This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From Finland. (Telegraph)  Finnish Postal Service to Open Mail, Send Scanned e-Mail Copies. In a bid to both reduce CO2 emissions and the present number of postmen, Finland will begin opening household mail. Intimate love letters, payslips, overdue bills and personal messages will not be spared under the new voluntary, controversial scheme. Itella, the state owned company which runs the Nordic country’s postal system insists the highly automated process of converting letters to electronic documents will be conducted under ‘special secured premises’ where staff are bound by strict confidentiality conditions. Director at Itella Tommi Tikka, likens the move to web banking. But others vehemently disagree, comparing the initiative to what the KGB did in it’s time in the Soviet Union and the Stasi in East Germany. But Finns who long for the tactile touch and scent of real stationary need not worry; once their mail has been opened and scanned, it will be returned to it’s envelope(s) and delivered in normal fashion with the postman delivering only twice per week.

#2 From The U.K. (Telegraph) Teachers Ordered To Smile at Students. Teachers at Buile Hill Visual Arts College in Salford received a memo from a senior staff teacher telling them to begin each school day with a smile and to avoid making students ‘bored’ by setting words that are either too hard or too easy. The demand is part and parcel of a broader government initiative listing pupil entitlements and issues arising from “student voice discussions” giving children more power in respect of their schooling. iPhones have been issued to some students at a secondary school in Kent enabling them to instantly report on teachers. In one instance, a candidate for a teaching position was asked during an interview by a student panel to sing Michael Jackson’s Bad and after refusing to do so, was not offered the job. The most recent episode involved a head teacher who was forced out of her new role after a Facebook campaign by pupils angry at her appointment. Teachers are now being told, “Don’t be surprised if you are asked to explain your actions if you are found in violation of the agreed expectations”.

#3 From Canada. (CBC News)  Smoking Ban Floats at Vancouver’s Beaches, Parks. Keeping in line with Canada’s compulsion for bans, the Vancouver Park Board is considering outlawing smoking at beaches, parks and playgrounds. Smoking is already banned in all public buildings, bus shelters and near open windows and entrances in British Columbia. In an online survey conducted last year, over 600 people responded with 90% in favor of some type of smoking restriction in parks and on beaches. Park Board commissioner Raj Hundal said a total ban is one option up for discussion at a board meeting to be held April 19. He added ” I think the public is demanding we look at the issue. Whether it will be an outright ban or a modified version of the (existing) ban, we owe it to the public to examine the issue and make a decision from there”. Neighboring North Vancouver, White Rock and West Vancouver already have smoking restrictions at beaches and parks.

#4 From Denmark. (Reuters)  Solidarity Strike for Suds at Carlsberg. Warehouse and driver staff at the Danish brewery Carlsberg halted work for a second day Thursday protesting a company decision which would limit beer drinking to lunch breaks. In response to the introduction of new rules for employees on beer drinking at work and seeing refrigerators emptied of pints, over 800 workers walked off the job in protest with other staff striking in sympathy. Drivers retain an old right to 3 beers per day outside lunch hours and warehouse workers claimed the same right. Jens Bekke, spokesman at the world no.4 brewer said there would be no shipments from Copenhagen with delays in the rest of the country. The financial effect of the strike is set to be minor.

Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg News

*** and the story we almost forgot…..***

From The U.K. (Telegraph)  BNP Teachers Should Be Banned. Activists from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has said that members of the British National Party should be banned from the classroom. A  motion to the conference called for ‘united action’ against the BNP and other groups such as the English Defence League with an amendment to the resolution demanding an all-out ban.

The comment follows the publication of a government review which said there was no justification for banning teachers from joining extremist organizations. BNP members are already banned from working as prison officers and activists insist the same ban be applied to the education service. Jean Roberts a delegate from Hammersmith and Fulham, west London said that although she opposes BNP’s views and that any teacher who promotes racist views should be barred from the classroom, she doesn’t agree that the state should bar teachers from joining any presently legal political party. “ To remove such a basic civil right, the right of association, something trade unionists hold precious, is in my view a grossly disproportionate response” she said.

A motion to the conference called for united action to oppose the BNP and other groups such as the English Defence League Photo: John Robertson

Responding, BNP communications officer Paul Golding said “ It’s a dangerous road to go down, once you start banning political beliefs. Isn’t that the sort of thing always lambasted by democratic politicians, banning people based on (their) political beliefs?”.