Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

The rise of Authoritarian UK

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
What do we feel about the rise of British authoritarianism?

Personally I'm against it, but then I believe in the primacy of individual freedom and choice.

I wonder if I'll look back in the future and ask why I didn't do more. It does seem to be creeping in unopposed. I've contacted my MP, but he's already gone on record as 'we should let the security services do what they need to do', and speaking to a parliamentary worker recently writing to your MP is more about keeping the electorate happy - the only time it will make a difference is if hundreds of people are writing about the same issue every day.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's almost worse than when Blair wanted everyone to have ID cards. I feel watched 24/7 because Im on benefits and I feel like I can't actually live the life I want to.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The problem for me is there doesn't seem to be a choice away from this path. We can choose between worse public services or worse public finances, but we don't get a choice between worse national security or worse civil liberties.

    Writing to my MP is all but ineffectual, I think the only way to enact significant change would be direct action, something I'm not happy about at all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the reality is more nuanced and people hark back to a mythical ye Olde Merry England where John Bull was free and everyone's watchword was liberty

    In reality things are more complex, the Govt may put some restrictions on watching extreme porn, but it removes the power of the state to halt gay marriages and so on and so on. Even the recent use of schedule 7 ignores the fact that legislation is currently going through Parliament which will reduce its powers and the Govt is also consulting on reducing the powers on Stop and Search and as soon as it came into power halted the ID card work.

    You need to argue against individual cases on their merits because whilst there's plenty of laws I disagree with and think harm liberty there's also stuff that enhances it . We're not sliding into despotism bouncing along as a pretty free society, with some things getting a bit worse and somethings getting a bit better
  • tkdogtkdog Posts: 281 The Mix Regular
    One scary thing i saw is amazon are delivering these free security door bells and they can be linked together door to door. It seemed like a privact invasion. 
    The UK after china has some of the most cctv cameras but at least it's not like smart cities and that so the data isn't shared around.
    I read that as more people use smartphones tehy get used to sharing data and people doing things for them, and avoiding complex decisions. So this will in turn favour authoritarianism. There is an interesting book called surveillance capitalism I recommend reading.
Sign In or Register to comment.