Normally, I get pessimistic about the future when I think about wasteful spending programs that will drive almost all developed nations into bankruptcy. And America is on that list, by the way, because of our poorly designed entitlement programs.
But sometimes my despair is the result of idiotic political correctness and bone-headed bureaucracy. And for some reason, as shown by these examples, the United Kingdom seems to have a disproportionate share of morons who want to impose bad policy on their fellow citizens.
- A job-placement center got in trouble for discriminating against incompetent people by seeking “reliable” and “hard-working” candidates.
- A women who was being threatened by thugs got in trouble with the police for brandishing a knife in her own home.
- A proposal to prevent children from watching Olympic shooting events.
- A man got arrested for finding a gun in his yard and turning it over to the police.
- The government wanted to require “competency tests” for pet owners.
- An ID requirement to buy teaspoons.
- The most useless sign in the history of the world.
- A proposal to ban skinny models.
But I don’t know if any of those horror stories can match this baffling story reported in the Telegraph.
When the chief starter at the London Olympics agreed to fire his pistol to start the races at a school sports day, parents thought it was a wonderful treat for their children. But they did not count on the intervention of health and safety officials from their local council, who ruled that the noise from Alan Bell’s starting pistol would be too frightening for the youngsters. Bizarrely, the local authority instead suggested playing a recording of a starting pistol on an iPod before agreeing to let Mr Bell start the races by sounding a klaxon. …One parent, who did not wish to be named, told a Sunday newspaper: “It was ridiculous. We were told that the children would be distressed by Mr Bell firing his starting pistol. “Anyone who believes they would be frightened by a starting pistol has never experienced the noise at a typical three-year-old’s birthday party. …Norman Gardiner, president of the Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club in Dunfermline, said the decision was “health and safety gone mad.”
It’s amazing to think that the United Kingdom once ruled half the world, but now produces pencil-neck bureaucrats who think starting pistols are a menace to society.
But we Americans shouldn’t feel superior. We’re traveling down the same path.
- A Rhode Island boy got in trouble for bringing toy soldiers to school.
- A student in San Diego got in trouble for making a motion detector for a science project, simply because someone decided it resembled a bomb.
- The military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to exterminate the al Qaeda dirtbag.
- A Florida student was expelled for having a toy gun on school property.
- And how can we omit the politicians in San Francisco, who decided that banning happy meal toys was an appropriate use of government coercion.
- We also have regulations in Maryland governing the application of sunscreen at summer camps.
- And proposals in Seattle to require life vests on swimmers who are more than five feet from shore.
My initial instinct is that we should fire the over-paid bureaucrats who generate this kind of nonsense. I admit that such as step might only address the symptom of a politically correct world, but it would be a good start.
(hat tip to my fellow Bulldog Charles Oliver)
[…] legit. And let’s remember this is coming from a nation where anti-gun fanaticism results in jaw-dropping displays of government stupidity. Anyhow, here’s the letter that was sent to the […]
[…] And let’s remember this is coming from a nation where anti-gun fanaticism results in jaw-dropping displays of government stupidity. […]
The people who come up with these stupid ideas should be named. That way we could direct our ire at them to shut them up. Give us the names!
Reblogged this on Climate Ponderings.
[…] another entry for our UK vs US Government Stupidity Contest. Or perhaps it belongs in the great-moments-in-government-waste […]
[…] Starting pistols have been banned from some school races. […]
[…] Starting pistols have been banned from some school races. […]
[…] even created some sub-categories, such as my U.S. vs U.K. government stupidity contest and my great-moments-in-local-government […]
[…] Banning starting pistols at races. […]
[…] another entry for our UK vs US Government Stupidity Contest. Or perhaps it belongs in the great-moments-in-government-waste […]
[…] ♦ A man got arrested for finding a gun in his yard and turning it over to the police. ♦ Starting pistols ♦ There have been calls for knife bans. ♦ A man was arrested for shooting a […]
[…] Starting pistols have been banned from some school races. […]
[…] even though I’ve made fun of the English for statism and political correctness, I want to share some encouraging excerpts from a story in the UK-based […]
[…] […]
[…] part of my US v UK government stupidity contest, I’ve shared some really bizarre examples of anti-gun/anti-self defense political […]
[…] part of my US v UK government stupidity contest, I’ve shared some really bizarre examples of anti-gun/anti-self defense political […]
You know what’s happening to you over there in the UK, so .. close your eyes and think of England, is the recommended advice I hear.
[…] That’s one of the reasons I share horror stories as part of the U.S. vs U.K. government stupidity contest. […]
[…] else should be done to stop the continuing wussification and wimpification of modern […]
[…] Banning starting pistols at races. […]
[…] A prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
[…] prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
[…] the country that imposed a prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
[…] the country that imposed a prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
[…] prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
[…] this month, as part of my ongoing series comparing bone-headed bureaucracy in both the United States and United Kingdom, I wrote a post about a moronic green-energy subsidy program in the U.K. that was so convoluted […]
[…] this month, as part of my ongoing series comparing bone-headed bureaucracy in both the United States and United Kingdom, I wrote a post about a moronic green-energy subsidy program in the U.K. that was so convoluted […]
Firing the bureaucrats who dream up these stupid laws would only feed the unemployment figures and upset the Libs who need this degree of direction in their daily lives. However,maybe we could “Gift” them to anti-American Countries to “help” them run their Governments in a more user-friendly fashion.
