Police State?

So in a typical knee jerk act of law making the WA government is about to introduce mandatory sentences for people who assault a Police officer. 

So in the future if you assault a policeman you will automatically go to prison. But if a policeman assaults you they won't. If your neighbour assaults a policeman he'll automatically go to prison but if your neighbour assaults you they won't. 

This is not healthy, wise or just. The law is there to protect everyone EQUALLY. That is one of the definitions of justice. There can't be one law for one group in society and another for everyone else. 

If you believe that assault is a serious crime then there should be mandatory jail sentences applied, whoever you assault. If the public believes that the Police need more protection than their guns, pepper spray, batons and handcuffs already provide them then I think they are a bit deluded. 

I genuinely feel we are on the slippery slope to a police state. A place where the local coppers have more rights and protection in law than the people they are supposed to protect and serve. 

It's already getting to the point where you can't criticise a policeman. This recent case is a prime example. A young, media friendly and attractive police officer is left disabled after an assault. For what ever reason the defendants were found not guilty. We have not been privvy to all the evidence or deliberations of the jury. We don't really know the full story. But you try saying to your work colleagues any thing about the case that doesn't fit with the current "It's a disgusting travesty of justice" hysteria that's gripping the media and public. You'll get spat at.

I look forward with dread to the WA Gestapo. 

Prohibition Failure

Good article here about the failure of drug prohibition:

The Economist: How to stop the drug wars.

Who Watches

Went to see Watchmen on Thursday. It's absolutely brilliant. at last a comic book movie with some humour as well as action and nerdiness (which I also enjoy, don't get me wrong).

One of the best bits? Actually the opening credits. They manage to look beautiful, have a great soundtrack and tell the story of the Minutemen so succinctly .

Apparently it's not taking much money as the fanboys are a bit annoyed with the changes to the story. Well I can tell you it still works. 

So go see it.

Randomness

It's been a while since I updated so here's a few random things I've been thinking about lately:

Pavements

It seems that walking in Perth is not encouraged. I've decided this because there never seems to be enough pavements to walk on in this city. Especially in the suburbs. You'll be walking along, minding your own business when the pavement on your side of the road just sort of stops, for no reason. You look around and realise that you have to cross over the four lane, incredibly busy highway to get on the continuation of the pavement on the other side. Or even better you get this:

See you can get to the bus stop, have a nice sit down, be brainwashed by McDonald's BUT you can't walk any further?! Why's that? What if I don't want to get on the bus. What if I want to walk to the next place. Well you can't, not without dodging six lanes of traffic. It's like this all over the place. I suppose it saves a bit of money on concreting.

Dustbins

I don't think I said this before but when I moved into the house I couldn't work out which was my dustbin. There seemed to be some sort of communal bin situation going on. I mean what is this, Communism? Maybe it's just me but sharing a bin is a bit weird. A bit personal. Opening your bin and seeing someone else's rubbish in it is a shock. Like finding a strangers pants in your washing machine (I imagine). So anyway I've now liberated my wheelie bin from the totalitarian oppressors and only have my own rubbish in it.

Appliances

I just bought a tumble dryer. But my obsession with German white-goods got the better of me and I went a bought a Miele one. Now that's not the point of this, my point is the amazing shopping experience. You go into the shop and its a beautiful, trendy marble floored showroom like a luxury car dealership. Except it just sells white goods. Anyway the gorgeous sales assistant comes over and offers you a seat, takes your order, someone else gets you a fancy coffee based drink. And a chocolate. Then they give you more chocolate to go home with. They even deliver and set the thing up for you. I didn't even have to plug it in when in arrived. I tell you you don't get that from Hardly Normal. Mind you you wouldn't be paying for it for the next three years either.

Aussieness = Brilliance

It's not an original thought but the adoption of foreigners as Aussies, but only when they are winning, reached new height with Jelena Dokic the other month. I mean does no one remember how we all hated her before? It's a bit like the Oscars. Best ever: hosted by an Aussie. Olympics? 2000 was the best ever, hosted by Aussies. Please just stop this.

That's enough, I'll be more regular after this.