What an important article. OLO should have a special place on its address bar at the top of each page for its pearls of wisdom.

BRAVO.

The reference to Schicklegrubers famous laura norder speech is particularly relevant.

I take it the author does not believe signing international laws and treaties have any effect. Or again are we having double standards? Or is it just domestic laws that don't work.

Good article, patently sensible and drawing conclusions that any reasonable reader would endorse. As the last refuge of the scoundrel is patriotism, then it could be said that the scoundrel's first resort is 'law and order'.

Does runner actually read any of the articles upon which he comments? If he had, he owuld have noted Ellen Goodman's categorisation of three kinds of law. I'm sure that even runner would be able to work out in which category international law belongs - but he'd have to read the article to do that.

Although I have no sympathy for most of the policies of the present government, I'd like Ms Goodman to define the boundaries between "law and order politics" and law and order. Some people, do indeed, pursue lifestyles that are threatening to democratic societies,their criminal activities cannot be tolerated, they have to be dealt with. Why can't we decide who comes to live in our society? A more law abiding past is not a myth, I grew up in the 50s and 60s a less violent, more cooperative and more law abiding era. What's wrong with requiring new citizens to share our democratic values and speak English, how can they object unless they are racist,xenophobic and jingoistic themselves?

CJ

I would of thought the parallel is obvious. Those who use global warming scaremongering and other 'environmental issue' in order to be elected have no more chance of changing the behaviour of companies and badly behaved environmentalist than politicians who use domestic law and order issues to be elected or re elected. Laws are a deterrent as can be clearly seen in Singapore however they don't change peoples hearts