It's Them and US

Back from my break and what a disappointment as illness kicks in and lemsip makes money out of me. Anyway I'm back now and in good health.

I was on a train last night which for no apparent reason did the bit from Woking to London Waterloo via Staines. Fortunately I had the latest issue of Private Eye which had an intresting piece on the cash for peerages scandal and one immediate consequence regarding the USA.

The basics are that the USA has a cushy little deal with most Western states that if you have had no record with the police you do not have to apply for a visa or deal with complex paperwork to visit the so called land of the free. However, when it refers to record with the police doesn't mean a criminal record. If you have been arrested and not charged you do kiss sweet good-bye to a paperwork-free visit to America. Therefore were Des Smith (he who was right royally shafted), Ruthie Turner or Lord Levy to feel like a holiday or a place of refuge from Yates in the home of McDonalds and fat people then they would have to go through an excedingly lengthy process. What a bugger eh?