ANd thank you for making my day JT. It is brilliant to know that you enjoyed Secret Princess.
It is the overreach by the police which is the problem and the only way to stop it is through the courts. One would hope that they'd have enough common sense not to do it in the first place...
I don’t understand British law so don’t feel I’m qualified to comment on what looks like to me an attempt to suppress speech. The prayer case is especially troubling to me. I read mostly history (I apologize Michelle) and it’s an odd contrast that the place that gave us Magna Carta and influenced our founders is going through this.
I don’t know how to feel about Trump’s tariffs. I hope to retire in the next couple years and I’m watching 40+ years of work take a torpedo. But they say it’s not a loss till you sell! The size of the tariffs is what I question. I understand like for like, but some of these seem excessive. Again I likely lack the knowledge to comment.
And the woman has been found guilty of intimidating and harassing women who were attempting to go about their lawful business. It is going to cause a row with the US but there you have it. People are not allowed to protest close to abortion clinics in the UK, even holding up signs like hers. She might appeal. She could stand more than 150 metres away hold up her sign but not within the exclusion zone.
Not knowing British law is not the issue. This is a moral question and on that topic Britain is seriously lacking. It is understandable, however, from a historical perspective. England, Scotland, Wales are all steeped in aristocracy It is nearly in the DNA of the subjects. All of Europe shares that impediment. This is the notion that the State (or the descendants of the Sovereign) occupy a superior plain to the hoi polloi. The Birmingham coppers are just the Sheriffs of Notingham in modern garb.
The issue then is not the law, but a lacking of an understanding that a society is comprised of individuals with agency and autonomy. While laws can exist to outlaw things like murder, assault, theft, etc., to permit those individuals to function in pursuit of their happiness, when laws suppress the various expressions of that happiness by outlawing the speech, thoughts, and visible expressions thereof by those individuals, well you've got what we see in the British police forces, in the coverups of the Post Office Scandal, etc., by arms of the State (government agents) which metastasizes into society in Quangos, independent entities, and so-called independent actors - think of the publishing societies that Michelle has written about or those JK Rowlings has taken on. Suppressing speech and expression comes so very naturally to those societies lacking an understanding of how society should be ordered to provide genuine happiness.
And don't look to the Magna Carta. I think that is one of the biggest misdirections there is. The Magna Carta which has since been mostly honored in the breach was an agreement between the King and the landed classes. The serfs, the vast majority of people, continued to be subject to the whims of both groups. The Magna Carta is nothing like Declaration of Independence or our Bill of Rights. In Britain there is no genuine understanding of what are proper limits on agents of the State. At least no common understanding enforceable in courts.
Sure America has its share of government and private actors trying to control and suppress - it is a never ending battle to root out those who seek to exert power over the masses. Free Speech which Jonathan Truly has called the "Indispensable Right" is the bulwark against the State. May it ever be so. May Britain figure this out, somehow!
Reading about the high altitude adventures of "Tunnock's teacakes" gave me the munchies and also made me wonder about the possible dangers of another iconic British staple: bangers and mash. Has any research been done on whether those sausages react explosively if prepared and consumed on airplanes or in micro-gravity situations like the ISS?
Why do Brits allow their local police to bully them like the Stasi? Don't locals control local police? Fire the lot of them. Or just rough them up a few times to send a clear message. Most appear to be fat, unpleasant lesbians, anyway.
Also known as DEI. I was tempted to put what a dinosaur judge once called it a number of years ago, but I shall be polite. A number of the courses encouraged people to 'go beyond the law' and some in the police have taken this literally, too literally. The chief constable of Hertfordshire Andy Profit is possibly a case in point.
Connor Tomlinson yesterday opined that today's Brits ate not likely to " do their bit" as did their grand mums and grand dad's. Can you imagine a Churchill today even becoming an MP. Hard to argue britain has not already passed the tipping point given the demographics. I am curious if Michelle agrees and if not why not. Free speech is on the way out and anti semitism is stronger than ever. And is it not fair to argue that the demography is a big reason?
I couldn't believe the story about Hartfordshire police going after parents for complaining (6 officers!!) but not going after burglars and shoplifters! I read your summary and the article twice. Totally insane.
Thank you for your insights into the publishing industry. It is always interesting to see how other industries work.
