Big Brother Jack

[Magpie]

Here's an interesting, if distinctly unlikely motive:

What if Jack was not a person, but a campaign--a campaign designed to instill terror into the people of London so that people would accept--nay demand!-- that the police adopt greater powers in order to maintain public "safety".

It's not remotely likely, but it is a tactic that has been employed by unscrupulous governments many times throughout history.

[How Brown]

Well Magpie...

There are examples of this even at this very moment.:eek:

In Guatemala,the police murder children who are unfortunate enough to have to sleep on the streets at night....A "Magnum Force" type of action on pretty powerless people to demonstrate their power...

Anyone else?

[Magpie]

Hi How.

The Patriot Act is a perfect example of how it works.

The country is under attack by a hostile force.

"protect us!", says the populace.

"We'd love to" says the government, "but our hands are tied because we can't listen to phone calls between terrorists because of the right to privacy"

"Screw the terrorists!" Cry the populace "Tap their phones"

"Ah," says the government "We'd love to, but it's not that simple, because we'd have to tap all the phones, in order to find the terrorists".

"I'm not a terrorist, so I have nothing to hide--tap my phone! Oh please tap my phone. I DEMAND that you tap my phone!!!"

"We-eelllll--okay, since you insist" says the government "We'll tap your phone. Just for a while. During the current crisis. Because you asked us too. Happy now?"

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!!" says the populace.

The old story of trading freedom for security, while gaining neither.


And that's not the most sophisticate execution of the technique, either.

Anderson lamented the fact that the British police did not have the powers of the continental police (arrest without probable cause, searches without warrants, and the onus on the accused to prove their innocence) and that the typical Londoner would not co-operate with the police. Jack the Ripper came very close to reversing that--at least as far as the populace being more willing to assist the police and tolerate house-to-house searches.

I'm sure that it's not a total stretch of the imagination to suggest that a master manipulator like Anderson would see the advantages to playing up the killings in the press and in the street. From there it's only a small (though admittedly paranoid) step to suggesting that rogue elements within the home office and police force might not have been satisfied with the fickle and unreliable escapades of Jack and decided to "help things along".

To paraphase the famous quote "If Jack the Ripper had not existed, there are some who may have found the need to invent him"

[How Brown]

Magpie:

Off the top of my head,I believe Stewart Evans made some comments on Casebook about Anderson and the house to house search...do you remember the gist of them?

Good points made in the previous post,sir.

[Magpie]

Magpie:

Off the top of my head,I believe Stewart Evans made some comments on Casebook about Anderson and the house to house search...do you remember the gist of them?

Good points made in the previous post,sir.

Thank you How.

If it's the same thread I'm thinking of, I believe Stewart pointed out that, whatever Anderson might have claimed later, it's very clear that just after the house to house searches he had absolutely no idea who the Ripper was, so suggestions that something was found during those searches that made him suspect Kosminski ran completely counter to the available evidence.

I think that was the general tenor, anyway.

[How Brown]

Thanks Magpie.....thats what I was trying to remember .:)