England's 12th player, the weather, took control of the match today, when Australia's steady and assured reply to England's 373 was stopped by bad light when the openers, Langer and Hayden had put on 112. I know that we are living in the 21st century, but this is Test Cricket and the environment has always been a part of the game. In this case, it has favoured England. Two hours of play have been lost, 2 very valuable batting hours for Australia, which means that they may be forced to take risks when they resume - good. Earlier, the England tail-enders put an extra 54 runs on the board, and, probably, more importantly took an hour to do it.
This looks like being another very close game, and I'm not sure I can stand the tension! Australia must not win!
One piece of news, Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats and the one party in the UK to oppose going to war in Iraq, has raised his head above the parapet again. This time attacking the Government's anti-terror measures. He said ministers were guilty of "striking stances or floating initiatives in response to very short term primarily media demands".
He also criticised Tony Blair's claim that the terrorist threat had produced a new political climate. "When I hear phrases like that being used I really do get concerned," Mr Kennedy said.
"Climate by definition can change from one day to the next. You don't change your entire fundamental approach based on something as passing as that. Politicians should not be governed by something as nebulous as the climate."
For me, before anything is done to affect Civil Liberties, the reasons for change have to be solid and definite. As Katrina has taught most of us, nature will always kill more people than any terrorist could even imagine; disease, drought, famine, storms, for me these are the enemies we should be pursuing, not a bunch of anorexic, hairy outcasts with delusions of grandeur. Yes, they will always get through, and when they do it will always be distressing, and for the victims and their families, World terror will have become a reality. However, for most of us, there is more safety in percentages, - and the chances of being caught up in even a big terrorist attack are very tiny, - and live my life knowing that I have more chance of dying, crossing the road, or being mugged, or having a heart attack, than being the victim of a terrorist.
I wish our Government would scrap its "anti-terrorist" agenda - mainly on the basis that, one; it won't do any good and two; it is an attack on everyone's civil liberties - something the terrorists would love!
1 comment:
I see England has the same issues as us here in the US. Because of the threat of terrorists, our civil liberties are trounced. And it won't get any better with the nomination and I fear approval of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, a man who will approves of more presidential power.
Sometimes I think if we were a little more diligent about our borders and who we allow in, it might help staunch the flow of potential terrorists. But then again we have enough of the John McVeigh home grown types already here.
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