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Of course, it'll never happen. The proposal itself is ludicrous: "prevent people communicating on social media when we know they are engaged in criminal activity." The guy must think he lives in the matrix.
Besides which, it would be political suicide for the Coalition if they resorted to such draconian anti-free speech policies. In particular, the liberal democrats would be unable to sanction it.
"Events have their own logic, even when human beings do not." - Rosa Luxemburg
"There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen." - Lenin
If that's the case, a lot more people who were on the fence aren't going to look to kindly after they can't get on Facebook. It's ironic that the loss of something that represents the division of society and corporate control could trigger mass awareness within a population.
"If those in charge of our society — politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television — can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves."
-Howard Zinn
Because he was in a den of wolves a/k/a a bourgeois parliament. Those esteemed representatives all represent the same class, and you're not in it.
"Getting a job, finding a mate, having a place to live, finding a creative outlet. Life is a war of attrition. You have to stay active on all fronts. It's one thing after another. I've tried to control a chaotic universe. And it's a losing battle. But I can't let go. I've tried, but I can't." - Harvey Pekar
Mabye people should calm down with the whole ''he's a fascist!'' shtick. It distracts from the more meaningful analysis of the new authoritarian measures. I just feel that strained attempts to connect present actions with a historical boogeyman makes it more difficult to look at what is happening now seriously.
This will likely be popular and there will be plenty more to come.
oh hey this sounds familiar i think they did this in some place called egypt or something?????
I'm on some sickle-hammer shit
Collective Bruce Banner shit
FKA: #FF0000, AKA Mistake Not My Current State Of Joshing Gentle Peevishness For The Awesome And Terrible Majesty Of The Towering Seas Of Ire That Are Themselves The Milquetoast Shallows Fringing My Vast Oceans Of Wrath
The authoritarianism of conservatism, revealed! Finally they will stop with their 'less government control over our lives' rhetoric, and politics will make sense once more.
Liberté, égalité
Liberty, Equality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evYfXBoN9cU
Cui bono?
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The people who generally support the police seem to be the older people who don't use the internet or social networking sites. So that line "this won't affect me because I don't plot crimes" probably won't even enter their head.
They're already arresting people because of facebook.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-14461393
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-14490866
Last edited by Rooster; 12th August 2011 at 09:32.
Agreed and its also fairly condescending to people who live in extremely authoritarian countries, however the tories have unarguably moved the country to the right, and appear to be intent on doing so further. Sometimes it takes extreme language to make people pay attention to what is happening, no policial analyst would seriously suggest the UK was fascist yet but there are worrying trends ever present and new ones emerging. Whats needed is to influence public condemnation. Unfortunately people won't care if we send our soldiers to Libya, Iraq or Afghanistan, nor will they care if they imprison muslims without trial, but if they shut off facebook the people will be incensed. This is the sad truth of the Governments' hold over the people. We cheered when they arrested fascists for online activity, and shut down far right websites. Now they are coming for the left. If you would call the London rioters the left that is, most here seem to think so.
In the end, the ballot must decide, not bullets Jonas Savimbi
Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers Aristotle
Yes, that's what I interpreted it as, just like Obama's "internet killswitch" plan for when there's a serious threat to national security in the United States.
All it requires is the co-operation of ISPs in a specific country to place a block on the websites concerned, like many have down with The Pirate Bay torrent site, but I'm sure proxies will still exist. So maybe it will involve a complete disconnection of all internet lines.
Again, I agree with your points, but did not the Conservative-LibDem government (not just the Tories) get voted in? If so was that not a reaction to 13 years of New Labour and all of their shenanigans? There's little too choose from any of them in my opinion and had New Labour been in power when the full weight of this crisis hit then I wonder if they would have been little different. Perhaps it was better for them in a sense not to win the 2010 election. Wasn't it "New Labour" who finally abolished student grants for example? Didn't they bring in "fast track punishment"? Let's not forget that the ranks of Labour had their fair share of Oxbridge students and those from a "privileged" background too.
It's also ironic that New Labour only got back into power after 18 years when they had their most "right" leader who moved the party away from the traditional leftist policies of old labour and abandoning Clause IV:
"To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service."
Guys, all of you across tendencies- politicians are politicians, they will capitalise (pardon the pun) on anything to serve their own political ends and deny they were ever responsible or it was their fault etc etc etc. Small cadres pick up on a popular "sentiment" and manipulate it to further their own careers (and personal wealth) and as usual the little guy picks up the bill or suffers.
Last edited by ComradeMan; 12th August 2011 at 14:19.
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In a way perhaps, but it was Tony Blair responisble for all kinds of cuts, not to mention he was fundamental to the decision for the UK to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was re-elected however, and it was his successor Gordon Brown who lost the election. He was largely blamed for the global economic crisis, make of that what you will. Or it could be that we are so shallow in todays Britain that the younger David Cameron and Nick Clegg were voted in like bloody x factor contestants. I'm not going to defend labour, they are sellouts pure and simple. New labour may be less conservative than the tories, but the bottom line is they are anti-progressive. And yeah Labour no longer even have a pretence towards working class emancipation.Again, I agree with your points, but did not the Conservative-LibDem government (not just the Tories) get voted in? If so was that not a reaction to 13 years of New Labour and all of their shenanigans? There's little too choose from any of them in my opinion and had New Labour been in power when the full weight of this crisis hit then I wonder if they would have been little different. Perhaps it was better for them in a sense not to win the 2010 election
The differences between the parties are marginal, Labour pander to the lower middle class vote and Tories to the upper middle class essentially (EDIT)at least on the surface, behind the scenes both parties work for the highest bidder(/EDIT). Having such a limited choice means we are stuck with one or the other, the alternative vote may have helped but we'll never know now.
Last edited by Viet Minh; 13th August 2011 at 14:12.
In the end, the ballot must decide, not bullets Jonas Savimbi
Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers Aristotle
Getting back to the point, I don't think the banning/restriction of social network sites and all that is an answer. I see the clean-up operation by residents was also organised through social media. It is a sad reality that some form of monitoring is needed on the internet, but that's the world we live in, however this strikes me as just silly knee-jerk stuff. Surely it's better to see what your "enemy" is up to, as the Sicilian proverb goes, keep friends close but enemies closer.
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Yes, when the Prime Minister speaks Government MPs always do that (similarly opposition MPs will do the same when their leader speaks). Make no mistake, the Whips are watching who does and does not cheer at the appropriate times and if you don't bother you probably aren't going to be made a minister any time soon.
Could it not be argued that social media has been a development within the capitalist mode of production , and that if you support capitalism you have to accept it with warts and all ?
Bill O'Reilly () actually gave me this mindset. He agreed that capitalism does not cater for all and that under such a system there will be an underclass and those who will be left out with or without the scraps.
If it comes with the territory, then surely you must accept it's 'faults' and development structure ?
People haven't forgotten.
yes they would, they've sold out everything else,so why not that
Eric Blair is spinning in his grave.
Well, it would compromise their core appeal, as we can see with many Lib-Dem MPs concerns over the Tories tough, illiberal response to the riots. Embracing state controlled blackout on communications policies would completely alienate them from their core voters and it would be electoral suicide. This doesn't mean it might not happen - Clegg is going along with Cameron's comments on this matter - but it would destroy them.
Not that the destruction of the Liberal Democrats is very high on my list of things I give a fuck about.
"Events have their own logic, even when human beings do not." - Rosa Luxemburg
"There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen." - Lenin
