Reposted with the kind permission of Boris Mihailovic
Just recently, Wheels magazine initiated a campaign aimed at exposing the various governments’ speed camera racket. And it is a racket – in that it is a wholly dishonest practice that obtains money through fraud and extortion.
I think I might have spotted a little in glee when I saw it. Here was a major media player actually taking the establishment to task and questioning the insidious baloney of the speed camera cult. This, I thought, was something new and refreshing. Was it really possible that for the first time since the Vietnam War a major media outlet had decided it was going to do its job rather than simply perform as the disgusting propaganda arm of the state?
AMCN was cautious in its support for the Wheels crusade, but it did put up a link on its Facebook page, shortly after which two very predictable things happened.
The first was that the government immediately started issuing press releases citing “studies” that apparently proved that speed cameras were the superheroes in the War on the Road Toll and that without their gentle, nurturing ministrations, the “carnage” upon our highways would cease to be “carnage” and become “genocide” – whereupon even higher fines could be satisfyingly levied upon the hapless motorist.
The second thing that happened was that a sizeable herd of glass-tasters emerged from under their mossy rocks and began to bleat their stupidity at the world. Once upon a time, such retarded knob-holsters would never have been heard, but since the advent of the Internet and social media time-sinks like Facebook, some of the dumbest apes in our zoo have found a soap-box upon which to stand and give public voice to their absurdity.
“If you’re not speeding what have you got to worry about?” they bray.
“Speed cameras save lives!” they honk.
“The studies prove the cameras work!” they whinny.
It’s truly amazing. It’s like the government has its own cheer-squad.
I used to wonder if people could really be that abysmally stupid – but I don’t wonder about that anymore.
People are that abysmally stupid. But because they would be terribly offended to discover how impossibly stupid they are, our rulers contrive to keep them ignorant of their own stupidity. After all, having slaves that know the truth (both about their dumbness and about the lies) is counter-productive and can lead to all sorts of undesirable outcomes. It is far better to keep the foolish servants distracted with circuses and spectacles, and reassured with empty promises of security and safety. And provided they aren’t hungry, they will let the rulers do whatever the rulers want.
And it works. Demonstrably well. The Romans had it worked out ages ago. Panem et circenses – bread and circuses is what kept the Romans from killing their rulers.
These fools actually believe the government when it tells them speed cameras are great and good. These fools believe the junk science the government uses whenever it wants to validate its propaganda. What is junk science, you ask? That’s when the government has a conclusion (e.g., speed cameras save lives) and then employs an organisation (like TAC) to conduct “research” to prove its conclusion.
Of course the “research” is not really research. If it was proper scientific research it would be open to peer-review (that’s when one’s peers in the scientific community examine your research to test one’s methodology and conclusions for scientific validity) and independent scrutiny. So it’s not research. It’s just bullshit. Rank and vile and all-pervading – but very effective, nonetheless.
No less a luminary that Adolf Hitler himself employed the methods our own government uses on us, to wit: “By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell – and hell heaven. The greater the lie, the more readily it will be believed.”
Peer-reviewed scientific research in other parts of the world has shown that speed cameras do nothing to reduce fatalities or trauma. “But the road toll is down!” shriek the government’s personal spastics.
Yes, it is. And this is why: Cars are safer. Trauma surgery is better. Roads are much imporved. Those are the real reasons the road toll is declining. That is the truth.
But that is not what the government presents as the truth.
It’s certainly not what its supporter-monkeys want to hear, is it?
People don’t like to discover they have been conned. People don’t like to discover they aren’t very bright (which is why they have been conned in the first place). And that is why, despite all the evidence that demonstrates time and again that the government is a dishonest herd of opportunistic bullshit artists that obtains money from the electorate by deception and fraud, backed by self-serving junk “science”, a sizeable chunk of motorcycle riders (and motorists in general) will go on mindlessly supporting it.
Because to question what one is told requires effort and critical thought and – oh look! There’s a bright shiny sporting event on the TV! With fireworks! Look at all the sparkles!
Truly, people very much get the government they deserve.
And, if successful,the powers that be will rush through retrospective legislation.
The clovers definitely get the gubberment they deserve, but the rest of us have to suffer.
No speed measurement device in Australia conforms with S. 10 of the National Measurement Act, which requires the device to be tested by the National Australian Testing Authority or the CSIRO, NOT some branch of RMIT as they currently are, and approved and certified and issued a tracking number by the National Standards Commission. Even the fruit scales at the local supermarket must have this number clearly displayed as it’s used for commerce/trade.
Speed measuring devices can’t conform to the NSC and the National Measurement Act because they’re inaccurate. A scale used for trade must weigh the same weight every time, but none of these devices can. They’re often inaccurate and that’s why they can’t get the NSC certification.
A challenge against these devices is currently going to the High Court of Australia under S. 96a of the National Measurement Act, whereby the argument is they must conform to international standards.
I wish them well.
.. I must add that if the case is won, everyone convicted of a speed cam fine could be refunded starting 10 years back.
Strike at the root!
These speed cameras – and enforcement – are textbook examples of victimless “crimes.” People are mulcted – and threatened with violence – who have done no violence to others or their property.
Velocity, as such, is just that – velocity. One can cause harm to others by inept operation of a car or bike at 45 MPH in a 55 zone and be “within the law” – or do no harm to anyone by competent operation of a vehicle in the same zone at 80 MPH. Yet who is targeted? Who gets punished? The statutory violator.
It’s preposterous – and vicious.
The fix is easy: Re-establish the legal principle, no victim – no crime. That is, any attempt at prosecution fails if the prosecution cannot produce evidence of harm done to persons or property. “The state” – being a legal fiction – has no humanity and therefore cannot be harmed. Only individual people can be harmed. If no one has been harmed, no one deserves to be punished.
Clovers will draw themselves up and hiss back: But someone (a generic “someone”) might have been hurt!
Possibly. But insufficient. Because if we base restraint – and punishment – on generic “someones” who might have been harmed then you have accepted in principle the restraint of (and punishment) of everyone, on the basis of subjective possibilities, however remote or implausible. Which leads to where we are: Random searches, crotch grabs, forced blood draws, SWAT goons raiding people homes…
No victim, no crime is objective, clear cut. No gray area whatsoever.
It is therefore absolutely just.
You either caused harm – or you did not.
Clovers can’t stand the notion.