REFLECTIONS

“The Weapon”, a book focusing on the struggle between an increasingly restrictive world government and a colony based upon libertarian (some might say anarchic) philosophy, was published in late 2005. It’s author, Michael Williamson, maintains that he thought he had been writing fiction when he wrote this (emphasis mine):

“If it’s not in your training, don’t try to do anything in case you make it worse.” No one is allowed surgical tools, weapons or fire extinguishers in their homes or cars because “such things are best left to professionals.”

And now here we are,  only a bit more than half a decade later, and this triumph of the Nanny State now comes from Great Britain:

Fire extinguishers could be removed from communal areas in flats
throughout the country because they are a safety hazard, it has emerged.

The life-saving devices encourage untrained people to fight a fire
rather than leave the building, risk assessors in Bournemouth decided.

{snip}

Mike Edwards, who lives in one of the blocks, said he was ‘absolutely
staggered’ that risk experts thought it a safe decision.

‘They are worried we will point them in the wrong direction or use the
wrong extinguishers,’ he said

Oh … “The Weapon”, published by Baen, may be found here, but you should probably read it’s predecessor “Freehold” first.