Baseball season really starts today! The Tigers opening vs the White Sox.
I'll add those to the list. The Rest is Classified has made me want to read more spy novels! I don't know if you can view it in the UK, FX has a great show based on the novel, The Old Man by Thomas Perry. I don't think the show finished the narrative in the book (I have to read it now). John Lithgow and Jeff Bridges put in excellent performances! They star opposite each other and they're a combo you didn't know you wanted to see. I really hope it is available in the UK!
Is the start of cricket season as celebrated as Opening Day?
A non fiction spy book which I enjoyed was Chris Andrew's the Spy who came in from the Circus. It is probably Chris's last book as he has had Parkinson's for awhile now. Chris wrote the History of MI5 and basically invented Intelligence history.
No the start of the cricket season doesn't have an opening day as such. But it will be good once it starts.
The UK is well on its way to becoming a country that suppresses free speech much like Russia, Iran and China. The question we in the US must ask ourselves is how long before we realize that we can no longer be allies with a country that doesn’t share our love of freedom.
There again the US is the one deporting without due process and has other methods of supressing free speech. I am told people have taken to carrying their passports to prove they are citizens etc.
Michelle: The UK could seriously use a little (or a lot) deportations.
A recent post of mine:
“The UK is in deep self imposed shit that’s simply incomprehensible from the other side of the pond. I do understand that the exact same view of the US is probably felt by those overseas. What I simply don’t understand is the lack of freedom of speech, the kowtowing to Muslim immigrants and especially the seeming tolerance of the rape of your daughters. What the fuck has happened to the country of Shakespeare and Churchill? When will you show some pride in your long heritage?”
Have you seen that LA County is about to pay out $4 billion to settle sexual assault claims resulting from the mismanagement of children in juvenile detention and foster care homes? In the worst case, "MacLaren managers had allowed convicted burglars and drug traffickers to care for children and had not checked the criminal background of employees for decades." This is an article on the cases from the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-04/in-unprecedented-payout-l-a-county-settles-sex-abuse-claims-for-4-billion
As I have said repeatedly, just because it has not been widely reported in the US does not mean that such abuse has not been happening.
Yes they are awful stories indeed and I suspect have bypassed most people in the US's conscious. When they are reported, they tend to be in the local media and euphemisms are used. To my mind the only reason why the long running grooming gang scandals in the UK hit US consciousness was because the judge in the Oxford case used the graphic imagery in his summing up.
I agree they should deport a lot of criminals -- after they have under gone due process.
Have you tried showing Adult Human Female in Berkley Ca? Or Portland? I doubt you'd find a venue. Cancel culture started in the US. I do think Trump's EO on DEI are a start but it is going to take a long time before people in the US are comfortable. Look at what happened to that female fencer this week.
The grooming gang trials and indeed many RASSO cases are working their way through the system. For a number of reasons, the crown court system backlog is far too great. They are all entitled to a fair trial. I could give you chapter and verse why but it would take too long. They are currently scheduling trials for 2027. Where is the justice in that?
I would be shocked if similar things were not happening in the US (say in Michigan) but no journo is really interested because the girls in question are in and out of care. There are a huge number of undocumented children whom the Biden admin just handed out to people whose credentials were not properly checked. I suspect some of them will be being exploited.
Hello Northumberland. Good to see You again!
But Birmingham sounds like a real mess. And the Hertfordshire police are atrocious. That was a good paper by the Free Speech Union.
I hope Greenpeace gets what they have coming to them.
I agree that untrained pets shouldn't be allowed in courtrooms.
I sure hope the two GC academics win their suit.
Congrats on the book! That's great.
And Paddy looks marvelous. Also, I enjoyed Secret Princess for the Warrior immensely.
And, of course, wanna thank You Michelle, for all You do.
ANd thank you for making my day JT. It is brilliant to know that you enjoyed Secret Princess.
It is the overreach by the police which is the problem and the only way to stop it is through the courts. One would hope that they'd have enough common sense not to do it in the first place...
I don’t understand British law so don’t feel I’m qualified to comment on what looks like to me an attempt to suppress speech. The prayer case is especially troubling to me. I read mostly history (I apologize Michelle) and it’s an odd contrast that the place that gave us Magna Carta and influenced our founders is going through this.
