RE: [silk] No Hiding Place | 1984 in 2001

["Keith Adam" <keith.adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The article seems to cover a lot of ground.

>a police
>state with powers of control and surveillance beyond the wildest dreams of
>Hitler or Stalin could now be established in Britain within 24 hours.

Indeed, all it takes is an 'Order In Council' issued by the PM and signed by
the Monarch to invoke 'emergency security' regulations. Take the legislation
that was passed in 1940 during WW2.  It gave the government unlimited power
over life, liberty, property of every person in the land.  Most people from
modern democratic countries don't realise that Britain does not have a
written constitution or supreme court.  Britain relies on Her Majesties
Opposition in Parliament to keep the government of the day in check, along
with parliamentary 'tradition' and public opinion.

I remember a television show from about ten years ago, 'Alan B'Stard'.  A
fictional politician.  It was a very tongue in cheek look at British
political life.  In the climax to the series his political party achieves a
majority in an election and declares him the Leader of the Country, even
though he was not a Member of Parliament, by passing legislation to that
effect.  What most people watching didn't realise was that it could
theoretically happen.

We don't have a modern collective history of subjugation, tyranny or
dictatorship.  I suppose that goes a long way to explaining our acceptance
of the situation.

> the Television Licensing
>Authority is currently running an advertising campaign boasting of its
>ability to invade our privacy.

The TLA has one of the biggest databases in Europe.  It has a list of every
household in Britain, the occupants, and whether they have a TV licence.
(The BBC is funded from this licence.)  It assumes that everyone has a TV
and therefore has the legal power to search a home.  Any equipment capable
of receiving TV pictures needs to be licensed whether it receives BBC or
not.

>And thanks to new
>technologies from mobile phones to the internet, they can use those powers
>to find out where we are, whom we talk or send e-mails to, and what
>websites we click on.

I mentioned the RIP Act some months ago.

>In 1975, Diffie had independently
>experienced the same eureka moment as Ellis,

Saw a program on this a while back.   Because he worked for the Government
his work was not released as it was covered by the Official Secrets Act.
Only recently has the term it was kept secret for expired.   This lunatic
piece of legislation, until only eight years ago, made it illegal for a
government employee to comment on the food served in the cafeteria for
instance.  Seriously!

>Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are the final turn of the screw.

There is widespread acceptance of CCTV in Britain.  Nearly every town centre
has a good few cameras recording away.  The majority of citizens will, I
believe, if asked, be in favour.   However, I would like top see their
streams made public - perhaps on the internet.  I do not see it as an
invasion of my privacy.   But perhaps a protection of my rights - in that it
deters crime and allows me to walk the streets not afraid for my safety.

Arthur C Clarke in 3001 saw the end of war because everyone was watching
each other from news cameras, on satellites in Earth orbit.   Perhaps he
does have a point.   Would we allow it to go that far for such a high goal?

Just a few thoughts
Keith