Those of us who are in disbelief over David Cameron’s recent language, don’t have to just point to the quote above. There’s a lot more to it than a simple quote. For example, the Guardianreports:

The measures would give the police powers to apply to the high court for an order to limit the “harmful activities” of an extremist individual. The definition of harmful is to include a risk of public disorder, a risk of harassment, alarm or distress or creating a “threat to the functioning of democracy”.

A “risk of public disorder,” or a “risk of harassment alarm or distress.” Think about that for a second. Pretty much 90% of all speech could be classified as posing a risk to all of those things. It’s basically banning any criticism the government doesn’t like. Truly remarkable. Now here’s how the magnificent “democracy” of Great Britain plans on dealing with such “extremists.”

They would include a ban on broadcasting and a requirement to submit to the police in advance any proposed publication on the web and social media or in print. The bill will also contain plans for banning orders for extremist organizations which seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech in public places, but it will fall short of banning on the grounds of provoking hatred.

Although I’m not a British citizen and have never lived in the UK, I have spent some time writing about the disturbing trends happening across the pond due to the historic, cultural, geopolitical and linguistic ties between the U.S. and Great Britain. I warned all about these dangerous trends last fall in the post, The UK’s Conservative Party Declares War on YouTube, Twitter, Free Speech and Common Sense. Here are a few excerpts:

Teresa May wants to “ban non-violent extremist groups that fall short of the current threshold for being banned as terrorist-related organizations.” Think about that very closely. Essentially, she is saying non-violent groups that are currently not breaking any laws should be criminalized by creating new laws. Once this process begins, it will continue to be expanded and expanded until pretty much every form of expression other than government propaganda will be banned.

Secondly, she notes that the new laws are necessary to combat groups that undertake activities “for the purpose of overthrowing democracy.” Considering that the U.S. government changes the meanings of words at a moment’s notice, such as claiming that “imminent” doesn’t really mean “imminent,” I argue that an official government definition of democracy is necessary. Moreover, what if the UK is like the U.S., a state that claims to be a democracy, but in reality is an oligarchy? What are the rules about calling for the removal of an oligarchy?

Have fun mates.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's supreme leader said Saturday the U.S. only is pursuing its own interests amid worries about safety in the waterways of the Persian Gulf, just after U.S. President Barack Obama hosted Arab leaders at Camp David to assuage their security concerns.

Fears about Gulf shipping come after Iranian forces seized a ship and fired on another in recent days, even as the Islamic Republic negotiates a final deal with world powers over its contested nuclear program.

"What is the U.S.' business?" Khamenei asked in comments posted on his website. "The U.S. is after its own interests and it will make the region insecure."

The site also quoted him as addressing other Gulf countries: "We are neighbors; the security of the Persian Gulf is in all our interests. If it is safe, we benefit. If it is not safe, it will be insecure for all."

After a rare Camp David summit, Obama pledged Washington's "ironclad commitment" to the Sunni governments of the Persian Gulf and even spoke of authorizing U.S. military force if their security is endangered by Shiite Iran or anyone.

Obama's comments sought to soothe nerves in the region over Iran, which the West also accuses of arming Shiite rebels in Yemen known as Houthis, who have swept through much of the country and pushed its president into exile. Iran and the rebels deny any military link between the Houthis and Iran, though the Islamic Republic has sent humanitarian aid.

On Thursday, an Iranian naval patrol fired on a Singapore-flagged commercial tanker in the Persian Gulf, which Iranian press linked to a dispute over an accident that damaged both the ship and an Iranian oil platform on March 22. Iran recently also detained a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship for more than a week over a claim that the Danish shipping company that chartered it owed money to an Iranian firm.

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Luis,we are closer to the end times than most people know or are willing to admit.Your posts are very informative,keep up the great work.

Beirut (AFP) - Jihadists from the Islamic State group seized control Saturday of the northern part of Syria's ancient desert city of Palmyra after fierce clashes with government forces, a monitoring group said.

"IS advanced and took control of most of northern Palmyra, and there are fierce clashes happening now," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

He said 13 jihadist fighters were killed in ongoing clashes near the Islamic citadel in the city's west.

Abdel Rahman had no details on regime casualties.

Most of Palmyra's renowned ruins, including colonnaded streets and elaborately decorated tombs, lie to the southwest of the city.

The official Syrian news agency SANA quoted a miliary source as saying that regime forces had prevented IS fighters from seizing a hilltop southwest of the Islamic citadel.

The head of Syria's antiquities department, Mamoum Abdulkarim, meanwhile voice concern for the ancient site.

"I am living in a state of terror," Abdulkarim told AFP in a telephone call.

He said IS "will blow everything up. They will destroy everything," if the enter the site, adding that many of Palmyra's artefacts, like elaborate tombs, could not be moved.

"If they enter the ancient ruins, it will be worse than when Palmyra was defeated in the time of Zenobia," said Abdulkarim.

Zenobia ruled over Palmyra -- a UNESCO world heritage site -- as queen in the third century, but was dramatically defeated by the Romans.

IS began its offensive on Palmyra on Wednesday and inched closer to the ancient metropolis on Thursday and Friday, executing at least 49 civilians over those two days according to the Observatory.