Daily archives: February 6, 2008

Calling a terrorist a terrorist

This entry was posted in Daily Mail Islam politics Terrorism on by

A booklet has been released with guidelines that suggest stopping using phrases such as “Islamic terrorist”. Cue frothing “it’s political correctness gone mad!” commentary in the Daily Mail-iverse. My response-

Call them what they are- terrorists, murderers, criminals. Don’t play into their hands. This is actually a sensible suggestion. The phrase “Islamist terrorist” gives them something to use. It lets them make claims of islamaphobia (merited in some cases given the pathetic bigotry of the sort of person who wants to use such stupid words as Islamofascist) and try to get sympathy from other muslims who wouldn’t normally pay attention to such criminals.

We should use language to marginalise terrorists and other criminals who hide behind religious or political causes. Make them sound stupid and pathetic and they’ll have a harder time drumming up support amongst the group they claim to be a part of. It won’t stop them all by itself, but it’s a start.

25% against ID cards

This entry was posted in ID Cards politics on by

52% of people polled were uncomfortable about letting Government departments share information and 25% were completely against identity cards.

Usually you can get some ID card supporter to roll out the lie that honest people have nothing to fear from Governmental daa collection. If anything, honest people have more to fear. The data about them can be poorly defined, badly collected, badly transcribed, corrupted, modified through malice or mistakes, misinterpreted, returned in poorly designed searches, stolen, lost or used for political ends. All the criminal has to fear is that they’ll be caught. Maybe not even that, if they’ve stolen someone else’s identity.