Libertarianz Justice Spokesman Bernard Darnton said today that 'cosmetic initiatives' announced by the Minister of Social Services were designed specifically to give the appearance government is dealing with youth crime. "But I don't see how merely providing a few more beds for young offenders to sleep in is going to help these kids or - more importantly - how it is going to help their victims," wonders Darnton.

"Most youth crime probably comes down to low self-esteem, lack of hope and lack of vision. Despite the wishful thinking of pop-psychologists, self-esteem doesn't come from giving everybody a certificate on sports day - or doing away with graded tests. It has to be earned. A society which tortures tall poppies and punishes the good in favour of the mediocre will never produce the hope, the vision, and the knowledge of self-worth that the youth of this country so desperately need."

"If the government was really interested in reducing youth offending there are many more constructive things they could be doing," he points out.

"They could begin by removing themselves from an education system that takes bright young minds and intellectually molests them - crushing the will to achieve and producing young adults without the skills or hope to succeed. A truly private education system would actually educate and nurture children unlike the current politically-correct social engineering system."

"They could get out of the economy. An economy unhindered by governmental interference wouldn't punish effort and reward uselessness as this one does. An economy unhindered by governmental meddling would not only produce vastly more wealth, but also offer many more opportunities to achieve.

"They could," concludes Darnton, "just get the hell out of all our lives, and perform their proper job of defending us against criminals so we can enjoy the freedom of being unmolested. And that," he says," would truly be something to celebrate."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>