"War On Terror" Board Game Confiscated In UK 598
An anonymous reader writes "The board game The War On Terror is a satirical game in which George Bush's 'Axis of Evil' is reduced to a spinner in the middle of the board, which determines which player is designated a terrorist state. That person then has to wear a balaclava (included in the box set) with the word 'Evil' stitched onto it. Kent police said they had confiscated the game because the balaclava 'could be used to conceal someone's identity or could be used in the course of a criminal act.' Balaclavas are freely sold all over the place in the area." Schneier has blogged this stupidity, of course.
Ironic in so many ways... (Score:5, Insightful)
One of which is that this is great publicity for the game and will surely increase sales.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
They need another card. (Score:5, Insightful)
They need the "Police in free country crack down on their own people for idiotic reasons and abusing their authority thereby turning free country into a less-free country thereby aiding the terrorists" card.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
I am older, and was raised to always trust a policeman.
As an adult, I rarely say this: My parents were wrong.
The Republic is now an Empire.. with the centurions carrying assault rifles
Rei Publicae Scutum no longer...
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:They need another card. (Score:5, Insightful)
They need the "Police in free country crack down on their own people for idiotic reasons and abusing their authority thereby turning free country into a less-free country thereby aiding the terrorists" card.
Actually, that's how the terrorist player wins the game.
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:They need another card. (Score:5, Insightful)
That's kinda long-winded. How about an "Idiots Elected" card instead?
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
I am older, and was raised to always trust a policeman.
As an adult, I rarely say this: My parents were wrong.
The Republic is now an Empire.. with the centurions carrying assault rifles
when I traveled to the UK, many years ago, I ran into the same sentiment - that 'ask a friendly policeman on the corner' if you need help or have a question. nice friendly guys (....)
that ship has sailed. now, the current wisdom is to never talk to cops (2) [youtube.com] never talk to cops (1) [youtube.com]
this is BOTH a copy AND a lawyer giving this advice!
clearly, they are not anymore representing 'the will of the people'. they are anti-freedom and you would be best advised to consider the huge risk by even talking to them, even if you are innoncent. a slip of a casual word CAN be used against you and there is never ever 'off the record' when you talk to cops.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Agreed. There may be many good police, but you only need a few bad ones...
The main problem with giving police discretionary powers is that many police have no discretion.
what about motorcycle helmets? (Score:1, Insightful)
lots of people were them too under helmets on motorcycles to protect from cold or just to protect the helmet. But forget about the balaclava... wearing a simple full face helmet could be considered that conceals the identity of the motorist - isn't wearing a helmet mandatory in UK?
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Why not? They are given power and responsibility beyond a normal citizen. They should be held to a higher standard.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:1, Insightful)
He was shot by a total moron.
The guy that made the call had *0* hard evidence that he was tailing a terrorist.
He probably also single-handedly did more damage to the credibility of British intelligence than any other event since the weapons of mass distraction.
Rest in peace dr. Kelly...
Re:Context, context (Score:3, Insightful)
Not if the bank is in a row of shops containing a toyshop and a lingerie store,
Re:How much more can you take? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
There should also be an effort made to ensure that the Police are in fact aware of what the laws are.
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
Atheil said: That being said, I do agree that it is ridiculous that they took the board game, it's just not a good enough reason to "hate the police."
May I credit you as the inspiration for the Atheil Doctrine?
The Atheil Doctrine
The probability that the police are considered trustworthy, professional, and "not worth hating" is inversely proportional to whether you've been the recipient of police criminal behavior, misconduct, or overzealousness.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
go watch BOTH, videos, dude. its a cop AND a lawyer. no, its not someone who THINKS they are a lawyer, its the real deal and he's giving valid legal advice.
if you don't believe him, why would you reject the cop's view - it ALSO echo's the same thing. he goes into detail about how they are TRAINED to probe you for info and even an innocent statement can hang you by the 'nads.
this is not 'an interesting video' it should be REQUIRED READING/WATCHING in civics class. people must be taught that the state is now to be held with strong distrust. in fact, that was some of the basic operational concepts in the founding of america!
Re:They need another card. (Score:3, Insightful)
If you honestly don't see a qualitative difference between the idiocy of the current administration and (just to keep it non-partisan) that of his father's, you really should give up both voting and handling sharp objects.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
OK then you racist, authoritarian tosser, let me tear apart your idiotic rambling
1. His overstaying his visa has nothing to do with it. The punishment for that is not summary execution, outside your right-wing fantasies.