I don’t know how to feel about Trump’s tariffs. I hope to retire in the next couple years and I’m watching 40+ years of work take a torpedo. But they say it’s not a loss till you sell! The size of the tariffs is what I question. I understand like for like, but some of these seem excessive. Again I likely lack the knowledge to comment.
Agree with JT, thank you Michelle for your work!
And the woman has been found guilty of intimidating and harassing women who were attempting to go about their lawful business. It is going to cause a row with the US but there you have it. People are not allowed to protest close to abortion clinics in the UK, even holding up signs like hers. She might appeal. She could stand more than 150 metres away hold up her sign but not within the exclusion zone.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/04/anti-abortion-campaigner-tossici-bolt-guilty/ or https://archive.ph/7bGTI
Not knowing British law is not the issue. This is a moral question and on that topic Britain is seriously lacking. It is understandable, however, from a historical perspective. England, Scotland, Wales are all steeped in aristocracy It is nearly in the DNA of the subjects. All of Europe shares that impediment. This is the notion that the State (or the descendants of the Sovereign) occupy a superior plain to the hoi polloi. The Birmingham coppers are just the Sheriffs of Notingham in modern garb.
The issue then is not the law, but a lacking of an understanding that a society is comprised of individuals with agency and autonomy. While laws can exist to outlaw things like murder, assault, theft, etc., to permit those individuals to function in pursuit of their happiness, when laws suppress the various expressions of that happiness by outlawing the speech, thoughts, and visible expressions thereof by those individuals, well you've got what we see in the British police forces, in the coverups of the Post Office Scandal, etc., by arms of the State (government agents) which metastasizes into society in Quangos, independent entities, and so-called independent actors - think of the publishing societies that Michelle has written about or those JK Rowlings has taken on. Suppressing speech and expression comes so very naturally to those societies lacking an understanding of how society should be ordered to provide genuine happiness.
And don't look to the Magna Carta. I think that is one of the biggest misdirections there is. The Magna Carta which has since been mostly honored in the breach was an agreement between the King and the landed classes. The serfs, the vast majority of people, continued to be subject to the whims of both groups. The Magna Carta is nothing like Declaration of Independence or our Bill of Rights. In Britain there is no genuine understanding of what are proper limits on agents of the State. At least no common understanding enforceable in courts.
Sure America has its share of government and private actors trying to control and suppress - it is a never ending battle to root out those who seek to exert power over the masses. Free Speech which Jonathan Truly has called the "Indispensable Right" is the bulwark against the State. May it ever be so. May Britain figure this out, somehow!
Reading about the high altitude adventures of "Tunnock's teacakes" gave me the munchies and also made me wonder about the possible dangers of another iconic British staple: bangers and mash. Has any research been done on whether those sausages react explosively if prepared and consumed on airplanes or in micro-gravity situations like the ISS?
Very good. The ones who go pop and bang.
I am sure that Paddy would be the most well-behaved of any support animal, much better than my alligator. Please give him a treat from me!
LOL. I will give him a treat. He is getting there with his behaviour.
That handbasket is already rather full with French Germans Spaniards and Swedes
Why do Brits allow their local police to bully them like the Stasi? Don't locals control local police? Fire the lot of them. Or just rough them up a few times to send a clear message. Most appear to be fat, unpleasant lesbians, anyway.
Most people do not encounter the police, just like the US. Actually most are white men who have been on the course...
It is the Course which is part of the trouble...
the Course?
Also known as DEI. I was tempted to put what a dinosaur judge once called it a number of years ago, but I shall be polite. A number of the courses encouraged people to 'go beyond the law' and some in the police have taken this literally, too literally. The chief constable of Hertfordshire Andy Profit is possibly a case in point.
Connor Tomlinson yesterday opined that today's Brits ate not likely to " do their bit" as did their grand mums and grand dad's. Can you imagine a Churchill today even becoming an MP. Hard to argue britain has not already passed the tipping point given the demographics. I am curious if Michelle agrees and if not why not. Free speech is on the way out and anti semitism is stronger than ever. And is it not fair to argue that the demography is a big reason?
Or is it that people are just willing to speak up and not have their rights trampled on and so are taking these cases to court?
If people simply acquiesced, the cases would never happen.
The UK is going to hell in a handbasket.
