Now you may think this page is a bit alarmist, and quite possibly it is. But history teaches us that the survival of
democracy depends on vigilance. An historian not so long ago wrote:
"My sense of history teaches me that the the threat of totalitarianism come not from the Websters or Mosleys of this
world but from the steady vegetablee pressure of the state itself, by the clipping of the coinage of civil liberties, by the
issuing of calumny against dissenters and the cry of 'national security'".
(E.P.Thompson 1924-1993).
It seems the man's prophecy is coming true. We have the highest police/State surveillance of any democratic country
in the world. Consider these simple facts (there are probably many more):
- 1. Your emails, text messages and telephone calls are now monitored and recorded and stored (I think
it is a 5 year period) by the State.
- 2. We are the most heavily watched nation in the world re. CCTV cameras.
- 3. We have the highest period of detention without trial of any democracy in the world.
- 4. Undermining the trial by jury system. and now
- 5. Police forces are now introducing paramilitarycombat style black unforms....
Dont get me wrong. This website supports the police and encourages the citizenry to play its part in crime fighting.
And our police mercifully still do not carry fire-arms (not for average daily use anyhow).
But Britain was the first country in the world to introduce civil policing and it was a role model for the rest of the
world. The 'British bobby' and his funny (but distinctive and reassuring) helmet is a trade mark in the world for fair
play, justice, professionalism and democracy. Do we want to risk losing all that?
As with the debate on global warming arguments will sway back and forth. But if we love something (e.g. the British bobby)
then we must be ever vigilant that (as with the European centralist superstate) a police state is not snuck in by
a back door via an approach of so called reform and modifications and national security.
"For two decades the state has been taking liberties, and these liberties
were once ours!". (E.P.Thompson)
