I've said many times that most people will not protest the loss of liberty and will be quite complacent about it, so long as Internet and Facebook in particular remain relatively free. Well, apparently, and predictably, this also is about to change. In a rather fascist statement, the British prime minister David Cameron made it blatantly clear today that the powers that be will stand for no loss of control and will indeed take any chance to expand it:
"Mr Speaker, everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill. And when people are using social media for violence we need to stop them. So we are working with the Police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know [emphasis added] they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality."
How exactly the government would come to know someone is plotting violence, ho does, to the best of my knowledge, not explain. Also, once they usurp these powers, the line between knowing and thinking will gradually diminish. Moreover, the term "plotting violence" can have more definitions than Angelina Jolie has children. He then goes on to assure us that our rights don't really matter that much:
"I have also asked the police if they need any other new powers. Specifically on facemasks, currently they can only remove these in a specific geographical location and for a limited time. So I can announce today that we are going to give the police the discretion to remove face coverings under any circumstances where there is reasonable suspicion that they are related to criminal activity. And on dealing with crowds, we are also looking at the use of existing dispersal powers and whether any wider power of curfew is necessary. Mr Speaker, whenever the police face a new threat – they must have the freedom and the confidence to change tactics. This government will make sure they always have that. The fight back has well and truly begun."
Notice how "knowing" swiftly changes into "reasonable suspicion". Reasonable, also, is a flexible term. Like a steak. Beat it enough and it soon covers half of your kitchen. I wonder, though, what they'll do if the swine flu returns and everyone is wearing masks... "Remove that mask, sir, oh no wait, hang on... oh... Harry, good ol' chap, I say, what to do with all these powers if you shan't use them... Take your trousers off instead!" But back to serious matters, the bottom line is, when I step on your toe and you complain, the best way to silence you is to bash you over the head. The complaints, of course, must be evil, for I have every right to step on that toe. And how do you know that? Well, I've written a law about it, haven't you heard?
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