Amen brother

Oops! I've got fingers like thumbs.

It's conditioning mate. We are all conditioned to be polite, and no bad thing that is too.
It is they who are being ignorant in ringing you, by ringing when you've just sat down to have your tea, or on a bank holiday, not you in putting the phone down on them. It's just a paradigm shift.

I know what you mean about life's too short Russ, and fair play to anyone who thinks that way. It doesn't hurt to be aware of the law though, if only to protect your own rights or freedoms in circumstances where you might have too. Like they say, you might not be interested in politics - but politics is very interested in you.

I think Pete got the wrong idea in that I don't think local officials agents of terror, just nosey bastards. Why, when they have all my details already via the council tax I pay, and when they have only just asked me to fill in a census form including all the people in my home stating gender, race and inside leg measurement, do they then come and tell me to register to vote - or else?

Why not push a button on a computer and transfer all they know about me onto the form? Do I need to register when they already know who I am and all about me? It seems odd to me, because if they were allowed to do it automatically you can bet your bollox they would do. So maybe it is voluntary? And if so why the threat of a fine for declining?

I guess it depends on your point of view. Some just go along without ever questioning or understanding their rights and obligations, others don't. The amusing thing is those that don't are usually the ones that squeal the loudest when they're infringed upon.

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . . Not wetting in your pants.

At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.

At age 17 success is . . Having a driver's license.

At age 35 success is . . . ..Having money.

At age 50 success is . . ... Having even more money.

At age 70 success is . .. . Having a drivers license.

At age 75 success is . ... . Having friends.

At age 80 success is . . .. Not wetting in your pants.

Oh bugger. I think I've reached 80 unsuccessfully 20 years ahead of time

Hey knightly, don't be in such a rush. Well, at least wrinkles don't hurt eh. I take it your in the fourth stage of life?

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus..
4) You look like Santa Claus.

Anyway, at your age you ought to be pondering on life's great unanswered questions, like;

What date did Jesus think it was? Or if wisdom comes with age, how come when you're old nobody asks you anything?

Phew, that's OK then. I'm always being asked questions so I can't be old.

going back to the aggresion with driving etc bit
so on friday, i went to cross a box junction after the traffic that had been there a while had moved, so progressed forward, and along comes this twat in his car, him and his mrs shouting and screaming as they crossed the box junction at me, beeping pointing swearing the lot, and im thinking, fuck me, if you looked to your right love youll see the exits clear and my path is open so my right of way (i was crossing it and they where crossing over it from a 90 degree angle, across two lanes of traffic,
but didnt half make me want to follow and punch the driver right in the nose, but i carried on whilst the traffic was moving, but how un neccasary! id waited patiently for ages not to sit in the box section (its next to the nick also!) and other people went round me to go into it illegally, and thats how im rewarded
what a bunch of twats some people are

Hi Old-Nail, it's great to see you around here again, it's always an education. I have to say your views really strike a chord with me, unfortunately I'm usually the one left silently fuming after failing to find the right words at the time.

I like to think of myself as a relatively good guy, I have morals, I'm considerate of others. So it bugs the hell out of me that some people think they have the right to tell me what to do. I didn't sign a contract in order to be born, I'm not obliged to uphold my end of any bargain, it was a gift, the only people I owe anything to are the parents who brought me up. I'm quite happy to contribute to society, without it we'd still be hunter gatherers living in mud huts, and obviously we need people to 'admin' society to keep it running smoothly, we used to call them 'public servants'. Trouble is they seem to have mistaken their role for 'public masters' and think a particular job title gives them automatic authority over the rest of us. I'd very much like to know who does have legal authority over us and for what, I hope Pete does get back to us about what his position legally entitles him to do, not so that anyone can have a go at him, but to educate us about the law.

A lot's been said in the last few pages about what you can and can't do under british law, and whether it protects the little guy, but ultimately I don't remember agreeing to abide by any law full stop. I don't like being told what to do, whether there's a piece of paper to back it up or not, and what ever loopholes there may be, or freedoms that might exist at the moment, they're gradually getting papered over with ever wider reaching laws and legislation that allow the powers that be to manipulate them as they wish, take anything introduced in the last 10 years 'for our security' as an example. I wouldn't be surprised if you could be arrested under anti-terror legislation for failing to display your parking ticket correctly. I sometimes try and watch those Police-camera-action type programs, it always helps to know your enemy, but I can't watch much without getting angry. If that's how they behave when the cameras are rolling, imagine what goes on when they're not.

