On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas, The Overbearing State Gave To Me…

...pressure to conform or else:

Off licences are being urged to stop selling “super-strength” alcohol in an initiative launched by Camden council and the Met police.

A pilot scheme will ask shops in the King’s Cross, Bloomsbury, Holborn and Covent Garden wards to volunteer to stop selling drinks such as lager and cider with more than 6.5 per cent strength.

Yes, it's that tactic again.

It is hoped that this will help reduce antisocial behaviour, crime and bad health.

And absolutely nothing to do with the police wanting a quiet life (i.e. not having to do their jobs) I suppose?

Abdul Hai, Camden’s cabinet member for community safety, said he hoped retailers could be persuaded by showing longer-term benefits such as reduced shoplifting, increased takings and a safer environment for customers and staff.

I'm not quite sure how reducing your stock is going to result in increased takings, but I'm not a 'cabinet member for community safety', I guess...

Chief Inspector Penny Mills said: “With the support of local businesses, we can achieve a reduction in anti-social behaviour, protect the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our society and improve the quality of life for those who work, live and visit Camden.”

"And all it takes is for you to surrender to the authorities your right to sell a certain item! Just this one. We won't be back to ban you from selling any others.

We promise.

You can trust us, can't you?"

Also the arming of its enforcers for trivial incidents, pointless gestures to undermine personal responsibility, regulation of every tiny detail of our lives even when safety’s no longer an issue, rushed-through ‘feel good’ policies that fall at the first hurdle, the total inversion of previous guidelines as a result of media hysteria, expansion through scaremongering, confusion over competing rights and equality legislation, rigid application of ‘weapons policies’, prosecution via hindsight and justice system intransigence.