It’s not just those domestic extremists and crazy “conspiracy theory” kooks who took serious issue with UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent overtly fascist language when it comes to freedom of expression in Great Britain. For example, in a post published today, the UK Independent describes the quote below as “the creepiest thing David Cameron has ever said.”
This statement, and others like it, are a huge deal. This isn’t how the leader of a major civilized Western so-called “democracy” speaks to the citizenry. It is how a master talks to his slaves. How a ruler addresses his subjects. I think the following tweet by Glenn Greenwald earlier today sums up David Cameron’s attitude perfectly well:
This is really the mentality of Her Majesty’s Government RT @akaSassinak But now it is not enough to obey. You must LOVE BIG BROTHER.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 14, 2015
Those of us who are in disbelief over David Cameron’s recent language, don’t have to just point to the quote above. There’s a lot more to it than a simple quote. For example, the Guardian reports:
The measures would give the police powers to apply to the high court for an order to limit the “harmful activities” of an extremist individual. The definition of harmful is to include a risk of public disorder, a risk of harassment, alarm or distress or creating a “threat to the functioning of democracy”.
A “risk of public disorder,” or a “risk of harassment alarm or distress.” Think about that for a second. Pretty much 90% of all speech could be classified as posing a risk to all of those things. It’s basically banning any criticism the government doesn’t like. Truly remarkable. Now here’s how the magnificent “democracy” of Great Britain plans on dealing with such “extremists.”
They would include a ban on broadcasting and a requirement to submit to the police in advance any proposed publication on the web and social media or in print. The bill will also contain plans for banning orders for extremist organizations which seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech in public places, but it will fall short of banning on the grounds of provoking hatred.
Although I’m not a British citizen and have never lived in the UK, I have spent some time writing about the disturbing trends happening across the pond due to the historic, cultural, geopolitical and linguistic ties between the U.S. and Great Britain. I warned all about these dangerous trends last fall in the post, The UK’s Conservative Party Declares War on YouTube, Twitter, Free Speech and Common Sense. Here are a few excerpts:
Teresa May wants to “ban non-violent extremist groups that fall short of the current threshold for being banned as terrorist-related organizations.” Think about that very closely. Essentially, she is saying non-violent groups that are currently not breaking any laws should be criminalized by creating new laws. Once this process begins, it will continue to be expanded and expanded until pretty much every form of expression other than government propaganda will be banned.
Secondly, she notes that the new laws are necessary to combat groups that undertake activities “for the purpose of overthrowing democracy.” Considering that the U.S. government changes the meanings of words at a moment’s notice, such as claiming that “imminent” doesn’t really mean “imminent,” I argue that an official government definition of democracy is necessary. Moreover, what if the UK is like the U.S., a state that claims to be a democracy, but in reality is an oligarchy? What are the rules about calling for the removal of an oligarchy?
Have fun mates.
For related articles, see:
The UK’s Conservative Party Declares War on YouTube, Twitter, Free Speech and Common Sense
Britain’s “War on Terror” Insanity Continues – David Cameron Declares War on Encryption
How UK Prime Minister David Cameron Paid Thousands of Dollars for Facebook “Likes”
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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The world is being run by a bunch of head cases. But when the mob shows up, think how photogenic these heads will look at the end of a pike.
(Wait! What’s this? The mob is already gathering, and grows larger by the day…)
[I have to go in now – mom says its not safe to be around psychopaths.]
pretty soon you’ll be forced to love goldman, too….bend the knee serfs.
Former Goldman Sachs Asset Management Chief to Join UK Treasury
May 15 2015 | 8:35am ET
Former Goldman Sachs Asset Management chairman Jim O’Neill has been named commercial secretary to HM Treasury in the new government being formed by recently re-elected British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The appointment was announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who noted in a speech published on Treasury’s website that O’Neill is “one of the world’s top economists,” and “the man who invented the term ‘the BRICs’ (for Brazil, Russia, India and China) and changed the way everyone viewed emerging economies.”
According to Osborne, O’Neill’s responsibilities will include large public infrastructure projects – and the financing that goes with them – in the U.K. as well as forging links to emerging economies and managing the government’s policy of granting of more power to large cities in England.
He will also work on policy areas related to competition and financial regulation, according to an article in the Financial Times.
Simultaneously with his appointment, Queen Elizabeth awarded O’Neill a life peerage.
http://www.finalternatives.com/node/30825
Lighten up, Mike. He just wants to keep us all safe.
I hope you are being sarcastic……….
It’s not just Cameron, thats pretty much the mentality of every badge licking statists here in the US.
You are all loony the same way politicians are – mostly lying, cheating, morons who think they have all the answers but really want what they want no matter how damaging it is to others.
Michael – Cameron and his ilk would never admit this but, the UK government, it’s elite and now some in the general public have awakened to the fact that mistakes were made in allowing such vast and diverse immigrants. Many immigrants and migrants have NOTHING in common with the culture and are bent on changing british culture and harming those who do not conform.
The government it thrashing around confused because they now recognize the problem and have no palatable solution. After chastising Denmark or Holland, who in recent year’s spoke out about multiculturalism, the UK can’t bring themselves to admit the same publically, at least not without hugely negative consequences.
Never let a crisis go to waste.
reminds me of the French Revolution
and the “The Law of Suspects (1793)”
ie suspect of being a suspect.
Stalin was also rather good at this.
he who stops clapping is automatically suspect
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
santayana
The US and the UK are NOT democracies!!! How many times do we have to tell you folks. They are both republics with the UK also supporting a monarchy. We have democratically elected representatives…but we are NOT democracies!!!