I am thankful that I was born in one of the better parts of the world to live in, but can't see us being anything other than screwed in the long run. There are two ways to rule any group of people, by consent, or by force. The powers that be aren't about to give up their position, and I'm not about to consent, which leaves one option. Face it, the little guy doesn't have a fucking chance.

I've no intention of ever having children of my own, I'm pretty sure that by the time I'm gone, the world won't be something I'd wish on anyone.

Pessimist, moi?

You know what young James I'm glad you didn't go try thumping someone, because you're right - they are.

But doing stuff like that only lands you in trouble, when it should be them. I've developed a simple way of dealing with it which I'll share if it helps, just keep your self safe, and let the rest do whatever the hell they want. Simple as that.

The woman I saw in the car park today was a classic. She bollocked the other bloke for her mistake! A proper magistrates face she had too, like a bad smell was being held under her nose. By the way, all that freeman stuff your mate told you is garbled urban myth for the most part - don't trust it. I studied that theory, and yes it works, but it's way too dangerous to play with unless you know your stuff.

Joolz, I can appreciate where your coming from and you do appear to have a grasp of what's going on behind the scenes. It's best to simplify things in order not to get confused. For a start let me make it perfectly clear that I'm not a Socialist, Anarchist, Racist, Communist, or any other kind of 'ist'.. well maybe a realist, so I don't come at this with any particular axe to grind.

I have just seen our birthright being chipped away by the day over the last dozen or so years, and I happen to feel it's my duty to speak out. Telling my grandchildren that I 'couldn't be arsed' to protect their freedoms, as 'life is too short' doesn't really do it for me.

I would also like Pete to get back to me as I would love to debate this. Perhaps we could do a little on-line mythbusting? Not on a personal level of course, I don't mean to undermine or attack him in any way, just to test the assumptions that he and others have about authority. For that you need to get into law, and differentiate between Common law (also known as Admiralty law) and statute law. I'm up for it. But I feel I'm already rattling a few comfort zones so I doubt it will ever happen.

To touch on your concerns, the greatest danger today is not Iran, Syria, mass Immigration, or any of the other bullshit bogymen that they are throwing up, it's actually your own people, an organisation disguised as a (political) charity called 'Common Purpose'. Their aim is to gradually replace democracy with a few hand picked individuals who will hold all the top jobs, and follow the 'party line'. See Italy? Not one single elected politician in their entire government's cabinet!

This country was based on certain principles, and those principles were guaranteed in the Magna carta of 1215, and further established in the bill of rights of 1658. They were bestowed 'in perpetuity', which means that no one - whoever they are - or say they are, can ever take them away from you. (even with printed cards to authorise them to)

The principle the country was founded on is that no one is above the law - not even Kings, so remember that and use it. The old saying about an Englishman's home is his castle is actually a dumbed down version which stems from the guarantee's given by the Magna Carta, I prefer the original version myself.

"Though rain and wind may enter a King cannot"

How cool is that? However humble, no matter that you are so poor that the roof is open to the elements, you still have the right and power to deny the king.

That's what the Magna Carta was for, to protect us from tyrants - Regal or political. As for me, well I'd much rather be thought a c*nt by a few nobodies today, than called one by my grandkids in twenty years time.

I only wish I had faith in that last bit. I'm ashamed to say that I have very little knowledge of the Magna carta or any of the basis of british law, and I'm sure the same could be said for the majority of the population. The thing is laws don't have to be repealed in order to no longer apply, they just get overruled (not sure my choice of words is correct).

Take for example the old chestnut about being able to shoot a welshman with a bow and arrow from the walls of Chester after dark, or however it goes, which people say still stands. Old out of date laws don't need to get repealed if a new law, in this case the murder one, makes it moot, as it's illegal to shoot anyone in any town at any time.

I hear what you say Old-Nail about being able to refuse the king, and therefore anyone operating on behalf of the crown, entry to your house. Trouble is at some point in history the law decided that it was necessary for the police to be able to enter peoples houses, so warrants were introduced to allow them to. At the moment it takes time for them to apply for a warrant, but before long I expect we'll be in a situation where a warrant is not necessary if they believe a terrorist related activity is taking place. Vague see, that could be manipulated to cover just about anything, and even then it's only an officers belief. Pretty much anything claiming to be anti-terror will get passed as law at the moment, because who'd argue against it, terrorists? And oh look, before you know it the Magna carta isn't worth the parchment it's written on.

Rights, it's a word that often gets bandied about when people think they should get something and it's much overused and usually worthless. It's used for things someone has allowed you to do or have, and any 'right' anyone has given you can just as easily be taken away again should they wish.