Here's "modern" government for you

By "modern", I'm thinking of a totalitarian state similar to Orwell's 1984. Here in Victoria, we have a modern and progressive system of law. One of these aspects is that you shall not own or carry weapons, even for self-defence.

Well over in Britain, where they have one of the most "modern" governments on the planet, with more government surveillance, cameras, regulations and bureaucracy than any other state except North Korea, they also have laws against self-defence.

In Britain, the police, the military and the intelligence services are given new powers and a huge monopoly on violence and force, whilst individuals are stripped of their ability to look after their security and their lives.

Here is the consequence of such "modern" laws:

A shopkeeper could be charged with murder after an armed robber who tried to steal the day's takings was stabbed with his own knife during a struggle.

Tony Singh, 34, described as a hard-working family man who often works 13-hour days, was ambushed as he shut his shop on Sunday evening by Liam Kilroe, 25, a career criminal who was armed with a knife.

Mr Singh fought back and, after a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, Kilroe was seen by witnesses to stagger away clutching the knife to his chest. Kilroe was taken to hospital, where he died, and Mr Singh was detained by police. He is now waiting to discover whether he will be charged, and is on police bail until February 29 pending further inquiries.

Lancashire police confirmed that papers had been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether Mr Singh should be charged with one of three offences: murder, manslaughter or assault.

Mr Singh, who suffered injuries to his neck and back during the struggle and had to be treated in hospital, insisted yesterday that he had acted in self-defence. ...

(hat tip: Samizdata)