What a pity Air New Zealand has suffered an attack of nervous sanctimony, publicly tut-tutting at Alasdair Thompson by a presumably self damaging withdrawal from the EMA. Just when we could all feel so proud of our airline for maintaining services under the ash cloud that so terrified the Aussie airlines.

Are we seeing set theory in action. If an organisation walks the edge of traditional morality (the wonderful body paint and campy flight safety clips) must it compensate by joining more fashionable moral panics? 

Alasdair Thompson said something stupid, then repeated it. Does that make the organisation septic? He's been a courageous champion of common sense in the face of political cowardice for many years. No wonder the loons gave him no second chance. He's skewered them so often. But what about a deep breath Air New Zealand while the EMA Board works it out – if only in gratitude for long service.

The fear of ruling circles in the face of viral moral fervour reminds me of the slut walk protests. I do not know if the women on them have ever supported those of us who've been trying for years to end parole, and to strengthen other measures to uphold the enforcement of criminal law's second most serious offence. But the official respect for their lunacy contrasts with the rush to jump on Thompson. 

The Spectator's Rod Liddle captures it. His long article  says it well:

 The protests have spread around the world in very much the modern manner, like a viral non-sequitur, a meme of stupidity.

His blog piece was more crisp on the arguments

"Hordes of women screeching that they have a right to dress however they wish without being attacked.

Well, indeed. Just as I have a perfect right to leave my windows open when I nip to the shops for some fags, without being burgled. It doesn’t lessen the guilt of the burglar that I’ve left my window open, or even remotely suggest that I was deserving of being burgled. Just that it was more likely to happen. Why is this difficult to understand? I mentioned this in a radio debate earlier this week and the woman I was debating with shrieked at me: “I AM NOT A HOUSE. I AM NOT A HOUSE”.