CCTV- 1984=2010?
August 12, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8192636.stm
It has been reported that one in every 78 adults was being subjected to surveillance in Britain last year- wow. That is quite a remarkable figure, I fail to see though where any problem is if the climate is right. The point of this surveillance presumably is to protect the public at large from those reasonably suspected to be involved in some law breaking activity that they should not be. To uphold the rule of law that no right- minded person would want society to be without. It would not affect a normal, reasonable and moral person going about their daily business to be under surveillance- they would not be interfered with or even notice.
If all the surveillance used prevented one murder, I doubt those law-abiding citizens ‘spied upon’ without their consent yet affecting them in no way would think the measure negative. To those caught out breaking the law, has the measure has self-justified itself in their case? The obvious fear is about what the outcome of the abuse of such a measure could have in terms of big brother control- and out of trying to create an enforced utopia the government would reduce freedom to within severe boundaries- an extent where a cherished freedom would be whether to have rice crispies or coco pops for breakfast. Is this really a rational fear? Is it a backlash from too many sci-fi films like Logun’s run, daily mirror horror stories generally creating an atmosphere of mistrust? Is it any surprise when it is a government measure using the police for implementation- are there any two bodies which take more of a battering in the everyday media?
Technology like this can be used for good or for bad depending on what type of government is in power, under the wrong system it could be a living nightmare for its citizens. In a fair and accountable democratic system it would be clearly a positive thing should it stay that way- but can this be guaranteed? Surely that capacity for control can only reasonably be accepted in a system trusted unequivocally? Do we have one? Is democracy in the UK strong enough for a comfortable increase in this area?
