John Reid - removing our freedoms in order to preserve them
This was going to be a short comment on John Reid's speech about removing our civil liberties in order to preserve them, but in the light of today's drama, I extended it somewhat. It's a fairly natural reaction to respond to the current security scare in Britain with cynicism. It was certainly my first reaction, and until more information comes in, I'm neither believing nor disbelieving what I'm hearing on the news. That Britain is facing a threat from terrorism is entirely believable after July 7 last year, and I have no reason to doubt that there are plots that have been foiled and others under investigation (Britain's foreign policy being what it is, it would be incredible if there were no plots).
The new terror alert system (now at its highest level of "Critical") brought in after a recommendation following the last year's London bombings was, I think, a sensible idea. If there was a credible plot to blow up several aeroplanes over the Atlantic and the police foiled it (this time without managing to shoot anyone), then that is to be commended. The unprecedented security nightmares being experienced by travellers at British airports is only to be expected if there really is such a plot. Maybe lessons have been learned from the stupidities of the past (leaving aside the stupidity of provoking terrorism), or the sophistication of Government scaremongering has reached a new level *reaches for the tin-foil hat*.
The Government can only blame itself if people do react with cynicism to the latest scare because of their penchant to play politics with terrorism. We have had this trick played on us by different Home Secretaries. In February 2003, a month before the start of the Iraq war and shortly before the biggest demonstration the country had ever seen, David Blunkett surrounded Heathrow airport with tanks and 400 soldiers because of "an ongoing operation in relation to a specific threat". We heard no more about it.
Later that year the old terror alert system went to "severe general" for an 'unspecific' threat by Al Qaeda which coincided with a visit by a certain Mr Bush and a series of huge demonstrations to protest at this visit. No such warnings were given to the huge crowds thronging the streets a few weeks later as they celebrated England winning the Rugby World Cup (link via Bloggerheads). Just before the July 7 bombings the threat level was lowered despite intelligence services knowing of the threat, having been warned by their American and French counterparts. MI5 even bugged the leader of the plot. Another Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, solemnly informed us that the attack came "out of the blue".
John Reid is not averse to playing the 'cry wolf' game either. The Forest Gate fiasco is still fresh in our minds along with stories of non-existent chemical/poison bombs (today its liquid explosives disguised as bottles of fizzy drink or baby milk). It is a remarkable coincidence that, within hours of making his speech to the Demos thinktank in which he hinted at another batch of draconian legislation and said that arguments about civil liberties were outdated, this new scare is unleashed.
According to the Home Secretary, anyone who criticises the Government's clampdown on civil liberties is putting national security at risk. So Mr Justice Sullivan who over ruled his indefinite detention without charge 'control orders' for suspected terrorists, the court of appeal which upheld the ruling, the ECHR, much of the media and certain politicians are little better than terrorists themselves.
[…]
"Sometimes we may have to modify some of our own freedoms in the short term in order to prevent their misuse and abuse by those who oppose our fundamental values and would destroy all of our freedoms in the modern world," he said.
[…]
The majority of the public understood its [the threat's] seriousness but there were those who "just don't get it", whose opposition was undermining the struggle. They included:
- Politicians who opposed the anti-terror measures the police and security services said were necessary to combat the threat.
- European judges who passed the "Chahal judgment" that prohibited the home secretary from weighing the security of millions of British people if a suspected terrorist remained in the UK against the risk he faced if deported back to his own country.
- The media commentators who "apparently give more prominence to the views of Islamist terrorists rather than democratically elected Muslim politicians like premier Maliki of Iraq or President Karzai of Afghanstan".
I don't suppose we'll ever know if there was a plot unless it actually happens, God forbid. We might get a better idea when the 21 people arrested so far get a trial (assuming they get a trial, or even charged). If there is a threat, (and, it does at least seem plausible) then some precautions are obviously necessary, but there is still no reason at all to trample all over the justice system. I still agree with that quote from the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau - "I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery". That is the concept that John Reid just doesn't get. Meanwhile, the Lebanon/ Israel conflict seems to have been forgotten.
Benjamin Franklin - "A
Benjamin Franklin - "A people prepared to sacrifice a little freedom for security deserves neither and will lose both".
Actually, that quote is even
Actually, that quote is even better, I should have used it :)
Cheers
That Britain is facing a
That Britain is facing a threat from terrorism is entirely believable after July 7 last year
I'd keep an open mind about that one too, considering that there has yet to be a public inquiry. Two of the bombers were already known to MI5 and may have been MI5 assets infiltrating extremist groups.
Anyway, tinfoil hat is off now, but I always like to keep it within reach. You simply cannot trust these people.
We lived with the threat of
We lived with the threat of Republican terrorism for decades in the form of the IRA and associated groups. Pubs and High Street shops bombed, a certain member of the Royal family assassinated, many millions of pounds of damage to buildings, many lost lives.
Newsflash: We didn't have 'terror alert' levels. We didn't usher in the sweeping and totalitarian power of the current proto-Police state. We didn't need ID cards, because the governments of the past for all their other failings, saw them for exactly what they were - a waste of money and an unacceptable violation of our right to privacy and individualism.
Pure 100% government
Pure 100% government propaganda to build support for Israels justification of killing arabs. Like the rest, its simply far too convenient to be true, strange all terror threats happen just when they most benifit the .gov.
...And actual terrorist
...And actual terrorist incidents tend to happen when it is less convenient for .gov. Like 7/7 and the Madrid bombing.
