Is Britain turning into a police state (or a national socialist society)?

Question

You can be caught on camera more than thirty times a day, every car journey is logged, emails and phone calls logged, arrested and held without charge, a never-ending war....

Is this a supercharged socialist big brother state that George Orwell predicted in his book "1984"?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18092006/323/oi-yes-cctv-gets-voice-english-town.html

Andrew g: number plate recognition is a tried and tested technology. In March this year, a police system to record up to a hundred million sightings per day went live. I've this technology on the monitor at the sainsbury petrol station where the registration of each car entering is recorded. It is installed on entry/exit of motorways and used to calculate average speed through roadworks and there are even signs on motorways that flash your name and car registration to tell you if you are speeding....

GPS navigation systems and your mobile can be used to locate you at any time.

All the technology is available (and being used).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,1593263,00.html

http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/electrical/story/0,,1871559,00.html

Answer 1

Not yet, but if the UK continues to be led by an obsequious lapdog who can only ape American presidents (Clinton and Dubya Bush), then ultimately it will go the same way as the USA ... ending up as a quivering mob of sheep, willing to surrender any freedom in pursuit of some nebulous and ultimately fallacious "safety."
Orwell predicted a bit of this (though he thought war and brainwashing would be the big tools, not terror and cowardice). A much closer prediction was made by Michael Moorcock in his "Cure for Cancer" where the current American regime are portrayed with chilling accuracy.
Cheers and happy times.

Answer 2

When Orwell first wrote the story I read it with horror as I, like him, recognise the moves in that direction. I think the year was around 1950.
To day all the ingredients are in place and started to be so with the first automatic telephone test.
Ping ping then answering ping ping.
The line is listening to itself and answering.
Since you can hear it, it can hear you.
We carry our own location every time we switch on our mobile.
The light to show stand by on the TV can double as a camera.
With wireless technology nothing will be secret anywhere in the home.
Every phone call we make is kept on disc for three months and if you become suspect this increases to six months.
Every web address you visit is recorded just the same.
I could keep on but let's examine the situation.

I could say keywords that trigger attention all day because my record is unblemished. I served in the last war and worked all my life and have never been served any sort of court order except jury service. Now I an too old for that responsibility I am a threat to no one. But that doesn't stop them bugging me.
With 60,000,000 souls on board it only take one of them to devastate millions.
I know it seems overbearing but it is only way to go these days.
When Orwell wrote his book the world was a different place if he was alive today, perhaps he is, I guess he would suggest it for the good of the people.
Yes there are a very many nasty men getting away with things but in the end all will be well.
Think of it.
We are their pension plan.

Answer 3

Iran will nevertheless proceed to uphold the election "outcomes" and allow the "winner" to be sworn into place of work by previous due July. as long as Ahmadinejad continues to be in place of work the human beings would be in insurrection. to actual take down their very own government could require the help of the assembly of specialists and a powerful unauthorized team of militia adult males that could counter the Basij/ modern Guards. the reason why human beings are not accessible in extensive numbers is with the help of the fact there's a great worry of being tear-gassed and sent to penal complex for a decade. until a civil conflict occurs, no revolution will ensue The Socialist police state which you're concerning would not exist. Obama inspite of the incontrovertible fact that has given the government extra potential than it may in influencing the financial equipment. government healthcare insurance is a undesirable theory. Obama would not comprehend that by instituting this coverage thousands and thousands of folk won't obtain suitable healthcare. He additionally fails to realize that non-public insurers will no longer be aggressive for the middle type. Obama is likewise spending thousands and thousands on ineffective courses that have not any direct result on the financial equipment.

Answer 4

Dear oh dear oh dear, we are all getting a bit hysterical here aren't we ?

Just what exactly is a 'police state' anyway. Any country with a police force that actually, erm, tries to catch criminals ?

Our car journeys aren't logged. Nor are your phone calls or emails.

This is just another case of tabloid bullshit, and if you'd really lived in a totalitarian or fascist state you would realise just what freedoms you have here.

Oh and what the hell is this 'nanny state' everybody keeps talking about ? Hey, if you don't want to take any notice of advice you're getting about how to stay fit and maybe enjoy life a bit more, then just stick to the fags and burgers and let the rest of us get on with it.

Answer 5

I don't think so but I agree the enormous amount of CCTV cameras around are bit concerning however one comfort is that the amount of recorded material that now exists it so large that there is very little chance of anyone seeing what anybody is doing unless they are deliberately looking for it. On some cases I understand the police spend hours and hours looking at tapes to find evidence and they only do that for serious crimes

Answer 6

I don't think we are quite at george orwell levels yet, your not going to be arrested for writing this, we still have most of our basic rights. The difficult thing is protecting us without compromising our human rights. At least were not like america where you can be arrested and put in prison without ever having a trial

Answer 7

the matter is not that the Britain is a police stste or not, b caz it has been already, the matter is how degree of this situation can go on and to when?
every activity is under a strong control system, but the most important thing is that there is no Big brother, there is Little Brother, b caz people don't yhink there is a big brother,
so we can say there is a Little brother, but too powerful,smart, strong, cruel and wore; HIDDEN!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

It sure is - and no doubt some nerdy Mi5 officer is reading this ... But ..who cares there is "F" all you can do about it - just as long as you toe the line and behave they will leave you alone... But ...what is classed as illegal these days..? feeding your child a Cheeseburger & Chips & Coke...things are getting a tad out of hand.. a bit like V for Vendetta.. and that new episode of Spook's.

Answer 9

I'd like to ask them.....

"why are you so afraid of us ? we're quite calm people really, we don't riot much and we're generally easy going so why the fear of the people"

"why all the cameras and other expensive technology ?? just to watch us do not a lot"

Answer 10

Yes it sure is, is it meant to be a free country, free my a**e, George Orwell was right and its only going to get worse.