Quote# 53156
I personally am against this "Big Brother" approach. What started off in this country - United Kingdom, as a basically honourable idea - DNA data bank for tracking terrorists/child rapists et al, has suddenly become open to abuse. The hypothesis: "If you've got noting to hide, you've got nothing to fear." has been overused so much it has now become a cliche. The number of bodies legally entitled to enter your premesis whether or not you approve is not limited to the emergency services - increadibly it runs into three figures, including tax inspectors. OK, few of them are used, but they still have the right to enter your property uninvited. The Government also have the right to delve into your medical records and, of course, bank accounts. In fact, if you leave your mobile phone on, they can trace exactly where you are to within three feet, because all mobile phones emit a signal - that's why whenever I go out for the day, I either turn it off or leave it at home. I personally am sick and tired of the Government poking it's nose into my affairs, and honourably as it may initially seem, how long is it going to be before it is used to determine texts between consenting homosexuals under the guise of "The community needs protecting." In this country you've got dummies in the Government losing highly confidential data all over the place. Not a week goes by without it emerging yet another Government minister has lost his laptop containing the unencrypted data of soldiers or other highly classified information.
Even as I sit here writing this message, the Government know how many computers are on at any one time, who they belong to, and what web sites they frequent. George Orwell would be turning in his grave if he knew just ho much informationwe give out about ourselves winds up under the eyes of busybodies.
The Government didn't bail out the banks for our benefits - they did it so they could keep an even tighter control on who has what in their account. There are many people out there like me who deal only in cash - that way the Government don't know what we spend our money on. Tradesmen will give you a substancial reduction if you pay cash, too. I hope somebody in Governmental circles reads this and takes the point!
Frederick,
Lampstand Study 16 Comments [11/26/2008 5:37:43 PM]
Fundie Index: -1
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#785119
Antichrist
Although he goes a little off the deep-end, I can see where he's coming from. And I agree that I'm sick of the "If you've got noting to hide, you've got nothing to fear." rhetoric.
11/26/2008 6:50:08 PM
#785174
Psittacosis
Listen, kid, the govermnent has no bloody idea where its own computers are, never mind anybody else's.
11/26/2008 7:29:38 PM
#785211
aaa
Well, there's that PATRIOT act...
11/26/2008 7:56:06 PM
#785298
Apostle
Not nutty, pretty far fetched but has a hint of truth in it.
11/26/2008 9:38:41 PM
#785387
blah
Obviously paranoid individual actually has a kernel of truth?
Edit: mind you, just a kernel.
11/26/2008 11:06:57 PM
#785398
This was fine...then the last paragraph ruined it.
11/26/2008 11:15:00 PM
#785624
Porky Pine
While a little on the paranoid side, he does have a point.
But I wonder, if he's so worried about the govt tracking him through his cell phone, why does he even have one?
11/27/2008 3:35:58 AM
#785649
gorm_sionnach
"Tradesmen will give you a substancial reduction if you pay cash, too. I hope somebody in Governmental circles reads this and takes the point!"
People don't like paying taxes?
11/27/2008 3:54:45 AM
#785654
Mortok
Even if the government does know, I don't think it cares very much.
11/27/2008 4:00:39 AM
#785691
anonymous
"all mobile phones emit a signal"
OH GOD NO
"the Government know how many computers are on at any one time, who they belong to, and what web sites they frequent."
Well the ISPs do, in theory. Whether they really give a shit is a matter of opinion.
11/27/2008 5:02:37 AM
#786145
Andreus
Totally agree with him until the last paragraph. I'd really love to say that this guy was totally whacko but actually, and unfortunately, he's kind of right.
11/27/2008 4:04:00 PM
#787262
DCoke
Well, I don't know about the UK. But in other places the government has to get web-surfing info from ISPs. They don't know, or they wouldn't get pissed off at Google.
11/28/2008 5:53:39 AM
#788045
"What started off in this country - United Kingdom, as a basically honourable idea - DNA data bank for tracking terrorists/child rapists et al, has suddenly become open to abuse"
It was designed to be abused.
Otherwise they'd destroy the samples of people not charged never mind aquited.
Did Jack Straws son give a sample when he was picked up for selling drugs?
Or Blairs son for rolling around in the gutter pissed?
Did they heck as like.
11/28/2008 6:44:39 PM
#788844
WMDKitty
Well, he has a point about "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" -- it's quite Orwellian. However, the only people (AFAIK) in the database are suspected/convicted rapists (including child molesters). The rest of this is silly.
ETA: Some laws are just nanny-state BS. I should be able to put anything I want to into my body, as long as I am not harming or endangering others. Meaning, if I wanna smoke a J, who the hell is it hurting? And why does the U.S. gov't continue to suppress the truth about marijuana? Every government-commissioned study has turned out *opposite* to the government's official "pot maeks u skitzo an turns u in2 a junkee" line. Gawd, you'd think they'd have learned from Prohibition!
11/29/2008 4:18:25 AM
#790455
Faxon
OMG! The government being able to look at your national health service record. The sheer horror!
11/30/2008 12:57:57 PM
#1439291
Often Partisan
This guy has a point, the british gov't is too authoritarian. I mean, there's an element of nutty inthere, but it's not completely off in the deep end.
Hilarious in Hindsight: one MP recently criticsed people for paying tradesmen in cash to avoid taxes, haha.
8/26/2012 4:29:42 PM
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