From the Times:
AFTER what he describes as the worst week of his professional life, Sir Ian Blair learnt last night that he was also being accused by the parents of Jean Charles de Menezes of trying to buy their silence with a $1 million (£560,000) compensation offer.
The worst week of his professional life wasn't when his force shot an innocent man. It was when his force got caught out in public lying about it. What precisely does he think his profession is?
Protecting us from those people who hate freedom (and probably hate Normblog as well)... the rest are collateral damage
Posted by: Jezza | August 20, 2005 at 05:04 PM
I would have presumed the worst week of his life would have been the week of 7/7.
Posted by: George | August 20, 2005 at 05:37 PM
Good point. Makes the central point even more apparent.
Posted by: jamie | August 20, 2005 at 07:18 PM
"What precisely does he think his profession is?"
Perhaps (unlike you?) he's read Weber, ie the "state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory."
Legitimate being the keyword.
Posted by: cityfist | August 23, 2005 at 12:51 PM