CCTV cameras to have microphones to listen to public conversations

Restless Soul

http://www.contractoruk.com/news/002971.html

Feels to me like Britain is becoming a fascist state! Can't believe they are talking now about putting microphones on cctv cameras in the street so people can listen into people's conversations in the street!

To me it seems like Britain is becoming similar to the world of Orwell's 1984, whereas America is becoming more like the world of The Handmaid's Tale (margaret atwood) judging by stuff like that peace sign thing. Both fascist as hell but in two different directions!!

FinsburyParkCarrots

Yes, there's really no need for this kind of behaviour. But you know, since the 1590s when Londoners, from the Middle Temple barristers to the local prostitutes and thieves, used to head off to Southwark, for an afternoon performance at Shakespeare's Globe, municipal administrators in the City of London have been extremely twitchy about the notion of crowds getting together in public. There's a long, established tradition of state nervousness, in England, about any kind of congregation, whatever its number, kind or reason for forming. In some ways, this latest plan to record everyone's conversations with big boom microphones is part of a grand old tradition of state paranoia around these parts.

Restless Soul

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Yes, there's really no need for this kind of behaviour. But you know, since the 1590s when Londoners, from the Middle Temple barristers to the local prostitutes and thieves, used to head off to Southwark, for an afternoon performance at Shakespeare's Globe, municipal administrators in the City of London have been extremely twitchy about the notion of crowds getting together in public. There's a long, established tradition of state nervousness, in England, about any kind of congregation, whatever its number, kind or reason for forming. In some ways, this latest plan to record everyone's conversations with big boom microphones is part of a grand old tradition of state paranoia around these parts.

I don't get why its such a big deal! Sometimes I think the govt went to war to boost terrorism which will give them the excuse to do some of this stuff they wanted in the first place, but the overall question is why?? I guess I'm a bit more sceptical about "rising crime rates" than others - maybe they think this will keep them in power and keep the daily mail types happy too.

This govt has been going mad on the whole antisocial behaviour agenda and maybe using that as an excuse for bringing in everything as well, from ID cards, to police dna databases (which will keep your data on file even if you've not been convicted or charged with anything). They've got plans for "from cradle to grave" information-sharing and collection which they believe will start to "predict" likely criminals depending on their data!! It's getting ridiculous, and is actually illegal according to theirs, and the EU's law! But do they care? no!

FinsburyParkCarrots

Have you seen Alex Jones's film "Terror Storm"? It does touch on current British surveillance techniques, among other things:

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-4757274759497686216&q=alex+jones+storm