Uncommon Criminals

[Jonathan]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2068168,00.html

'The treatment of Ruth was outrageous,' one friend of the Prime Minister said. 'The [police] treated her like a common criminal.'

This really fucks me off. If you're British and you pay attention to the news, you've probably heard about the "cash for honours" scandal that's been dragging on for months now. For those of you that haven't, the story is that Labour has been accused of giving honours (titles such as sir, earl, baron, basically) to people who donate large amounts to the party. Now, frankly I couldn't care less about the actual honours shit, if rich types want to splash out so they can write "Sir" before their name, so be it, the wheels of government have to be greased somehow.

No, what really annoys me is the attitude the government has shown to the police who've been investigating the accusations. If you live in Britain you have to endure an endless stream of stories about rising crime, and promises from politicians to "get tough" on criminality. More police, more convictions, longer prison sentences, these are promised by every party, with politicians competing to spout the most fascist on law and order. And yet, now the long arm of the law has started feeling around the corridors of power, the whining and squirming is deafening. If this guy, John Yates, was investigating drug dealers, people smugglers, or ASBO teenagers, the media and establishment would be cheering him on no matter how many peoples lives he turned upside down in his pursuit of convictions. Yet when it's government ministers, civil servants, rich businessmen, and royal courtiers feeling the heat, suddenly it's an outrage, treating these people like common criminals.

[Sharessa]

Bill Gates should make a donation and become King of England.

[deathbringer]

Bring back slave labour i say. Those old etonians wouldn't last 5 minutes building us the Bullet Train system we need, by hand, at gunpoint!

[Csonicgo]

ooh, "common" criminals. I like that, as if they are somewhat "higher" than the "common" people.

The british honour system is sadly dying. Oh how I long for those days when having a title MEANT something. Notable valiant knights, like Sir William Gates III of Redmond, Sir George Bush of Milton and Sir Ronald Reagan of Tampico! Now you can just buy a title?

Disgusting.

[Kirby]

What the hell, titles don't mean shit these days anyways. I thought this thread was something more along the lines of middle-class folk committing rather strange crimes......