I couldn't believe the story about Hartfordshire police going after parents for complaining (6 officers!!) but not going after burglars and shoplifters! I read your summary and the article twice. Totally insane.
Thank you for your insights into the publishing industry. It is always interesting to see how other industries work.
Baseball season really starts today! The Tigers opening vs the White Sox.
It happens every spring! Hooray for baseball season starting, something to take one's mind off things.
If you haven't read Charles Beaumont -- A SPy Alone and his new one A SPy at War --- they are good spy-tainment. Beaumont used to work for MI6
I'll add those to the list. The Rest is Classified has made me want to read more spy novels! I don't know if you can view it in the UK, FX has a great show based on the novel, The Old Man by Thomas Perry. I don't think the show finished the narrative in the book (I have to read it now). John Lithgow and Jeff Bridges put in excellent performances! They star opposite each other and they're a combo you didn't know you wanted to see. I really hope it is available in the UK!
Is the start of cricket season as celebrated as Opening Day?
I just received an email from Lancashire County Cricket -- the county championship has started -- yesterday. https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/match-centre/
I will have a look.
A non fiction spy book which I enjoyed was Chris Andrew's the Spy who came in from the Circus. It is probably Chris's last book as he has had Parkinson's for awhile now. Chris wrote the History of MI5 and basically invented Intelligence history.
No the start of the cricket season doesn't have an opening day as such. But it will be good once it starts.
The UK is well on its way to becoming a country that suppresses free speech much like Russia, Iran and China. The question we in the US must ask ourselves is how long before we realize that we can no longer be allies with a country that doesn’t share our love of freedom.
There again the US is the one deporting without due process and has other methods of supressing free speech. I am told people have taken to carrying their passports to prove they are citizens etc.
Michelle: The UK could seriously use a little (or a lot) deportations.
A recent post of mine:
“The UK is in deep self imposed shit that’s simply incomprehensible from the other side of the pond. I do understand that the exact same view of the US is probably felt by those overseas. What I simply don’t understand is the lack of freedom of speech, the kowtowing to Muslim immigrants and especially the seeming tolerance of the rape of your daughters. What the fuck has happened to the country of Shakespeare and Churchill? When will you show some pride in your long heritage?”
Have you seen that LA County is about to pay out $4 billion to settle sexual assault claims resulting from the mismanagement of children in juvenile detention and foster care homes? In the worst case, "MacLaren managers had allowed convicted burglars and drug traffickers to care for children and had not checked the criminal background of employees for decades." This is an article on the cases from the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-04/in-unprecedented-payout-l-a-county-settles-sex-abuse-claims-for-4-billion
As I have said repeatedly, just because it has not been widely reported in the US does not mean that such abuse has not been happening.
Those are awful stories. TY Michelle.
Yes they are awful stories indeed and I suspect have bypassed most people in the US's conscious. When they are reported, they tend to be in the local media and euphemisms are used. To my mind the only reason why the long running grooming gang scandals in the UK hit US consciousness was because the judge in the Oxford case used the graphic imagery in his summing up.
Too often these things are ignored because it is happening to the powerless. The children in MacLaren were there because their homelife had been disrupted and they did not have a strong advocate. This report on the abuses from 2022 gives the barest details (but I suspect it was v graphic presented for the attorneys ) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/house-of-horrors-twelve-former-residents-of-maclaren-hall-sue-los-angeles-county-for-failing-to-protect-them-from-sexual-predators-at-childrens-emergency-shelter-301549227.html
I agree they should deport a lot of criminals -- after they have under gone due process.
Have you tried showing Adult Human Female in Berkley Ca? Or Portland? I doubt you'd find a venue. Cancel culture started in the US. I do think Trump's EO on DEI are a start but it is going to take a long time before people in the US are comfortable. Look at what happened to that female fencer this week.
The grooming gang trials and indeed many RASSO cases are working their way through the system. For a number of reasons, the crown court system backlog is far too great. They are all entitled to a fair trial. I could give you chapter and verse why but it would take too long. They are currently scheduling trials for 2027. Where is the justice in that?
I would be shocked if similar things were not happening in the US (say in Michigan) but no journo is really interested because the girls in question are in and out of care. There are a huge number of undocumented children whom the Biden admin just handed out to people whose credentials were not properly checked. I suspect some of them will be being exploited.