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Harrumphing about the Lockerbie Bomber
Aug. 23rd, 2009 09:02 pmThere has been much harrumphing about the Scottish Justice Minister... well applying law and policy along standard lines.
Lots of harrumphing has come from US politicians and officials who clearly know nothing about British or Scottish law (Or our political system for that matter - I just love the idea of the SNP and Labour colluding on this!) - but hey, why would they need to? What matters here is someone is not doing what America wants and HOW DARE THEY?! Gods forbid that a country run its own justice system on its own policies and with actual principles rather than looking for desperate sound bites that sound good come election time.
This stinks of the arrogance that is all to familiar for the US. It's not just the disapproval expressed - but the utter arrogance of the expression - the shocked horror that Britain would not kowtow to America's will (though I suppose that IS shocking given the appalling policy we've seen come from Westminster on all things America) and outrage that we dare - OMG - APPLY THE LAW, PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF SCOTLAND on this case?
I'm especially amused that the same officials who merrily are either complicit in torture, covering up torture, white washing torture and/or the Iraq war to say nothing of the erosion of countless human rights are squawking so loudly on this as being a victory to terrorism. Believe me, Osama bin Laden NEVER had an ally as good as America in recruiting, empowering and exhorting his forces.
Apparently this "damages the special relationship." Good. I can think of nothing better for Britain than to shred the "special relationship" and have done with it. No good comes of it, no advantages for Britain are realised - but we are dragged down, dragged through the mud and get far less respect from the US than so many nations not "blessed" with such a close tie that borders on vassalage to a country whose government rarely acts with anything close to wisdom - let alone principle.
Lots of harrumphing has come from US politicians and officials who clearly know nothing about British or Scottish law (Or our political system for that matter - I just love the idea of the SNP and Labour colluding on this!) - but hey, why would they need to? What matters here is someone is not doing what America wants and HOW DARE THEY?! Gods forbid that a country run its own justice system on its own policies and with actual principles rather than looking for desperate sound bites that sound good come election time.
This stinks of the arrogance that is all to familiar for the US. It's not just the disapproval expressed - but the utter arrogance of the expression - the shocked horror that Britain would not kowtow to America's will (though I suppose that IS shocking given the appalling policy we've seen come from Westminster on all things America) and outrage that we dare - OMG - APPLY THE LAW, PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF SCOTLAND on this case?
I'm especially amused that the same officials who merrily are either complicit in torture, covering up torture, white washing torture and/or the Iraq war to say nothing of the erosion of countless human rights are squawking so loudly on this as being a victory to terrorism. Believe me, Osama bin Laden NEVER had an ally as good as America in recruiting, empowering and exhorting his forces.
Apparently this "damages the special relationship." Good. I can think of nothing better for Britain than to shred the "special relationship" and have done with it. No good comes of it, no advantages for Britain are realised - but we are dragged down, dragged through the mud and get far less respect from the US than so many nations not "blessed" with such a close tie that borders on vassalage to a country whose government rarely acts with anything close to wisdom - let alone principle.