

Unsettling and criminally negligent events like this demand stern, illiberal responses, such as this from the BBC's Have Your Say page:

I bet these so-called “liberals” who object so much to the shooting wouldn’t complain if it was a terrorist who got shot when he was about to blow himself up, or even if someone else got shot by accident on the scene as long as the terrorist was killed at the end of it. Once again it’s one rule for them and another for terrorists and innocent bystanders.

A moment's scrutiny will reveal that this “rule” makes no sense. “Don't shoot me, but do shoot innocent bystanders” is not something any “so-called liberal” has ever said. This has not deterred one reader (so far) from unreservedly recommending the comment. I have also awarded myself bonus points for the use of the phrase “Once again it's one rule for them...”. I invite those with a modicum of free time to join me in this weird, fetid pit that passes for a representative snapshot of public opinion and see if we can't make Joe Omnibus out to be even stupider than he already is.

Comments

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Okay, now I'm confused. This looks entirely like it's someone taking the piss, but I don't think it is:

sir

to whom it really concerns. what is the price of freedom what is the price of life nobody could answer that but the people who have lost someone !! we should as a nation be proud of our history.. our own values.. means we have always wanted protection against the stupidity of others and who am i to question what the people who are paid to make these ideas come true.

phil bolton, london, United Kingdom

Good. Big finish and leave 'em wanting more, Phil.