Unfortunate Brazilians and the London constabulary.

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After the unfortunate case of Jean Charles de Menezes and the recent matter of David Miranda, I wonder how many more Brazilians in the London area will be viewed as worthy of police activity ?

 

[jon0844]

After the unfortunate case of Jean Charles de Menezes and the recent matter of David Miranda, I wonder how many more Brazilians in the London area will be viewed as worthy of police activity ?

There's no similarity between the two whatsoever.

For one, the police that made a catalogue of errors that day had no idea what nationality Jean Charles was - or even WHO he was.

For two, the police then tried to cover things up - this time around, there's no need (in fact, rather the opposite). There's a very valid reason to detain someone who was allegedly carrying (I am not even sure it's allegedly, as the Guardian has made it quite clear it has all of these documents and have encrypted it to stop anyone knowing just what it is) data that could put lives at risk.

I think The Guardian has got itself caught up in something it is going to go on to regret, especially if it turns out that Mr Snowden isn't a nice honest whistleblower that was just trying to expose Government spying on ordinary civilians - and staff employed by the paper (David Miranda had his flight paid for by the paper and is apparently also a journalist, despite denials) have inadvertently aided him.

Even if you think Louise Mensch is a nasty Tory-girl that did a runner to the USA, read this and you'll probably agree that there's likely to be a lot more to this story than what we've been told (primarily by The Guardian and a rather sympathetic BBC) so far. http://www.trendingcentral.com/the-smears-of-glenn-greenwald-and-the-guardian/

What I think is happening is that the media are getting behind David Miranda because, as journalists, there's the fear of what might happen to journalist freedoms in the future. That's a very valid concern, and as a journalist myself, I don't much fancy having men in suits crashing into my house/office one day to destroy all my hard drives and detain me for hours without legal representation (but he was apparently offered a lawyer and refused it). However, this data is a bit more than files that will expose an MP's affair, corruption within a corporation or similar.

In fact, listening to the interviews with Mr Miranda now, it almost seems like a story being embellished in much the same way as the many stories we read on here from people who have been involved with the authorities!

Just imagine if the spies of the future have realised they can use journalists to get secret documents to the enemy, using the 'freedom of the press' and do it right under our noses. The fact is, that data is encrypted and so we might never know what he was carrying. Neither might David Miranda himself.

 

[Deerfold]

What, this thread isn't about the pubic topiary of policemen?

 

[jon0844]

Clever!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What, this thread isn't about the pubic topiary of policemen?

Surely you meant....policewomen..

One of my sons ventures the opinion that Chile more than Brazil has more shape connection to the shape and style of that particular topiary.

 

[Deerfold]

Surely you meant....policewomen..

One of my sons ventures the opinion that Chile more than Brazil has more shape connection to the shape and style of that particular topiary.

Policewomen, policemen, sure.

For a "partial" Brazilian, yes, I can see that.

But only if someone hasn't dressed properly. [/pervert mode off]