The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

We punish those we should protect | editorial | Comment is free | The Observer.

Three deranged people committed suicide and now the hand-wringing left are plucking at our consciences over our Sunday breakfasts. Well, I am sorry comrades. I have no conscience about the dead Russians in Glasgow. And here's why. They were seeking political asylum from Canada. CANADA, for Pete's sake! The fluffiest, cosiest, least dangerous body politic on Earth. Canadians could only pose a threat to a healthy Russian by boring him to death with their North American version of gemütlichkeit.

True to their gentle image, the Canadians had given the late and little lamented Mr Serykh political asylum, believing his tale that he was an ex-KGB man on the run. Given that he also believed Canada's prime minister was plotting to assassinate the Queen of England, one has to wonder how wise that was. He and his family had been granted permanent residency. They were entitled to return at any time and – no doubt – to live parasitically on kindly, rosy-cheeked Canadian taxpayers. So how did we ever wind up housing and supporting them? Why did we not laugh right in their faces when they applied for asylum and bundle them onto the next transatlantic flight?

To this extent, the Observer's editorial is right. These deaths are shameful. They shame Britons because they reveal our nation was dumb enough to countenance, even for a second, such a ludicrous claim.