Saturday 5 January 2013

Ban everything!


We are in the age of the ban. The zenith approaches as a Labour front-bencher calls for the banning of Frosties.

But let's look back at a few of those other proposals for - and actual bans:

Asking people for money - Tory MP Charlie Elphicke want to stop me or you asking people to donate to charity in the street. He got a headline!

Begging - well I guess it's asking for money. This time it's a Labour councillor in Aberdeen who things banning begging will be good for the beggars!

Fast food shops - most recently Diane Abbott has been on this bandwagon but the banning of fast food retail (for the children of course) is popular with councils like Waltham Forest

Advertising - while there are some who would ban all advertising (and probably hang marketers into the bargain), the desire - mostly "for the children" - to ban advertising is common. This includes fast food, drink and gambling.

Food - sugar, salty cheese and rare burgers are all subject to this obsession with banning stuff - the search for the super-healthy, perfect lifestyle!

Computer games - that's right folks! Because some nutter claims a computer game made him kill we believe him and call for them to be banned!

Getting a tan - a popular one this with local councillors. A bit like gambling and drinking, we like to have our say on the high street tan - too often by calling for a ban.

Bored yet with my little list? You do realise that I've hardly started! We continue with some good old friendly attacks on smoking - in cars, in council houses and of the e-cigarette. The war on the smoker continues!

As does the attack on the working-class drinker - this time with bans on high-strength lager and on drinking outside the boozer.  And some want to even ban pop!

Having fun faces a few more obstacles with councils keen to stop busking, to ban fireworks and even street parties. And even circuses are hobbled by not being allowed animals and, in some places, we can't even walk our dogs in the park!

I could go on - doubtless there are hundreds more little pleasures and conveniences that these nannying fussbuckets would have banned. All for our good, to save the NHS some cash or, most commonly, "for the children". This ghastly puritan world or bitter judgemental weasels poking about uninvited in the lives of others as if those lives were anything of their business.

So politicians, doctors, researchers and other so-called 'experts', if you have just one New Year resolution for 2013, can you make it that you'll...

STOP ASKING FOR EVERYTHING TO BE BANNED









3 comments:

Billy Bowden said...

Freedom of speech and expression, you can be jailed for wearing an "offensive" t-shirt or writing an "offensive" tweet.

George Speller said...

"banning of fast food retail (for the children of course)"
I came across this quote which tells all we need to know:

“The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation.”
(Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler; 1943)

Anonymous said...

Only one more Ban is needed. Let's ban bans - job done.