Category: crime

crime, culture, religion, sex

The Hendrix-Joplin Community – If you join, you will never escape

bruceandholly

After 35 years of writing nonfiction, this is my first fiction book. The idea arose from the massive geopolitical changes since Trump took office just over 100 days ago. In writing the book, I have assumed that everything Trump says he’s going to do, actually happens. So the Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America. Greenland and Canada are now America’s 51st and 52nd States. Just for good measure, I have also chucked in the former UK, now New Alaska, as America’s 53rd State, in return for signing away what remains of its oil, gas and mineral assets. It really was a no-brainer.

Caught between tariffs from both the U.S. and Europe. Having outsourced all of its manufacturing to China, and having closed down what remained of its industrial landscape, the former UK was no longer economically viable as a nation-state. Add to that Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from NATO and the Ukraine-style neutrality pact offered to former NATO members in its place.

Don’t worry about climate change. That has already happened. New Alaska is now a silent snow-scape punctuated only by the distant rumble of the extraction plant.

The story focuses on a Waco style cult church, which you can join but never leave. A charismatic hippie pastor who doesn’t only want your money. He also wants access to your wife. Yes – there really are communities like that. But it all turns to bloody murder when someone steals the source of his power.

crime, culture, Law, Uncategorized

1920’s Prohibition Revisited

bruceandholly
Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

Haven’t we learned anything from 1920s prohibition? When stupid politicians voted to ban alcohol consumption across the United States, and in so doing, created the model for organised crime, which still exists today, and lives on In the drug cartels of South America. So shouldn’t we be de-criminalising instead of criminalising otherwise lawful social activity? But here we go again, with Starmer’s plan to ban tobacco smoking in pub gardens and parks, where it does not affect anyone except the smoker.

Sunak started all of this nonsense with his talk about raising the smoking age every year, so that generations going forward will never be able to legally smoke. He did it to take away attention from the housing and cost of living crisis which his government had created.So are we going to see police officers frisking down young people, just in case they are hiding cigarettes? That’s going to be great for community relations! Now Starmer has picked up the reins.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a smoker. But I don’t like to see anyone being put out of work just because someone wants to make a political point. Nor do I wish to see the creation of a new criminal underground. Haven’t we got enough criminals already? Or police chasing round after kids and pub- smokers, when they should be catching burglars and shoplifters. If Starmer wants to ban something, he should ban online gambling.That causes much more psychological damage and addiction. As well as family breakups.But no one seems bothered about that. In fact, I’d guess that if you’ve got the wit and the know-how, anyone could start up a gambling platform from their own back bedroom.You wouldn’t need to employ anyone. And you wouldn’t need to rent any premises.You just pay for the software and the marketing.Then sit back and watch the cash roll in. It almost seems too easy.

crime, Law

Never Confess to a crime you didn’t commit

bruceandholly

I was shocked at the hounding of taxi driver Ryan Barney who did his public duty by racing to ferry people away from the scene of a London terrorist attack. Yes – he went through a red light. So what? It was an emergency.

But it’s too easy to feel pressured into pleading guilty to a bad prosecution when you should fight to clear your name. Yes there are risks in contesting. It is expensive and you may get a heavier sentence if you are convicted after a trial. But pleading guilty is never the easy way out – whatever your lawyer tells you. You’re still saddled with the conviction and no-way of appealing it.

 

via Daily Prompt: Confess