Comments on: Illiberalism http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/ Two lawyers on law, legislation and liberty. And other stuff. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:41:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Legal Eagle http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/#comment-11075 Legal Eagle Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:17:41 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/illiberalism/#comment-11075 That is interesting, Marcellous. I suppose there was a lot of fear of revolution in the UK after the French Revolution. That is interesting, Marcellous. I suppose there was a lot of fear of revolution in the UK after the French Revolution.

]]> By: marcellous http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/#comment-11074 marcellous Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:14:28 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/illiberalism/#comment-11074 But I think you'll find Pitt the younger wasn't too worried about what his father said when it came to the crunch. See <a href="http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/adw03/c-eight/pitt/repress.htm" rel="nofollow">Pitt's repressive legislation</a> But I think you’ll find Pitt the younger wasn’t too worried about what his father said when it came to the crunch. See Pitt’s repressive legislation

]]> By: Legal Eagle http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/#comment-11073 Legal Eagle Sat, 30 Jun 2007 13:57:24 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/illiberalism/#comment-11073 Nicely said, Mild Colonial Boy! Nicely said, Mild Colonial Boy!

]]> By: Mild Colonial Boy, Esq. http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/#comment-11072 Mild Colonial Boy, Esq. Sat, 30 Jun 2007 05:26:15 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/illiberalism/#comment-11072 William Pitt the Elder once said: "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." William Pitt the Elder once said: “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.”

]]> By: Dave Bath http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2007/06/illiberalism/#comment-11071 Dave Bath Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:28:27 +0000 http://legalsoapbox.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/illiberalism/#comment-11071 Maggie Thatcher's <a href="http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=106096" rel="nofollow"> July 1985 address to the American Bar Association</a> was quite reasonable, and apart from quoting Ben Franklin, <em>("Those who would give up essential liberty to preserve a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"</em>), she also stated: <em>"And we must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend"</em> It seems Posner is taking to heart the latter statement without understanding it in the context of the former. (The rest of the US administration, and perhaps Howard/Ruddock would love to drop the words "of publicity" from the latter.) Her other pertinent statement in the same speech was: <em>"The law will be applied to them (terrorists) as to all other criminals"</em>. Posner, among others, doesn't seem to agree with this either. Maggie was never a darling of the left or even the latte-sipping right, and she had at least some contribution to softening the terrorism in Ireland, so her criticism of the actions of today's right indicate <em>something</em> very strange is going on with the application of principles of justice. Maggie Thatcher’s July 1985 address to the American Bar Association was quite reasonable, and apart from quoting Ben Franklin, ("Those who would give up essential liberty to preserve a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"), she also stated: "And we must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend"

It seems Posner is taking to heart the latter statement without understanding it in the context of the former. (The rest of the US administration, and perhaps Howard/Ruddock would love to drop the words "of publicity" from the latter.)

Her other pertinent statement in the same speech was: "The law will be applied to them (terrorists) as to all other criminals". Posner, among others, doesn’t seem to agree with this either.

Maggie was never a darling of the left or even the latte-sipping right, and she had at least some contribution to softening the terrorism in Ireland, so her criticism of the actions of today’s right indicate something very strange is going on with the application of principles of justice.

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