2. He was never given a warning to stop, you are simply lying. If you think otherwise, provide a credible claim for this source of stop pissing on the poor mans grave.
3. The idea that he ran in response to the presence of the police is absurd because the police who were tailing him were in plain clothes. He had no idea what was going on until they entered the carriage and murdered him. I challenge you to prove otherwise.
4. Shut the fuck up you BNP loving organ of the police state, and have some respect for an innocent victim of extreme police brutality.
Scum like you make me ashamed of Britian.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
The only way law enforcement can truly hold any power over mind is if the command equal parts fear and admiration.
With this lack of discretion becoming more common, people are losing both.
Re:Police thugs (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:John McCain: Warmonger Part 2 +1, Helpful (Score:2, Insightful)
...it's obvious that not a lot of Americans will vote Republican again.
I don't know about that. Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush [realclearpolitics.com]* (scroll down on that page). So if they're not voting Republican, they probably aren't voting Democrat, either.
*Naturally that depends on the accuracy of the polls. See Dewey Defeats Truman [wikipedia.org]
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
He was shot by someone doing their job. If you're going to blame people, at least blame the right people. It was the superiors who made the mistake. If you're the member of a firearms squad and State Red is declared as you're running after a suspected terrorist who just got on a train, then you can hardly be blamed for shooting the person when he looks like he's about to blow himself up.
I'm not defending the intelligence services, but don't blame the person with the gun; blame the people who declared JCDM to be a threat that needed to be stopped.
[ Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/629/629/7073125.stm [bbc.co.uk] ]
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
The person with the gun is the one that pulled the trigger.
Sure his superiors fucked up, and royally so.
But he was the one to make the call, and by the looks of it anybody with a coat on on a warm day is now subject to possible shootings by overzealous police officers.
I repeat, there was *0* and I really mean absolutely no evidence whatsoever that the person they were following was a terrorist. Whoever gets to follow the orders carries part of the blame, you can not be absolved for killing an innocent person by claiming to simply be doing your job, that sort of excuse went out the window a long long time ago, and for a very good reason.
The hand that pulls the trigger is connected to an arm that is connected to a brain, that is supposed to think for itself, not to blindly follow orders, especially not if they're coming from a group of people that have been known to err before.
The whole system of justice is based on evidence, that's not a thing to throw overboard lightly.
The person that was shot had not committed any crime, was not about to commit any crime, was not charged with any crime (regardless of whether they committed one), had no history of committing crimes that would require that person to be stopped with such force.
ESPECIALLY NOT TO BE SHOT IN THE HEAD FROM POINT BLANK RANGE.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
"The real dangerous stuff" is "...knives, chisels and bolt cutters..."
I have all of those in my home, too. Along with even more dangerous stuff like shovels, hedge clippers, wire cutters, electronics tools, chemicals, an axe, a lawnmower and a couple of rakes.
I also have a good deal of satirical materials, including a card game about Nuclear War.
And I've even been involved in "climate protests" - there are even pictures of me online before the Iraq invasion carrying a mass-made sign proclaiming "Go solar, not ballistic".
Yet, it's never even occurred to me to try to "break into and probably sabotage a power plant". Not even when I lived near one.
Perhaps I'm safe because I don't own a balaclava?
Re:Police thugs (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm all for highlighting examples of police corruption and brutality, but that second article you linked to raises more questions about the prosecution than the cop involved. Seems like something especially shady was going on (especially with the possible FBI investigation into the prosecutor).
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
I have to disagree w/ your signature though. Taking guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens only lets criminals have a free reign.
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
New list of banned items (Score:2, Insightful)
--Hair Coloring (The only legal hair color from now on will be birth color, offenders can be jailed)
--Clothing dye (See above, you could conceal the identity of a garment)
--Sharpies and other markers (These could be used to conceal previously written statements)
--And as always, remember to firmly affix your ID barcode to your forehead before leaving home.
Re:Police thugs (Score:1, Insightful)
Once upon a time the police were around to investigate criminal acts AFTER the acts were committed. THEN someone (probably a police commissioner) took it one step further He had the bright idea that if you just put cops on the streets fewer crimes will be committed.
