britain - 1st modern "soft totalitarian"/"liberal fascist" state

[pete2]

Article may have relevancy to the Blasphemy Law debate in Ireland

There are no concentration camps or gulags but there are thought police with unprecedented powers to dictate ways of thinking and sniff out heresy, and there can be harsh punishments for dissent.

Nikolai Bukharin claimed one of the Bolshevik Revolution's principal tasks was "to alter people's actual psychology". Britain is not Bolshevik, but a campaign to alter people's psychology and create a new Homo britannicus is under way without even a fig leaf of disguise.

The [brit] Government is pushing ahead with legislation that will criminalise politically incorrect jokes, with a maximum punishment of up to seven years' prison. The House of Lords tried to insert a free-speech amendment, but Justice Secretary Jack Straw knocked it out. It was Straw who previously called for a redefinition of Englishness and suggested the "global baggage of empire" was linked to soccer violence by "racist and xenophobic white males". He claimed the English "propensity for violence" was used to subjugate Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and that the English as a race were "potentially very aggressive"..

A bishop was warned by the police for not having done enough to "celebrate diversity", the enforcing of which is now apparently a police function. A Christian home for retired clergy and religious workers lost a grant because it would not reveal to official snoopers how many of the residents were homosexual. That they had never been asked was taken as evidence of homophobia.

Muslim parents who objected to young children being given books advocating same-sex marriage and adoption at one school last year had their wishes respected and the offending material withdrawn. This year, Muslim and Christian parents at another school objecting to the same material have not only had their objections ignored but have been threatened with prosecution if they withdraw their children..

Thought police muscle up in Britain | The Australian
Liberal Fascism on National Review Online

[cHeal]

It really has sank to terrible levels, what's really scary is that one day the BNP might get into power, can you imagine what they would do with the power infrastruture created by liberal governments over the past 20 years?

[Thranduil]

Muslim parents who objected to young children being given books advocating same-sex marriage and adoption at one school last year had their wishes respected and the offending material withdrawn. This year, Muslim and Christian parents at another school objecting to the same material have not only had their objections ignored but have been threatened with prosecution if they withdraw their children..

In fairness a recent poll of Muslims undertaken in the UK revealed that not a single one believed homosexuality should be tolerated... The number of Muslims which took part was 500. By contrast 35% of French Muslims and a significant number of German Muslims had no issues with sexuality... I think the UK Islamic community is quite extreme and very pushy and vocal and i believe immigrants arriving on the shores of a distant land should make an effort to leave their cultural baggage behind them.

Muslims in Britain have zero tolerance of homosexuality, says poll | UK news | guardian.co.uk

The problem is that these are the ones who seek to benefit from and who push constantly - the idea of multiculturalism and their special rights as a minority - but then would not be willing to tolerate other minorities. As far as i can see religious baggage is a choice, i believe homosexuality on the other hand to be innate so i view anti-religious 'bigotry' as being more justifiable than homophobic bigotry from a humane perspective, if one of the two must be disrespected it must be that brand of thought that worships invisible beings and believes thousand year old books hold the secrets of the universe, ironically should the Muslim community's archenemy BNP get to power they will persecute homosexuals too. Gays and Lesbians have always been perfect scapegoats for religions struggling to deal with a general loss of faith or a loosening of religious authority, they provide the 'enemy', the 'other' for decaying religions to hold on to when everything else falls apart) and for far-rightists whose mission is to establish rigid social control for the sake of accumulating power through the advocation of a code of 'purity', best of all they are miniscule in number - always a minority - never can be a threat. Both the far-right and the religious use homosexuality in the same way, to castigate the small 'other' and bond the majority together in closer fellowship - which gives social power and control to the hierarchies.

[Border-Rat]

It really is totalitarian. Notice that all their big channels have a 'Police' programme, as if they're obligated. ITV, BBC, SKY, CH5. To soften up/accept the intrusiveness of the police. I read the other day they have cops driving around suburbs shouting from loudspeakers about closing windows.

