Posts by Lee

Will Darling's data giveaway kill off ID cards?

Why..

..didn't they use P2P to transfer the data - it's much more secure than the post.

UK tightens borders with single agency and screening system

U.K Government as Extreme as any Terrorist

I can not help but think that the U.K is ever more sliding into extremism. Not just affected by Islam fanaticism, but effected by it or just an excuse despite it, the U.K government is forcing Anti-Terrorist extremism onto the whole public.

I do not doubt that Islam fanatacists exist (as do other types of fanatic). I do not doubt that many of those fanatics wish to see the end of western science, society and democracy. I do not doubt that we need to change their views, box them in or fight them to save our civilization. But I do doubt that our government needs to enforce Big Brother to keep us all in check.

I hope for a brighter future here in the U.K and the rest of democratic civilization. A future not dogmatised by any religious, philosophical or ideological extremism in government and society; a future where liberty to freely speak and freely act without fear of persecution and intimidation from any extremist or member of the political correctness brigade. Perhaps we should all try to remember the maxim "One man's freedom ends where another man's begins." Change "where another man's begins" to "where it begins to encroach another man's..." and perhaps it will be more livable but the sentiment remains the same, namely: try not to take away another's freedom. Obviously, the maxim is not always feasible. Sometimes another's freedom has to be encroached to defend one's own. With this in mind, I understand that our government has to use its resources to defend us from non-democratic Islamic fanaticists. I also understand that we, the public, have a duty to help our government defend us. But it seems that our government's freedom to create law and fear is encroaching on our (the citizens') freedom to live without fear of the extremism and intimidation of the government's anti-terrorism laws as well as those behaviors of other extremists. It's time the government began to work with the people not against the people. And it's time the people were given the opportunity to work with the government without having our lives closely inspected and recorded with the results being used to intimidate us into obedience.

Perhaps we should establish what we are trying to defend before we try to defend it. Because, at the moment (and I doubt I'm alone), I can see ever more of our boundaries and fewer of our freedoms allowing us to surpass them. We should remember that we are a nation of human beings, that human beings have rights and that one of those rights is the right to live not as slaves and sub-ordinates to others but as equals with equal freedom to live freely according to our abilities and to maximize our capabilities without forcing suffering onto others. I know we give-up and willingly compromise some rights when we live within a protective, nurturing society but we should not allow ourselves to be forced to surrender additional rights without first being asked.