Then came traffic laws and it was taken one step further. Cops were turned into the watchful 'man in the car' whose only purpose is to catch you in the act of committing a traffic 'crime'.
NOW that has been taken even one step further and cops are always watchful for any citizen who might consider doing anything that could be considered a 'crime', traffic or otherwise.
Take it just one more step and you have even more cops actively looking through everyone's personal information for anything that can be used against them in the future 'just in case' they might commit a crime.
Step by step the fact that the police exist erodes our freedom.
Re:John McCain: Warmonger Part 2 +1, Helpful (Score:3, Insightful)
I have my fingers crossed, though it would be very nice to see an independent win.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
when I traveled to the UK, many years ago, I ran into the same sentiment - that 'ask a friendly policeman on the corner' if you need help or have a question. nice friendly guys (....)
that ship has sailed. now, the current wisdom is to never talk to cops (2) [youtube.com] never talk to cops (1) [youtube.com]
Wow, you are completly misrepresenting those videos. Neither one says anything about not talking with the neighbourhood police. If you are a witness, victim or simply have a question they don't apply.
The videos specifically address the issue of being a suspect or in a position where you can become a suspect. In that kind of situation you shouldn't volunteer anything freely as it is never in your own interest to do so. Instead just shut up, repeat your rights, be polite and call a lawyer. That is just simple common sense and have always been. Of course, people have never had common sense, thinking instead that they can outsmart a professional interrogator (and yes, that is part of what a policeman is).
The first part (the lawyer part) is also about a failing justice system where getting convictions is more important thatn finding out the truth. When prosecutors will bend/hide the truth just to get a conviction, then you know that you have a problem. Also, the fact that in the US anything you say can be used against you, but nothing you say can be used for you is another big imbalance.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
You do realize this happened in the UK, right?
No federal government there. And no concept of by or for the people either.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't disagree with this, they should be policed more rigorously than the general public, and they usually are. If a cop comes under investigation for a crime, it is a lot more likely to make it to Court than if it is a private citizen, at least in Canada anyways.
Wow, that is certainly not the case in the US. In my state we actually have special exemptions in our handgun laws for police officers because normal people convicted of domestic violence are not allowed to carry concealed pistols... but so many police officers have such a conviction, they made sure to exempt them. My brother used to be a cop. When pulled over for excessive speeding, the police saw he was a cop, chatted a bit, and let him go with no mention of the speeding, not even a warning. I suppose a lot of that falls under the category of police not being investigated when they are likely suspects in crimes, but in general the police are not policed well in the US.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, this is going to be based on what I can glean from the news, so it's biased at best, but just about all the cases involving the military that I can remember were pretty hard on the lower echelons but the people higher up almost always escaped real punishment.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
You are already lost to propaganda...
Labeling someone a terrorist, no matter how 'apt' the description is, does not really justify shooting an unarmed person several times at close range.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't know how it is in the UK.
But in most the rest of Europe we do not have summarily public executions on just the suspicion of being a terrorist.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't disagree with this, they should be policed more rigorously than the general public, and they usually are. If a cop comes under investigation for a crime, it is a lot more likely to make it to Court than if it is a private citizen, at least in Canada anyways. The best solution to this problem is to allocate more money to police budget so that you have more people wanting to become police officers (since now you'll have an actual benefit to the amount of work they have to do) and can be pickier with who you choose.
Are you kidding me? You want to pay them MORE?? Are you insane?
Here is what happens.
1. Cops do something terrible. (Tazer a man to death, shoot an unarmed man at point blank range, raid the wrong house and shoot grandma, dump a quadriplegic out of his wheelchair, etc.)
2. The police department starts an official investigation.
3. The officers are suspended with pay. This is in effect a paid vacation.
4. After several months the department concludes that no wrong doing took place.
5. Police officers involved in the incident return to work, and sometimes are even promoted.
I can cite case after case after case of this happening.. search google for "police cleared of wrong doing" .. it will make you sick.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Locations (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, for a community that's usually opposed to mainstream media, no one has really taken into consideration the media's bias to negative acts. Stories about corrupt officers sell more than stories about officers doing their job properly, or even going beyond the call of duty, so news agencies tend to focus on that. There are plenty of good cops out there; they just don't get their fair share of the headlines.
