Over on Liberal Conspiracy there has been an at times hostile debate surrounding feminism due to the claims of Sarah Palin, Republican VP Nominee, that she is one. Why is this controversial, and why has it started any such debate? Firstly she is someone that believes abortion is a sin, and would appear to wish to ban abortions from taking place in the US if she had her way. This provoked Laurie Penny to claim rather audaciously yet innocently that you cannot be a feminist if you oppose choice (with regards to abortion rights). Needless to say I disagreed, and a lot of cussing and hostile feminist verbatim later the debate hasn't moved on. Why not? Well it's because, as I have perhaps only more recently realised, that the debate is fairly irrelevant to feminism and wholly relevant to liberalism.

Compass seem to feel they are gaining momentum in their campaign for a windfall tax on energy companies, after asking a bunch of turkey's to vote for Christmas they strangely got the answer they wanted...an amazing way to spend the donations given to them on this issue. However as of today the parallels can now be drawn between compass and the government in which both bodies are happy to take money from those that think it's going to go towards something meaningful, but actually will only be used to prop up measures to serve personal and selfish gains.

I've recently blogged on this issue and since posting it I've had some time to consider my opinion further. After visiting the statement-not-substance facebook group to ask for clarification about what the aims are of Compass, and those that support a windfall tax on energy and oil companies, also asking in several other blogs for a greater idea of the figures and strategy, I've come to the conclusion this is a very dangerous proposition to be supporting.

The reasons for this conclusion? Firstly, the figures...they don't add up, especially when you consider how little Compass and other supporters of this windfall tax actually talk about figures other than taking corporate profits completely out of context. Secondly, mixed messages. The call for a windfall tax is a catch-all political statement rather than a real solution, much like the everything to every person Lib Dem transport policy. And finally time-scales, if this truly is some level of mass altruism based upon a belief that only Labour (or the left) can solve the world's problems then it's missing the point of who is really going to benefit from this move at this time.

It was suggested last week that one solution to the issue of music being shared illegally, among other such as making ISPs taking more responsibility for what activities their customers do, is to charge a levy or tax on internet use and let us do whatever the hell we like.

I've written on this subject before, and as such you may feel some element of repetition, however last night's program about the WI calling for safer spaces for prostitutes means now is the perfect time to talk again about the decriminalisation of the work and indeed how counter-productive the talk Harriet Harman gave at the beginning of the year is.

In the ever moving hilarity that is government competence with technology, there is even more to report about their ridiculous My Life, My ID site (which has now become an anti-ID propaganda ground). It seems the type of people that will be responsible for managing our most personal data simply cannot send an email correctly...

Sh
from help@mylifemyid.org
reply-to help@mylifemyid.org
to LeeGriffin
date Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 12:40 PM
subject Sh
mailed-by vsdiscuss.co.uk
12:40 PM

Insert message here.

As if we ever needed any more proof that mass database "secure" personal information systems are potentially ridiculous at stopping any willing criminal from avoiding it, and thus only being effective at controlling, guiding and recording perfectly law abiding people, news reaches us that flaws with the Oyster card will be published. The system has been cracked and it means that countries all over the world now need to re-evaluate how much stock they put in these systems. But is it right to publish how to work around the system?

Here is a round up of some of the more obvious news of the last few days. Right now I'm actually likely to be in a hot air balloon for a work social, so if they feel a bit old then sorry...it's likely I'm just a bit high (*groans*?)

First up... Testing students narrows learning. Ofsted has been saying for years that strict curriculum's lead to schools teaching to test. Anyone that's gone through our educational system in the last decade or so knows this is the case as teachers work through a curriculum book to get us to learn what is most likely to be in the exam with only the few going so far as to actually inspire and help us become learning individuals.

You'd think we're in some kind of war time disaster scenario, or the pinicle of crime in our time, the way some seem to wish to go on about "youths" and the crime they cause. Of course, by crime we mean nuisence. And by nuisence we mean they look a little bit unruly while standing around causing no harm whatsoever to anyone. In Redruth they wish now to ramp up from dispersal orders which have clearly had no lasting effect by implementing a curfew scheme, something the Times claims has wide ranging support not only for Cornwall but nationally as well!

How Cornwall, completely ruled over by Liberal Democrats, can abide by this I'll never know. But I'll say this, if you wanted one shining example of why I could never be an active Lib Dem supporter then Cornwall is your answer. Try as we might, the Cornish are a fairly liberal sort...those not living there in their second or third home pushing those actually from the region away that is...it seems our endeavours to encourage liberal governance is being thrown back in our face at every turn.

Congratulations go to David Davis for winning the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, but more than that congratulations go to him for turning the Tabloids on to civil liberties for at least a while, for enabling a poll that debunks Brown's "public support" myth, and for helping us keep this issue alive!