Politics Dystopian totalitarian police states not just in scifi

Tim

Creative Writer
Revolutions round the world creating democracies, that are looking corrupt already, and we see existing democracies are getting very scared right now.

I've been reading scifi for 30 years now and the images of possible futures where people live in fear of the state, with punishments severe and everyone looking over their shoulder, even informing on each other for liberties, that was all supposed to be an exaggeration to prove our rights and freedoms.

After 30 years of apathy, here in the UK there is a fight going on and a number of things in reaction are pushing us towards that imagery.

Our police are starting to train and equip with baton rounds. One force is asking for tazers in every response vehicle. They've just priced up for three water cannons.

You'd think that if things are going so wrong that people are protesting on the streets that maybe, just maybe you ought to start listening and stop acting like a sovereign government.

We have the media and government, and pure jealousy and rage turning some of the population against those fighting for their rights. And amongst those fighting there are enough loonies and domestic extremists to discredit the movements given half the chance.

I'm glad in a way we don't have massive civilian gun ownership here, although they are generally not that hard to buy on the black market (although I wouldn't recommend converted starter pistols for sure) Anyone selling the chemicals for explosives has to report to the police their sales.


I didn't expect to have to see this in my lifetime. It was supposed to be the future, or at least a possible future. I'm going to get out, go to Asia teaching English for a while next year. It's a timely escape valve for me. I don't feel good to be English anymore.
 

On Monday, Sheffield University in South Yorkshire is going to court to get an injunction banning any protest without prior permission to do so by university management for a year. This blanket ban will cover students and staff.

Enshrined in the Education Act is the rights to Freedom of Speech/Expression/Assembly. The injunction removes those right temporarily. It sets a precedent where other organisations will go to court, pay their money and get their own injunctions. We already saw the mockery with this years "super injunctions" protecting people who have been having affairs, now we have cheaper injunctions to remove peoples rights.

It's saddening to read that the activists in Sheffield university have actually felt the need to call upon Amnesty to help them at this time.
 
Sorry to hear Tim that your country is in chaos. It's not much different here.

I thought back the seventies that by 2010 humans would be exploring other planets, building habitats on the Moon and Mars. Plus people would have flying cars and world problems would be few. But Noooooooooo- those who rule over us want to live like kings and not listen to civilians about their problems.

It's a sign of the times. I wouldn't be surprized if the antichrist makes his appearance tomorrow.

Through my life I've seen the world declining into a horrific mess. I don't see any bright future coming.

May God save us soon.
 
Police given powers to enter homes and tear down anti-Olympics posters during 2012 Games

The police can enter peoples homes in an area in London and remove any anti-Olypmpic paraphernalia.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24018381-ban-on-protest-camps-in-london.do

#occupy protests seen as an embarrassment to the government so they are bringing in a new law banning tents in a massive area of London lest the visitors see them.

Rights to Freedom of Speech/Expression out the window then. The tent cities are a bit extreme of course, but the right to kick peoples doors down and remove posters in windows? That's a bit 1984.
 
Sheffield Students' Union

Today Sheffield University pulled its injunction from the courts after a number of SU's got together with Sheffield University Students Union to argue that the wording of the injunction blocked legal protest, data gathering and petitioning.

Police face years of public disorder, former Met chief warns

At the same time, former Metropolitan Police Chief predicts 18-24 months possible disorder on the streets with a real "threat" of rioting. This is surely a method of creating fear to give the police more powers and damage democratic rights.
 
Birmingham University gets high court injunction against sit-in protesters

Birmingham university got a Sheffield-like "occupation" injunction two weeks ago apparently. Just hit the news wires. The wording may be different, but it does give rise to problems where students stand in one place for "too long", whatever that time period is. Even their students union president has spoken out against it. Ed Bauer is a co-founder of NCAFC and states, "This epitomises the increasingly corporatised university model which is increasingly worried about its image."
"If this injunction is used, we will have no other option but to organise an extremely large demonstration and bring in students from all over the country to defend the right to protest." Activists at universities round the country have already stated their support to come to birmingham university to sit in. The xmas period is usually quiet for student activists obviously, so we'll see if this injunction is actually used against any students as to whether there is a backlash and the campus gets occupied by students from round the country. I fear the injunction will criminalise anyone going down though.


ps. an ex-GF's sister is politically active (their mother is a teacher) and the sister was in Birmingham University Occupation when police and security stormed the occupation, roughing up several students, including her. Slamming them against walls, throwing them to the ground, punching them, etc.

I have also just been monitoring a conversation between one of the co-founders of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (who I operate within) Michael Chessum, and ex-president of the National Union of Students (he who must be hated universally) Aaron Porter, after University College London (university) Students Union passed a motion of "no confidence" in Malcolm Grant, Provost of UCL, after he decided to go part time and take another job, overseeing the changes to the National Health Service which are being condemned by many in this country. Aaron has posted up two pieces saying he is presenting a "balanced" argument on the the issue of the no-confidence vote succeeding, specifically on the "living wage" for staff at London universities (cleaners, janitors, etc) which Grant said he would fix but hasn't (only given an increase of £0.50 per hour at this point) leaving the workers at poverty level due to the high cost of living in London. The two pieces Aaron is pointing to are where Grant is saying he will fix it, Michael has pointed out Aaron is wrong to post them, since they are old, nothing has really changed, and that Michael helped in preparing those pieces himself.

It appears that the government tries to carry out their plans, the opposition brings forth proof the plans are failing, the government condemn those who present the proof. When the opposition presents alternative plans, the government and their supporters condemn personally those bringing forth the alternative plans. There are a lot of lies coming out of the government and its supporters, some also from the opposition. Proving them is difficult and even then, whether the general public actually understand what is going on and change their voting patterns is debatable. When enough of the public decide to shout at the government for its plans, the government alters the plans at the 11th hour to see what they can get away with. Meanwhile those working to inform the public are being attacked personally, are being policed politically and many are being scared off campaigning, with possible new campaigners not acting due to fear of persecution.

This illusion of democracy we live in must one day be exposed for what it is, but it may be too late by then. The general public has become apathetic, has closed down their field of vision to within their four walls, doesn't much care about their community and has virtually lost all traces of caring for their fellow man. It's dog eat dog.
 
Birmingham University protest ban attacked as 'aggressive and censorious'

Birmingham University are still placing "spin" on what they've done with their injunction. Stating it's about buildings, when the injunction is NOT worded as such. It covers the entire campus, and is a legal worry to any students who choose to stay in one place protesting for too long, and not only that, but it covers anyone who promotes any other student to protest on campus under these conditions.

The penalty for such can include anything upto entering these students' family homes to extract penalty fees for breaking the injunction, including taking the families tv's/computers/furniture down to the absolute basics in their search to prosecute anyone who steps out of line.

The university also admits there have been peaceful protests on campus since the injunction. What they fail to mention is there was 0900-1700hrs "occupation" of a corridor in the managements offices and this was a breach of the injunction. but the university has failed to act as per the injunction because the tv cameras are there and the universities reputation will be damaged badly.
 
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