[lit-ideas] Re: one little victory

  • From: david ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 10:11:19 -0800


On Nov 9, 2005, at 9:51 AM, Judy Evans wrote:

Wednesday, November 9, 2005, 5:37:22 PM, david ritchie wrote:


dr> On Nov 9, 2005, at 9:19 AM, Judy Evans wrote:

despite scare stories this morning by Blair:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4422086.stm


dr> This reminds me of faculty councils. Blair wanted ninety days
dr> without charge. "NO!" say the stalwart Defenders of Liberty. So
dr> then they settle on twenty eight days and call it a serious blow to
dr> Blair's authority.

it is, David, a singular defeat for Blair.

and now and then, Faculty Councils strike a blow for student welfare.

It's all jolly boring, isn't it? jolly easy to make fun of? unless
you're a put-upon student or (obviously far worse) a wrongly
imprisoned terror suspect.  Then it matters.


I did not convey my point. I don't think issues before Faculty Councils are boring or not worth fighting for. What irks me is the tendency to give away the farm and still call it a victory. I understand that politics is the art of the possible, but imagine for a moment that Blair had proposed detaining people for twenty eight days without charge. Would people have said, "Seems o.k. to me," or would they have decided that a similar two thirds reduction to seven days was the new standard of victory?

David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon

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