Tim Blair

Hmmm ... seems this genius disagrees with the principles of aircraft/building/... evacuation procedures ... life comes before mere possessions (i.e. leave the crap behind) ... you don't have to be a lefty to see the merit in that principle.
Wonder if he's interviewed cops re what it's like to be in a 'Mexican standoff' with an intruder re guts to pull the trigger (with minimal/no training).

While "Many wealth-redistributors are atheist or agnostic," is quite true, the three times that I have been majorly (majorly?? hmmm) riped off, it was by people who were quite vocal about their christianity. So just because your unexpected quests are wearing a cross on a chain around their necks, or a tatoo of "Jesus Loves Me" on their arm, don't get your hopes up about your chances for minimal cuts, bruises, and puntures.

No no no, vote THEN die. A long time from now, I hope!

Jim Treacher can use your help in getting himself syndicated in the British/Australian press. Let's take up donations to get him an airline ticket so he can interview.

"In most cases the best form of defence is always avoidance. If this isn't possible, act passively, be careful what you say or do, and give up valuables without a struggle. This allows the victim to take charge of the situation, without the intruder's awareness, through subtle and non-confrontational means."

Right. Doing what the intruder says gives the victim control.

What planet do these morons live on? How do they come up with this twisted logic?

What planet do these morons live on?
planet moondope.

How do they come up with this twisted logic?
inbreeding...

And while you are at it, vote for The Gleeson Bloglomerate in the Just-About-Bottom-of-the-Barrel category. It's the blog Jim Treacher is about to endorse!

Forgive the intrusion, but I received word that a high-traffic liberal website is preparing to spend all weekend targeting me for defeat. They figure I'll be a pushover. But I say, you can't push me over unless you can push all my mates over too! Am I right, mates? Who's with me?

Hello? Mates?

For Aussies who can't get enough provincial American humor about Ed Murrow's Ghost and Encyclopedia Brown, you simply can't beat Gleeson! I'm barely holding my own against a humorless leftist, and need my friends in the ANZUS community to rally to my banner.

alas poor anzac, we knew thee well...

could we turn tables on the brits, select a town or a shire & bombard them with advise on how to deal with thieves?
thus repaying kindness of guardian readers in kind ;-)

p.s. blame canada

No no, instead fight for the right to give those criminals the weapons they use to kill you.

Ah, yes. The good old "when rape is inevitable lie back and enjoy it" philosphy of criminal justice. And if you can't resist, it's always inevitable! Enjoyment for everyone!

And thus begins a glorious new age of nonviolence and social justice.

"Dr Ian Stephen is an Honorary Lecturer (Forensic Psychology) at Glasgow Caledonian University and has worked in a number of prisons with long-term prisoners and young offenders."

I think the quack...I mean, the Doctor...has been hypnotized by his "patients" in the prisons..."You will go forth and turn homeowners into willing, passive sheep who will bend over before us...."

i haint votin' fer ya preacher! you can jess go on ahead and make yer web-site thingamegummi a shrine to sponge-mike sweat-pants moore fer all i care!

Replace "intruder" with "fire" and see how it reads ... seems when a human is involved, it's all about control ...

"Jim Treacher can use your help in getting himself syndicated in the British/Australian press. Let's take up donations to get him an airline ticket so he can interview."

If you just want to send me the money directly, I promise to spend it on things that will cause me to fly.

As they used to say, "Close your eyes and think of England."

Yeah, yeah. Though in fact you have the right to kill burglars in England. The prosecution would have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was not self-defence. That guy who was convicted of manslaughter a couple of years had stabbed the burglar twelve times in the back, otherwise he'd have got away with it.

Britain is one of the most violent countries in the world, but this has little to do with it.

Harry Hutton: "Yeah, yeah. Though in fact you have the right to kill burglars in England. The prosecution would have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was not self-defence."

Then why are there people in the UK working so hard to get this Common Law right BACK?

"Britain is one of the most violent countries in the world, but this has little to do with it."

You're absolutely positive about that? You shouldn't be. All indications are that it is illegal to defend property in the UK, and that you can find yourself in court if a criminal gets injured on your property. This sort of nonsense was starting to get common in the US until numerous local judges made decisions that rendered it illegal for criminals to profit from their crimes. So not only is the original crime illegal in most places, so is suing if some idjit burglar falls through your skylight and hurts himself.

“All indications are that it is illegal to defend property in the UK...”

This idea is based on a couple of high profile cases, in particular the Tony Martin case. But Martin wasn't convicted for defending his property but because he shot the burglar in the back as he was running away. As a matter of fact, I didn't think his conviction was reasonable either, but I am certain that Britain’s high crime rate isn’t caused by people being reluctant to tackle criminals because they fear arrest by Loony Left Police Officers. The law lets you use a “reasonable” amount of force. If a burglar comes to your house you can hit him over the head with a chair, but you cannot tie him up and tip scalding water on his nuts (I seem to recall this happening about a decade ago.) I imagine the law in Australia is the same.

The huge rise in crime in the 20th century was a global phenomenon affecting the entire industrialised world. Even in New Zealand violent crime increased by several hundred percent. It has nothing to do with householders being prosecuted for defending themselves. And I doubt that the recent fall in crime in the US was due to Americans shooting burglars at a greater rate than previously.

If a burglar comes to your house you can hit him over the head with a chair, but you cannot tie him up and tip scalding water on his nuts

Sure I can. Then I can wipe up the water, untie him, and let him prove in court in front of me and all my witnesses that he didn't have those scalded nuts before he came to my house.

"If a burglar comes to your house you can hit him over the head with a chair, but you cannot tie him up and tip scalding water on his nuts"

How about soup?

Soup? Ah, there you have me. You'll have to ask a lawyer.