[cactusflower]

There's been a very serious erosion of civil liberties in Britain from Thatcher's time, with an intensification since 9/11.

[Thranduil]

It really is totalitarian. Notice that all their big channels have a 'Police' programme, as if they're obligated. ITV, BBC, SKY, CH5. To soften up/accept the intrusiveness of the police. I read the other day they have cops driving around suburbs shouting from loudspeakers about closing windows.

Speaking of the British Police...

G20 police 'used undercover men to incite crowds' | Politics | The Observer

An MP who was involved in last month's G20 protests in London is to call for an investigation into whether the police used agents provocateurs to incite the crowds.

"When I was in the middle of the crowd, two people came over to me and said, 'There are people over there who we believe are policemen and who have been encouraging the crowd to throw things at the police,'" Brake said. But when the crowd became suspicious of the men and accused them of being police officers, the pair approached the police line and passed through after showing some form of identification.

Brake has produced a draft report of his experiences for the human rights committee, having received written statements from people in the crowd. These include Tony Amos, a photographer who was standing with protesters in the Royal Exchange between 5pm and 6pm. "He [one of the alleged officers] was egging protesters on. It was very noticeable," Amos said. "Then suddenly a protester seemed to identify him as a policeman and turned on him. He *****legged it towards the police line, flashed some ID and they just let him through, no questions asked."

I also have a feeling that when Islamic rallies are held in the UK some of those who discredit their community waving placards like 'death to freedom', 'US/UK you will be destroyed' or some other stupid statement that makes it easy to portray the march as the enemy... are probably agents, it would be so easy to go in disguise there, those beards.. those veils and those tea towels wrapped around the face, it would be so easy.

[cHeal]

That is explosive if ture, like that will cast a monumental shadow over the whole force to the point it may never be trusted to police large scale protests. That's why we will never find out if that is indeed the case.

[Dillinger]

I lived there for nearly ten years, it is a lovely place, but the laws are completely mad, it is a police state. The people think they live in a liberal society, it could not be further from the truth, they are all brainwashed, and docile, they just accept everything that is handed to them. You have to experience it to really see what is happening.

I was over there a few months back, visiting friends. I decided to have a pint down the old local, so I headed off. The pub is near Finsbury Park, as I walked around the corner, there was a Police riot van, and a checkpoint on both sides of the footpath. They were not stopping cars, they were stopping people, everyone walking. Two pedestrian checkpoints, it was a Sunday for christ sake, people were just going for a pint !!!.

[keepitreal]

It really is totalitarian. Notice that all their big channels have a 'Police' programme, as if they're obligated. ITV, BBC, SKY, CH5. To soften up/accept the intrusiveness of the police. I read the other day they have cops driving around suburbs shouting from loudspeakers about closing windows.

I totally agree with you, one of them I believe is trying to make heroes out of fascist traffic cops (road wars) where they are the ultimate beacon in law and order and everyone else is just a 'numpty' and must obey at all costs.
I'm surprised there have not been mass riots in the UK, It must be at boiling point with the Nu-Labour govt absolutely hated.

And that home sec - jacqui smith, talk about a nazi. ID cards, DNA databases etc... the list goes on.

The UK certainly 'aint what it used to be.

[Border-Rat]

It actually jumps between military and police shows. First you have the police shows where the announcer is calling the general public 'prat' etc. Then you have shows glamourising Afghanistan and Iraq to underage idiots (Although I suppose the term idiot isn't fair, they really prey on them). Ross Kemp, Andy McNobb showing invulnerable soldiers fighting dastardly men that are never zoomed in on. Why aren't pay grades talked about or the horrible scenes of the invetible?

During the Soviet era, Afghans would take a POW, cut his skin around his waist, pull it up over his head, tie it in a knot and suffocate him. This sort of thing hasn't changed. Its just not reported. Meanwhile ITV shows proceedings with Muse in the background, like some episode of Top Gun.