You are loved, you are cared for

So the smoking ban is one of those things where I'm brought face to face with the limits of my own philosophy of civil liberty. Because I'd defend to the death my right to die in a ditch in complete anonymity, but I see no good reason why some b*gg*r should be smoking at me while I do it.

Someone on the news (possibly our Malory Towers headmistress health secretary) made a comparison with the seatbelt legislation that came in whenever it was. What's interesting about that is that I remember Liberty spokesgnomes being out in force during that debate, and I don't think I've heard a peep from them over the smoking ban. Of course, they're very preoccupied at the moment trying to prevent schemes like stamping barcodes on all new born babies or eradicating tedious bits of red tape like trial by jury.

Just before Life on Mars there's a programme on benefit fraudsters that I keep on missing. Has anyone seen it? Is it all: "Remember! Responsible citizens shop their neighbours to the authorities!" I'd like to see a jolly and informative programme that says: "Remember: Reponsible citizens groove at the political process!" That would surely be a challenge for a documentary maker.