Often a bit of tactical lying in the ensuing chaos can turn things around. Lucky we have a press packed with seasoned hacks who have seen it all before, and are able to expose these things, isn't it?
Much as I despised Blunkett
Much as I despised Blunkett as much as the next man, it wasn't actually him who ordered the tanks. It was the police. Mins you gives us a bit more ammunition in wishing the end of Ian Blairs stint in charge of the met.
What a SET UP Lol. A Staged
What a SET UP Lol.
A Staged "Terror Plot" Showing Clear Signs of Desperation from a Govt and it's Rogue Network NWO Masters. Cleverly Designed to cause Maximum frustration on the ground level between people at Airports and other nodes of Travel – Attempting to Reinforce the (fake) ‘them and us’ psychology on the masses, thereby allowing the puppet masters to sit back, (attempt to) re-take control and laugh(temporarily) from afar.
Psychological Propaganda with the Wiser people clearly able to see through it.
Why now? Because the power hungry Devils can see the British people, of all Faiths and backgrounds are waking up and starting to unite in the face of the REAL TERROR THREAT. Can’t have that now can we – best nip all this Unity malarkey (against NWO and Zionist Actors) in the bud. Nice try, but is a short-term tactic and doomed to failure in the long-term.
Lies do not last and the Truth always stands taller, for longer.
The ‘Plot’ Smacks of Desperation by a side under Severe Pressure.
Solidarity and the Human Spirit must prosper amongst All Brits.
This is what hurts the Devil the most and is truly the Righteous (and only productive, as opposed to destructive) Route.
Great website by the way. Keep up the brilliant work. I am a Big Fan.
Fight for -> Peace.
I think it's harder to see
I think it's harder to see through this nonsense when one is subject to the relentless and total propoganda machine we have in the UK.
It is entirely possible to accept non-truths if they are repeated often enough.
There is a bunch of crazed people running around the UK who want to destroy our way of life, remove our freedoms and undermine our values - it's called the government.
Thread over at indymedia
Thread over at indymedia seems to sum up what most people are feeling. I wonder why we have all become SOOOO cynical?
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/347489.html?c=on#comments
Watch this and you'll see
Watch this and you'll see the true lows our government has stooped to:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2001897549763616199
1 in 8 Britains have moved abroad, reporters sound more like politicians, we are now the third most hated country in the world behind Israel and America, whitewashes have become the norm, the police (armed with machine guns) appear immune to prosecution, Iain Blair is our chief of police and Muslims are being ostracized for Tony Blairs (war) crimes.
The devout Muslim they "accidentally" shot just happened to have child porn on his computer. I suppose he's lucky he wasn't held for 28 days without trial and sent on a one way flight to Guantanamo (no evidence required). Tony Blair is a Knight of Malta - look it up. Prescott Bush (Dubyas grandad) worked for and profited from companies closely involved with the very German businesses that financed Hitler's rise to power.
I thought we'd be fighting against nazi profiteers and religious zealots not for them.
Is Tony Blair a Knight of
Is Tony Blair a Knight of Malta? Their website suggests that membership is restricted to members of the Roman Catholic Church, which rather disqualifies him (though not his wife, I'd have thought.
It's notable that the Pope
It's notable that the Pope is complaining that no one's listening to him. Tony is no Catholic, he's just married to one. I'm inclined to excuse the left-footers from this one. However, can anyone tell me what the Church of England has been saying about Lebanon? Where's the moral leadership (probably ignored, thinking about it)?
The last time I remember the
The last time I remember the Church of England saying anything about Israel was about a year ago when it announced it would no longer invest in Catapillar ethnic cleansing machines. Chief Rabbi Jonathon Sachs thought that was anti-semitic. The C of E has kept schtum since then as far as I can tell.
Oh, the Archbishop of Canterbury did call for an immediate ceasefire but was switly rebuffed by Blair. He's not said much since then.
Israeli Arrogance and Bush
Israeli Arrogance and Bush latest Trick
Breaking the cycle of violence
The police don't have the
The police don't have the power to "order in tanks", as the tanks belong to the Army. At least, I hope to God they don't have the power (yet). That would be a clear sign that we have a police state.
Until the root problem is
Until the root problem is addressed there will be no solution. Why is there no mention of the CAUSE of real or fake terror plots? Because, my friends, the cause lies squarely with the US& UK/israel TERRORISM (YES Terrorism) commited on a daily basis in their occupation of Afghanistan/iraq/lebanon/palestine. How many people have been wiped out by bombs dropped from the air on villages, schools, hospitals, factories, resturants, etc? Terrorism that is unaccounted for in the totally criminal western media. So, mr Bliar (yes Bliar) stop YOUR terrorsim and support of terrorism in far away lands and we will lose our fake and real terror plots. SIMPLE....
"...And actual terrorist
"...And actual terrorist incidents tend to happen when it is less convenient for .gov. Like 7/7 and the Madrid bombing."
I think the day after we got the olympics is far from inconvenient.
Dunno what the C of E is
Dunno what the C of E is saying, but I see the Knights of Malta -- who appear to fund various medical and humanitarian projects in Lebanon -- provide detailed updates on the situation there on their website, and they ain't at all happy; their latest one begins
The military operations change by the day, becoming more and more cruel and murderous and changing the human drama undergone by the Lebanese population.
Adding to the general distress in this volatile situation, emerges a deep feeling of fear of what tomorrow may hold in store, as, despite the diplomatic goings and comings no sustainable solution has so far appeared on the horizon.