If it weren’t for the fact that prince Charles would follow Queen Elizabeth, I’d suggest the britain go full scale back to the monarchy. While Camilla would NOT have to crowned Queen but exist as Duchess/Princess Consort, we all know who would wear Edward’s crown. As for our own country… I suppose it will go the way of all dictators.
When I read the one about Seattle wanting to require swimmers to wear life vests when they’re 5 feet from shore, my son asked “which way?” A logical question when dealing with idiotic laws like that.
[…] Banning starting pistols at races. […]
This article was written a few months ago. Now, after the elections in the USA which have given B. Hussein Obama four more years in power, America will go the way of Britain, or far worse.
[…] I periodically compare moronic decisions and policies by governments in the United States and United Kingdom. You can peruse some jaw-dropping examples by clicking this link. […]
[…] prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the […]
Ruled Britannia, Britannia waives the rules.
Britons ever, ever, ever shall be fools.
I can add one to the Americans that’s quite a bit older. 24 years ago I was threatened with with expulsion for bringing a broken air-pistol to school as requested by a drama coach to use for a play. Reported by a student who saw me putting the replica in my locker, I was sent for two hours to the principle’s office while the police were contacted. (Naturally, the people who NEEDED to be contacted, my parents, were not.)
My locker was opened with a crowbar by a licensed and accomplished janitor while I was locked in the principle’s office. A drug-sniffing dog was brought in that promptly ate my bologna sandwich and my belongings were torn to shreds. (again, where I could not witness)
The drama coach switched stories and claimed she never asked me to bring the broken air-gun in (presumably out of fear of losing her job) even though there were multiple witnesses brought in that testified on my behalf that she had.
My air-gun was confiscated (not much of a loss since it would have cost as much to repair as to replace), my belongings were destroyed, and I had no lunch for the day (the school refused to feed me since I was not on any assisted program and the lunches cost an insane amount of money for the day…something like .65 cents.) However, the drug dog was paraded around for an emergency student assembly on “drugs and their consequences”, though I had never used drugs, had none in my locker, and the consequences of a drama teacher on drugs asking a student to bring a broken replica to school was never really explained. The K-9 officer “planted” drugs in plain sight around the auditorium and the german shepard was sent to find them. After walking past the baggies in plain site, the officer started pointing them out to the K-9, who continued to ignore the obvious. Finally, the baggies with contraband were placed IN THE DOG’S MOUTH, and the drug-sniffing was declared a great success.
I was told I could have my broken, worthless, confiscated pistol back if my parents came to pick it up. Strangely, I never told them.
You should cover UK politics more, ‘preniciously wimpy’ sums it up nicely.
The people here trying to blame America for creating a litigious socety seem not to understand the difference between the private and the public realm.
Ironically that is why we have to endure these ridiculous cases with increasing regularity.
I used to think Americans were a bunch of simpletons with their written constitution. Now I realize that if you don’t try to reign in the establishment somehow it’ll feed upon itself indefinitely.
The British were always riddled with the politically correct faction – in whatever flavor the last century, and the century before that, may have carried it. But 1/5th of the land and 1/3rd of the people on earth were once under their flag. Their political correctness is a testament to their strength far more than to any weakness, as any foe who as ever underestimated the British ultimately, and invariably, learned at great cost. When the British are tested again, they will rise, as will the Americans. Our excessive tolerance, and indeed our intolerance in the name of tolerance, are all emblematic of our highly evolved societies, our hard won freedoms, and a latent strength that shall never be overcome. Do not despair at such folly, it is evidence of greatness beyond compare.
I really miss common sense. Has it ever made an appeareance in Washington. Every law is stupid and they create more and more daily. Yes I agree fire them all. Take the time to elect people that have a brain, will actually work, love this country and have common sense.
And you mention countries going down the road of bankruptcy. If American companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Paypal to name a few paid their company taxes in the UK which runs into tens of billions over the past few years instead of illegal tax avoidance then maybe countries like the UK could not be in a financial mess as they are after all the USA are vehement in collecting company taxes from those trading in the USA but not as keen when the shoe is on the other foot.
you have not made a valid argument. All you have done is take a handful of extreme examples and portrayed it as the norm. You can do that with any country around the world – take a few examples and make them look inept.
@crisbd I am not sure where you got your figures from but you have mis-represented the NHS figures for “bureaucracy” as they include nurses, doctors, surgeons, Physiotherapists, radiotherapists, GP’s etc etc
I have to agree with Mike. A lot of the more unethical legal practices to sue anyone over the slightest thing has come from America. We are now also seeing signs of the way medical insurances practice at getting out of paying, after it has become so successful in America.
And while we are talking headcounts, let’s start with the US Department of Defense – one of the biggest single employer in the world.
Currently 3.2 million employees with 2.1 million active duty personnel. Let’s get into that little bureaucracy shall we?
Well, with respect America, this is partly your fault.
You are the ones who taught the Brits to sue in the Courts for every dam thing that happened to you. We never had a litigious society until we picked it up from you guys.
Now everyone (particularly in the public domain) in the UK is s..t scared of doing anything in case someone sues their sorry ass, so they go for a “safe, beige and neutral world”.
It stinks – but you can’t blame the Brits.
The “health and safety officials from their local council” obviously have nothing better to do. So they harass the public and help increase the budget deficit instead of doing something productive.
I’m now wondering if they are part of the reported 1,626,000 National Health Service bureaucracy – more than the 1,478,000 total in the US Armed Forces! Or are they counted separately?
[see https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/the-joy-of-government-run-healthcare-the-uks-gilded-bureaucrats-and-dying-patients/%5D