My revulsion at the Evening Standard

Yesterday evening I picked up a copy of the Evening Standard at Blackfriars, to entertain me on my journey back to Mill Hill. The news wasn't good. train fares to rise by 10% (strange how this isn't headline listed as a Tory policy by the business editor praising the "bold budget"), much analysis of the England world cup debacle and reports of roadworks hold ups.

Then on page 38, I read probably the sickest piece of journalism I've had the misfortune to read in a long  time. It was in a rather curious place for such a revolting article. It was in the City pages and penned by the City Editor, Chris Blackhurst. The title "How to make a killing (literally) in the city and on wall st.

I won't repeat the first two paragraphs, but it is a graphic description of how to take another mans life and how the process works. It goes on to detail the details of a company who teach city suits the art of killing other people. The course costs £1,000. It has seen a 40% uplift in business.

I don't believe violence solves anything, except in the most extreme circumstances.  What especially troubles me is that this course teaches lethal and non lethal self defence. I can understand the desire for non lethal, but what sort of a psychopath would want to kill a man when they know how to disable him? For any budding Rambo's out there, I would like to point this out. If you do actually kill someone, it's murder and you'll get life. You have trained yourself to kill, when you could have trained yourself to disable. In the event that you kill someone, you have no defence. You have trained yourself in the art of murder so you can't say it isn't pre-meditated. You also can't claim that you could do nothing else or even that it was an accident because it wasn't. You'll get life and you deserve it.

I will quote one chilling passage.

"amongst his quickest learners, he says, are city traders - they know that thinking aggresively about a trade is not enough, they actually have to do the trade. It's the same with inflicting violence - thinking about it is often too late. You have to do it"

I have many friends who know all about self defence and martial arts. Our studios are next door to a martial arts club. The first lesson is self control. I am a pacifist in all but desperate situations. This whole article, on the business pages, glorified killing and violence, which are not necessary skills for the streets of our fair city. This article was disgusting and repulsive. I hope that the editor takes suitable action to ensure we don't have to read this type of macho-sadistic drivel again.