The Police State
Quote of the day, from Stella Rimington, former Head of MI5, on the state of Britain today:
"It would be better that the government recognised that there are risks, rather than frightening people in order to be able to pass laws which restrict civil liberties, precisely one of the objects of terrorism - that we live in fear and under a police state"
And that is not some tinfoil hat wearing member of the conspiracy brigade; that is the former head of MI5.
Over the past few years we have seen laws come into place that will allow the state to detain you without charge for long periods of time; we've seen them give themselves the right to monitor you internet and mobile communications; we've seen them push a version of thought crime onto the statute books, and we've seen our government act as the lapdog to a US regime that thinks nothing of torturing those it suspects of being terrorists. We've seen innocent people gunned down on the tube and in their own homes, and we've had ID cards - abandoned after the war for serving no purpose - foisted back onto the statute books and heading towards your pocket at a great cost (both financial and otherwise) to you. We have seen the state grow and grow - and increasingly worrying behemoth exponentially enhancing its powers over its people using the politics, language and ideology of irrational fear.
And we have had all the above happen, with more to come. So my question is this: with a increasingly draconian state giving itself power after restrictive power over you, does anyone actually feel any safer?
Over the past few years we have seen laws come into place that will allow the state to detain you without charge for long periods of time; we've seen them give themselves the right to monitor you internet and mobile communications; we've seen them push a version of thought crime onto the statute books, and we've seen our government act as the lapdog to a US regime that thinks nothing of torturing those it suspects of being terrorists. We've seen innocent people gunned down on the tube and in their own homes, and we've had ID cards - abandoned after the war for serving no purpose - foisted back onto the statute books and heading towards your pocket at a great cost (both financial and otherwise) to you. We have seen the state grow and grow - and increasingly worrying behemoth exponentially enhancing its powers over its people using the politics, language and ideology of irrational fear.
And we have had all the above happen, with more to come. So my question is this: with a increasingly draconian state giving itself power after restrictive power over you, does anyone actually feel any safer?
Labels: Civil Liberties (the Death of), Freedom, MI5, terrorism
posted by The Nameless Libertarian @ 9:36 am
5 Comments
5 Comments:
With the number of government and quango officials who can walk straight into my home without my permission, I can hardly feel safe anymore.
I've never felt less safe in my life.
I have a solid oak door with hinge bolts and a doberman but I still fear the police or anyone else turning up.
Though of course they would have a hell of a job trying to get in
Feeling much less safe, less free and less private. My home is no longer my castle and I feel like a film star when I walk down the street there are so many cameras pointed at me.
Well at least Stella will be familiar with all the old tricks and will avoid taking any strolls in woods and on mountainsides.
Nope, I don't feel safer, I would rather they dismantled it all and take my chances with being the victim of terrorism. The State has made me its', enemy, not I.
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