Do you want to live in a fine city?

From today's Observer: US-style uniforms for yobs in new disorder crackdown.

The new minister for anti-social behaviour is quoted as wanting a "quick connection to community punishment" to be seen by the public as justice being done. The prospect of offenders wearing distinctive uniforms while doing community service sounds familiar. It's a form of humiliation used previously by more authoritarian regimes, like old communist China. It also sounds a lot like the "Corrective Work Order" system for punishing Singaporean litterbugs. It's debatable whether such a scheme has worked in keeping Singapore's already obedient population from further offenses.

Am I the only one fed up with hearing politicians moralising, preaching and yapping about "family values"? If I remember correctly, the last government that tried to take us "back to basics" was itself brought down by too many scandals.