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The authoritarian knee has jerked once again. In the aftermath of the London terrorist bombings of 2005, Tony Blair announced that "the rules of the game" had changed and went on to unveil an extensive list of emergency measures that were as draconian as they were impractical. In the wake of this week's urban riots, David Cameron has blundered in a depressingly familiar way. Stung by criticism of his Government's initial fumbling response to the disturbances across the UK, the Prime Minister hastily unveiled a series of proposals to Parliament yesterday that are as illiberal and ill-advised as anything that Mr Blair ever came up with.