Re:Police thugs (Score:1, Insightful)
Sadly, my neighbor has become just like this.
He was cool until he became a cop, then he started acting like an almighty ass.
Whenever anyone talks to him, he makes sure, in his most intimidating voice, to remind everyone he meets he's a cop.
In my area, not only is that arrogant, but a good way to get you targeted by the various gangs in the area.
Most cops choose to live elsewhere and anonymously to prevent that, but then you have these people who get a power trip and let everyone know. They also bust their neighbor's asses over minor problems, usually calling the local police on them over little things.
You see it online in videogames, those who decide to become the police quickly start going after everyone. it isnt a sense of justice, but a sense of power that they can manipulate or control someone else.
The good cops enforce the law
The bad cops, or pigs, as I and many others like to call them, enjoy the power and ego trip.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
I was born here. I have every right to be here without consenting to any agreement whatsoever.
Re:They need another card. (Score:3, Insightful)
I guess I should also give up reading then too, as that's what has told me that we've been through far worse situations than this in our history, without giving up nearly as much of our freedoms. There was a time when there were frigging enemy subs running up our rivers sinking traffic. We went through several actual insurrections, including one that resulted in the death of over a million Americans. This little terrorism thing we are going through is *nothing* by comparison. We weren't perfect through those times, but never were we nearly as bad as this.
If you read up on how this all happened, you'll find that it was pushed from the top, in the (incorrect) belief that it would somehow help things.
So you are asking me to believe that *anyone* would have been the stupidest most incompetent leader in our history if put in the presidency over the last 8 years? Believe that if it makes you feel better, but I'm not buying it.
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh, no, there's a slight difference:
Cops mostly have a similar mindset and agenda. The majority of people have had negative personal experiences with the police. The police force works as a unit to accomplish its goals and protect its members.
Black people are generally very diverse and may have a variety of motivations and agendas. The average racist has not had any negative personal experiences with black people and hates them based on assumption and hearsay. Lastly, there is no evidence of a vast racial conspiracy. The black community is notorious for its fragmented nature and black people rarely strive to do anything as a group.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Even the least corrupt cop is evil because they have to enforce evil laws. Every cop on the beat is participating in the persecution of marijuana smokers, for instance. There's absolutely no justification for that. Any person who would use violent force against the non-violent, deserves all the contempt and scorn in the world.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, in the US i suppose you would expect to risk your life. At least if I should believe guys like you on ./, what I read in the newspapers and what we see in American movies and television shows.
I still hope it is a bit exaggerated, and not really representative for the majority of cases.
If not I feel truly sorry for your people.
In most of Europe (in fact most of the world) the police would chase after you but will not open fire unless you start shooting back at them. If they have reason to believe you are dangerous they will still warn you, usually several times before opening fire.
And at least in my country I know for a fact they have instructions to shoot to disable and not to kill.
After all we are not barbarians and have done away with the death penalty a long long time ago.
BTW: The man in question here was unarmed and had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks or any other criminal activities.
It has also been established that he never ran from the police as they initially claimed. The police later issued an official apology after this fact leaked to the press.
He did however resemble slightly the man they were looking for. So does a lot of people in London.
The fact of the case is that the police officers in question were jumping the gun in this case. Perhaps understandable after the bombings but that is a poor excuse.
If we surrender our rights, freedom and justice system because of the threat of terrorist then the terrorist have won and we may be safe but not free.
One should also remember that the terrorist threat might be spectacular and frightening but in reality it is relatively trivial.
Many many more people die every year in traffic accidents than are being killed by terrorist.
In fact there is a much higher probability that either of us will commit suicide than become victims of a terrorist attack.
It is a sorry state of affairs but people seems to have lost all perspective about this.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
You go use your gun to defend your freedoms against an over-zealous cop who doesn't fully know the law he's enforcing. Come back and let us know how you get on, assuming you're not dead.
Re:Fascist state (Score:5, Insightful)
There's an interesting documentary on the subject called V For Vendetta.
