It's A Dog's Life

For country park wardens - unless they're voyeurs. A survey of country park wardens has revealed that exhibitionists calling themselves 'doggers' are an increasing problem at Britain's country parks - not the traditional 'flasher' but couples who perform in public. And all this is enabled by the Web, which seems to have moved on from delivering pornography to facilitating public rudeness.

Another profession revolutionised by the Web is the oldest one. The Guardian had a touching story this week of the rural 'English Rose' whose partner helpfully set up her website, for which he was convicted this week of living off immoral earnings.

As I read this tale it seemed strangely familiar, and I went to search the Spectator's archives. Could lovely Jilly and her partner Michael, from Shaftesbury in Dorset, be any relation to Jilly and Mike from a bustling Dorset town near the edge of Cranborne Chase (where poor Tess Durbeyfield started her downhill slide), in this Spectator story ?

Perjuring Politicians

The Guardian (11 stories so far this month) and BBC are giving the Archer release 'big air'. This morning's Today program item seemed to imply that no politician had ever previously lied on oath.

Time to remember Richard Crossman (the man who destroyed state education in Britain), Nye Bevan and the lesser known Morgan Phillips. There are some other entertaining cases quoted by Robert Fulford.

Long Walk to Freedom .....

Probation officers permitting, political prisoner Tony Martin will be free by this time next week after more than three years inside for the crime of self defence. The British Criminal Justice system has managed to delay his release again, on the grounds of the risk he posed to members of Britain's burgling community as they went about their daily labours.

Showing great moral courage, Mr Martin again refused to show the required degree of repentance which could have earned him a release last year. But our Probation 'Service' would rather Mr Martin had not defended himself, but become a victim like this. Or this. Or this. Or this. You get the picture.

And one of the three professional criminals who targeted Tony Martin has been granted legal aid to sue him for 'loss of earnings'. The poor man has since been scraping a living dealing heroin to keep body and soul together - altogether a most worthy recipient of taxpayers money.

Richard Littlejohn is right - you couldn't make it up.

Cheerful News ....

Just when the slow drip of US casualties was becoming unsettling comes the news that Saddam's heirs appear to have been killed. And in Baghdad they're firing into the air in celebration.

Drugged Zombies

"Are we turning children into drugged zombies ?" asks Deborah Orr in the Indie.

I don't know whether you are or not, Deborah. How you bring up your children is your own affair. But you are married to Will Self.

"BBC's anti-war bias undermines its future"

Says Labour MP Gerald Kaufman in this Scotland on Sunday piece.

"The BBC is not a newspaper, but an independent public sector, publicly financed broadcasting organisation which should provide entertainment and news but should not have any opinions of its own on any subject of public controversy.

That was the key criterion laid down by the BBC’s first and greatest director-general, Lord Reith, and it is a criterion from which the BBC has been departing dangerously and increasingly. I do not mean that the BBC has a party-political allegiance in the way that both the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail have. I mean that, on issue after issue that figures in the news, the BBC pursues an agenda."

Couldn't agree more, old chap. On immigration, globalisation, crime, sexual politics, education, asylum, GWB, Kyoto, drugs, the BBC has the same liberal agenda that all right-thinking, comfortably off Guardian and Independent readers have. And I haven't heard Gerald Kaufman utter a peep about it before.

SonS is full of good stuff today - here's my nemesis Rod Liddle with "Terminal madness of regime hell-bent on saving its skin".

Damn - he means the Government, not Greg Dyke and Co. !

Prison Works Shock- but don't tell the BBC

Goodness - the Observer, Sunday Times and Telegraph all have articles on how and why more imprisonment reduces crime. Can't remember the like.

What can have caused this ? Coincidence ? Tony Martin's forthcoming release ?

This is particularly unusual when you recall the almost total media dominance of the pro-criminal, anti-punishment view. Think of the number of anti-punishment or criminal welfare organisations, many state-funded, like NACRO, Prison Reform Trust and the Howard League. There must be literally hundreds, from the major players down to charities like Unlock.

And the BBC will reliably amplify their message. I remember when NACRO, the organisation for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (what about caring for victims ?) decided to rebrand themselves as 'the crime reduction charity', the BBC immediately used their description. Pressure groups the BBC don't like, such as Migrationwatch, are "the self-styled Migrationwatch UK pressure group".

You can count the pro-victim charities on the fingers of one hand. And the media profile of people like Peter Coad and David Fraser is remarkably low considering their advice to Home Secretary Michael Howard in the early 90s started the fightback against crime.

Prison Works

Peter Briffa noted the link between decreasing crime and increasing imprisonment - now Civitas' David Green defends the policy in the Observer of all places.

And Andrew Rawnsley has wise words on the 'Blair Crisis' - none of which will (hopefully) be heeded. I find it hard to believe Labour could be foolish enough to depose him - but wasn't it Schiller who said 'Against stupidity the gods themselves battle in vain ?'.

It's too late (I think) to pay my £33 and get in - but time to pack up the children and park on a nearby hill for some military-industrial indoctrination at the greatest 'big boys toys' show in Britain - the Fairford Tattoo. Byee !