Covert repression

[Martin Cassini]

In a commentary about the wave of protests in North Africa, Peter Beaumont in The Observer writes, "Corruption is often rife; a culture of repression is vigorous and deeply ingrained." These words apply equally to traffic control based on anti-social priority, intolerance, coercion and repression. Far-fetched? With thousands killed and tens of thousands hurt on our roads every year, maybe the only difference is that state-sponsored violence against the people in this country is covert.