Re:Police thugs (Score:5, Insightful)
*sigh*. Find a country that has more stringent gun control - but a higher gun-related crime-rate than USA, then maybe you'll have some credibility. Hell, I'd settle for a comparison between "crimes-thwarted-by-armed-joe-sixpacks" versus "crimes-committed-with-legally-purchased-guns" which favours the former situation (and no, don't tell me that the knowledge of armed victims scares would-be criminals into lawfulness, if it did you'd have less crime). Besides, any "law abiding citizen" can purchase a gun, and then become a "criminal" once they have it - it's not like would-be criminals are born with the word "DANGER" tattooed into their foreheads.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
I imagine the state loves not publicly admitting that police corruption exists even more. I suppose they probably prosecute vigorously once they're forced to, but I'll bet they vigorously resist starting the process at all.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
You should do a bit more reading about how the state of Israel came to be and how the Palestinians have been shafted by the rest of the Arabs and the Israelis both.
I know *plenty* of Jewish people that do not wish to be associated with what Israel currently stands for (similar to the way many US citizens are not all that happy with the direction their country is taking).
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
People earn respect. I'm not saying no police deserve respect, but if the only reason you pretend to respect a public servant is so that they will continue to not violently abuse you, something is wrong.
Re:Police thugs (Score:2, Insightful)
Specific instances of police abuse of authority does not prove that "all police are evil and should be punished." If anything police are proven to be human. The cops involved in that incident should have been fired and/or charged, and I don't disagree with that. However, saying all police are bad from a specific instance is like saying all black people are bad because a black person robbed you one time. Yes, I'm equating hating the police to racism because they're both discrimination against a group for acts by individuals.
Perhaps we should say that all police have a great potential for corrupt behavior, and should be monitored closely.
Re:Police thugs (Score:4, Insightful)
That only works if: A)There is somewhere else to go where a man can be free. B)The rules you originally consent to remain unchanged. Option A is kinda viable in rural Alaska and the Australian outback, but the careful databasing of all citizens is rapidly destroying that freedom of remoteness. You could practice civil disobedience an refuse to pay taxes to fund a standing army, but even living in the remote wilderness the IRS would track you down and make you submit. Option B doesn't hold true when when things regarded as inalienable rights, become the objects of steady erosion and obscurification. When the way the agreement document (The Constitution) reads and the way it is enacted are so very different, you may have consented to being governed, but you are not getting the government you consented to.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah that might hold true for murder or extortion but how about stuff like speeding tickets, running red lights, parking tickets, small amounts of pot, having fireworks? Cops don't ticket other off duty cops. If they don't have to obey the small laws why should they feel the need to obey the big laws?
Re:Police thugs (Score:2, Insightful)
If police were actually penalized for egregious abuses of power like this, we wouldn't have enough police officers to generate revenue for the city.
Ahh.. but then the city wouldn't have to spend as much on salaries for officers. Oh wait... that doesn't even come into the equation does it?
Re:Police thugs (Score:2, Insightful)
You are using faulty logic to try and create a strawman, surprise surprise.
There are plenty of examples of countries with more relaxed gun laws and/or more guns per head that the US, and yet significantly less gun-related crime.
The control, number, and distribution of guns has little to do with their use in crime. Gun based crime is a social problem, nothing else, and one in which the USA has failed miserably.
Re:Police thugs (Score:3, Insightful)
Nowhere did I advocate discourtesy or unwarranted disrespect. The GP said "if you are polite and show them respect, and don't automatically take a defensive position, they tend to be absolutely fine." This implies that if you don't, things tend *not* to turn out fine. I'll rephrase what I said before: showing signs of respect only because of a threat (real or imagined) isn't respect, it's subservience and shouldn't be part of dealing with public servants.
We do not grant the police the considerable powers we do so that they can use them to enforce courtesy (to themselves). A McDonald's employee may spit in your food if you are discourteous to him/her, but professional law enforcement officers are expected to behave professionally, even if you don't "happen to be white, male, and above the age of 30".
Re:Police thugs (Score:1, Insightful)
Yes, I'm equating hating the police to racism because they're both discrimination against a group for acts by individuals.
Then you are totally retarded. A person cannot help what colour their skin is, but it is a concious choice to join the police.
It is perfectly fair to be critical of someone who is so stupid that they cannot see they will be used as political pawns by joining the police. They make that choice as an adult, they are not born into it.
Also the very nature of the police attracts bullies and those desiring power, as for the police to be able to function they need more power than the rest of us. It should be up to the individual pigs to justify that they can be trusted to have that power, and that justification testing should be ongoing.