Thoughts from an active pensioner who is now somewhat past his Biblical "Use-by date"

"Why just be difficult, when with a little more effort you can be bloody impossible?"



Monday 18 January 2010

Ban the Bans

For the last year or so I have been constantly saying to Mrs EP that everyday I open the newspaper or listen to the news there is some person or some organisation wanting something to be banned. Now I was brought up in a country where, even during the war, there were very few bans. Effectively you could generally do as you like (particularly in your own home) provided that by doing so, you didn't interfere with the rights of others. These days one gets the reverse impression, that the authorities, including various self-appointed do-good organisations, would like to ban us from doing anything without their express permission.
So this week, I intend to try to find out if my belief of finding one proposed ban a day is true, or just my imagination. My first problem is that I have found three proposed bans today without looking any further than the Daily Telegraph; do I count them all today, or can I claim two of them for Tuesday and Wednesday?

1. Ban on the wearing of the burka in public.
This has been suggested by Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the leader of UKIP, and could possibly become party policy. HERE

2. Frail elderly drivers 'should be banned from motorways'.
This by Neil Greig, The Institute for Advanced Motorists' director of policy.
"For their own good"
Its nice to know he's thinking of others! HERE

3. Ban butter to save our hearts.
From Dr Shyam Kolvekar at University College London Hospital. Supported by Dr Sarah Jarvis. What about banning cheese and full milk as well whilst they are at it! I await the comments of the dairy industry! HERE

So there's three for today and I'm off to a good start; if I happen to have missed any new ones proposed today, I'd be happy to receive a comment.

1 comment:

  1. Margarine maker Unilever's campaign to "ban butter" is the worst PR blunder since the tobacco companies lied to the US Congress about the health effects of smoking?

    Ban real butter? Let's ban Unilever's chemical fake butters instead.

    Butter Tzar and Ministry of Made-Up Statistics

    ReplyDelete