There is no need to humanise the inhumane

After the murder of James Bulger, John Major famously said that "We must condemn a little more, and understand a little less". The same could be said about the Islamists.

Calderdale Council (which borders the area where two of the 7/7 bombers lived) has come out with a new teaching pack for schools. The resource, called "Things Do Change", looks at life in multicultural Britain and the issues of extremism and terrorism. One module suggests students could prepare a presentation on the 7/7 bombings from the bombers' perspective.

The teaching pack had been recommended by government ministers as a way of addressing controversial issues, but the government have now withdrawn their support following the backlash. The government has now admitted the pack was "misguided and inappropriate".

It doesn't take a genius to realise that the moment you try and "understand" the motivations of suicide bombers, it doesn't take very long till you end up condoning and then justifying their actions. Suicide bombers are able to do what they do because they dehumanise their victims. They are inhumane people, and we shouldn't seek to humanise them.

One rule for the public sector, another one for the public sector

Whilst the rest of us tighten our belts during the recession, the government continues to spend like there is no tomorrow. Two articles worth reading on the subject:

1. Ross Clark writing in this week's Spectator, says that the really appetising salaries, perks, expense packages and pensions are to be found in the public sector.
2. Dominic Lawson writing in the Sunday Times, compares the government's national insurance system to Bernard Madoff's "Ponzi" scheme.
   

The government hasn't yet woken up to the reality that reckless spending ultimately leads to bankruptcy. It seem's there is one rule for the private sector, another for the public sector.