No more python at Google

Dirk Koopman djk at tobit.co.uk
Wed Apr 4 13:57:24 BST 2007


Luis Motta Campos wrote:
> On Apr 4, 2007, at 1:48 PM, David Cantrell wrote:
>> On Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 03:09:34AM -0700, Ovid wrote:
>>> You know, a few people who posted to that thread immediately deleted
>>> their posts (embarrassed that I got 'em), but I have their original
>>> replies in my inbox.  I thought it was pretty lame attempt and I still
>>> can't believe how many people I caught with that :)
>>
>> What gave it away was that the filth would never be efficient enough to
>> actually find you in anything less than a decade even if they did want
>> to throw you out.
> 
>   It seems to me that it's not always interesting to be efficient 
> enough. Specially in cases like Ovid's. He is an expert, high-qualified 
> worker, that surelly pays taxes and contributes to the local economical 
> and social life. Why would the government not allow him to stay?
> 

Sadly, because some officious (usually) bureaucrat has taken against you 
and he then (probably still literally) "marks your card". This means 
that you enter the system. Once you are in - only another, high ranking, 
person (eg your local MP) can "unmark" you - and then only after a lot 
of aggravation.

The "system" has a logic all of its own and is driven by the need to be 
seen to be "tough". Your usefulness to society, length of stay and other 
normal criteria seem simply not to apply. For instance, last year, an 
American lady who was recently widowed from her English husband, 
retired, had lived here blamelessly for 50 years, had grandchildren here 
etc etc was targeted. She was put through the mill and I think (after a 
lot of money and public fuss) was eventually allowed to stay.

Dirk



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