When the same Government who support a move away from "European" human rights towards "British" rights suddenly appear on my TV insisting that they should have the ability to trawl and record all electronic communications made by 65 million citizens, it must make some of us pause.
For a smaller - but far more significant - number of people such an monstrous outrage must prompt the question - just what does a government have to do to its citizens before the people have a justifiable urge to wage war upon that government?
I cannot imagine this disgusting proposal for total State surveillance being made in any other Western democracy without the proposer either being fired or laughed away. In Britain, though, we give this proposal headspace and media coverage. Nobody takes to the streets.
Having got nowhere in the Orwell Prize this year I must quash my misery and point out what George told us so many years ago. "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face -forever".
We get the government we deserve. And given the British people's incredible ability to become mere suspects for State surveillance whilst simultaneously believing in "British freedoms" then the government they deserve is just the one that abuses them in such a way.
This is one of those political moments which will shape the course of my future life and attitudes. I am deeply angry; not just at the government but at the apathetic voters who will allow this contemptible policy to become real. I'm not quite sure which party I find more deserving of challenge - the policy makers or the saps who sit back and allow them to weave their web.
Shame on us. Shame.
If this was France there would be riots!
ReplyDeleteYes this government is the pits, most people did not vote for them, let alone support any of their dirty policies. As for the complete state surveillance of the population; just how practical is that? They (the government) are ignorant, stupid and scared to resort to these measures. Our problem is how we get them out. It is neither helpful or practical to whip ourselves and hold our heads in shame for no reason. Its a rotten, corrupt and powerful system we are dealing with here, we need to support and encourage one another, so that we can rise like lions one day and face them off.
ReplyDeleteIt raises the question of just how powerful do you want your government to be? Why not ultra powerful? Why leave the government in peril of potentially being overthrown?
ReplyDeleteDo we want a government in charge, or do we want them to basically just run the utilities of society but not be in charge? Which is it, when we seem to give our governments access to the army and the police?
The government works for us, as do the police, and the military who protect our realm for us, not for any head of state. The Nation, is all its people, not just a few toffs at the top.
ReplyDeleteThis Nation must become a Democratic Society, which it is not at the moment, and never was! There can be no room for any form of secret society, in any shape or form, then we would get real transparency!