British Prime Minister David Cameron has long been a target of civil libertarians criticizing his dismissive attitude toward basic rights and particularly speech and privacy rights in that country. As if to prove his critics right, Cameron has publicly made comments that can be best described as Orwellian and some have gone as far as describing as fascistic. In calling for new extensive powers, Cameron said “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone. It’s often meant we have stood neutral between different values. And that’s helped foster a narrative of extremism and grievance.” It seemed like a scene out of V for Vendetta as Cameron called on citizens to give up their rights to fight the threat of terror.
This chilling statement was made in support of new counter-terrorism powers that include new 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”. That ill-defined standard would allow a wide array of speech to be effectively criminalized by the government. It is hard to see how much unpopular speech would not pose a “risk of harassment, alarm, or distress.” I am not even sure what “creating a threat to the function of democracy” means. More importantly, speakers will not know what the government will view as violating such ill-defined terms.
England has seen the rise of calls for speech prosecutions, including this month. We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in England ( here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here).
Cameron has become the face of the trend toward the criminalization of speech. Despite our great debt to England and shared values, the two countries differ dramatically in their approaches to free speech. The English have long given the Crown sweeping powers under the expectation that these powers will be used judiciously. For much of its history, the Crown has shown restraint but it has also a history of threatening media and unpopular speakers. There is a risk that the current fears over Islamic extremism will convince people to embrace a type of benign authoritarianism. When you have a Prime Minister who feels comfortable in criticizing a history of being a “tolerant passive society,” it is clear that we are entering a dangerous period where citizens may indeed voluntarily give up the rights secured at such a great cost by prior generations.
I have to agree with Isaac. Words are intentionally interpreted to pervert meaning. This happens in most if not all societies. Whilst Liberty and Freedom are widely used the implementation of these ideals is obstructed for many reasons.
I have been arguing on these blogs that there is a fundamental difference between “Individual Freedom/Liberty” and “Freedom/Liberty of the Masses”. These two issues are not reconcilable and frequently cause a breakdown in the implementation of these ideals. Each country has its own way of dealing with this. But the end result is always a fudge. The impassioned arguments that we hear mean very little in the “Real World”.
In the United Kingdom there is a greater emphasis on “Collective Freedom/Liberty” in contrast to the State in which “Individual Freedom/Liberty” predominates. However individual freedom/liberty can and does lead to extreme views of the few prevailing and taking priority over the freedoms and liberty of the masses. Historically this is how fascism became established in countries like Germany in the 1930s.
Freedom/Liberty can only work in practice if it is linked with responsibility and accountability and this is its inherent weakness. For without responsibility and accountability, freedom cannot be enjoyed by the majority.
The freedom to criticise means little if a majority view cannot be heard, accepted or implemented. So there are real difficulties in putting the theory into practice.
Political correctness is an example of how a minority viewpoint can manipulate thinking of the masses to the extent that minority viewpoint circumvents the view of the majority and the view of the State. The flames are fanned by the Freedom of the Press which is of course free to present an inaccurate and unbalanced views inconsistent with the facts, should it so choose – because it is free to do so. Freedom with responsibility and accountability i.e. “Real Freedom” would address some of these issues. How does one reconcile Freedom of the Press with the Rights of an individual to Privacy for example? Should there be no right to privacy? Or should there be a collective responsibility to publish facts in the Pubic Interest? Freedom of the Press should not include the right to print lies.
The United States has more people in Prison than anywhere else in the World amounting to about 1% of the U.S. population. We look at the lawlessness and especially the violent crime in the United States, that your version of Freedom and Liberty has created, and we shiver in horror. So it would appear that the US version of freedom comes at a price – of incarceration.
So if small groups of individuals with individual freedoms are hell bent on bringing a Nation to its knees by means of criminal violence for whatever reason, you either permit this to happen and let the minority view prevail – or a strategy is devised to address this issue, in order to maintain the freedom and rights of the majority.
Its all very well to be smug in criticism of this action but this is the solution adopted by every country.
To describe “new police powers to apply to the high court for an order to limit the “harmful activities” of an extremist individual as a “chilling statement” indicates just how much American thinking is out of step with reality of how collective freedom can be protected.
What is even more incredible is when you compare this chill to the behaviour of America destabilising States, kidnapping terrorists, torturing them with impunity – and even involving doctors to participate in the process.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/americas-torture-doctors/
This is the State of the Union and a National Hypocrisy if ever there was one.
We need to concentrate on not talking nonsense and to create societies as free as human behaviour permits for the benefit of the majority. Governments must be monitored to act for the People and not for their own self preservation at any price. They must be held responsible and accountable for their actions to the full extent of the Law, and prosecuted as appropriate. Cover-ups, especially those involving harm to citizens, should be a criminal offence and there should be no immunity from prosecution.
If Political Administrations are to change this must be by the ballot box and not the Gun.
Democracy is incompatible with many aspects of personal freedom, but as it continues to evolve, it is probably the best thing we have. If is to survive it must be supported.
The issue of “leadership classes” is a universal issue. It affects the USA just as much as the UK. In the UK we have knighthoods and in America you have the suffix I II III IV etc. attached to the surname. It’s just a different sort of pomposity. The political aristocracy was re-invented in America following independence and as in the UK it is based on wealth rather than political ability. The continued denial of this by Americans is just risible.
David Cameron is widely disliked in the UK. Our Institutional Systems are all failing as a result of incompetence and a lack of interest in promoting a just society. But he will have support from the majority of British People who value collective freedom/liberty. America will go the same way but not because of what happens in the UK – but because there is no other solution for public safety,
It is a price that has to be paid if you want Democracy.
Well Donald Trump is threatening to run as an Independant. Neither Republican nor Democrat, lol.
“It is imperative to unite ordinary Democrats and Republicans in the effort to stop the elimination of our rights.”
Jill,
Good post, however if you took a poll of this blog you would find many “frequent” contributors that believe government is the source of ALL rights. The enemy to liberty has proven to be the electorate.
Cameron also said that people should learn to “heart” (love) big brother.
His speech fits in with a trend happening by ruling elites around the world. They are having their débutante party, saying what they really think and what they will really do. They know they can get away with it all through use of several propagandistic devices:
1. whip up fear of terrorism
2. divide and conquer-
Here on this thread, we see that several commenters immediately move to claim that authoritarianism is a problem with evil Republicans in the US. While this is certainly true, it means that the ability to stop people from thinking things through has been successful. Authoritarianism and the stripping out of the right of free speech is being done by both Democrats (to include the president) and Republicans. Yet people are unable to see these sickening actions when they are committed by politicians on “their” side.
It is imperative to understand that both major parties engage in this tactic. It is imperative to unite ordinary Democrats and Republicans in the effort to stop the elimination of our rights. The more people believe in govt. propaganda, (namely on those evil people from the other party would do such a thing), the less likely it is people will see the truth. This is a world-wide problem which doesn’t have a party, a religion, a nation. In truth it is a move by the ruling elites against the rights of the people just about everywhere.
This posting relates nicely to Wesley Clark’s internment camp suggestion. See also article on Britain’s teachers as spys.
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/teacher_or_spy_curbing_freedom_of_expression_in_britains_schools_20150722
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/22/10_seinfeld_episodes_that_are_racist_and_sexist_in_retrospect_partner/
I wonder how a President Trump would honor our Constitutional freedoms? He gives out private cell phone numbers of his enemies already now, what would he do as President? Yet he polls highest among Republican candidates. He likes the idea of free speech for himself, but not so much for his enemies who have the nerve to criticize him. Yet he polls the highest among Republicans. I think we here in this country need to look at our own priorities and weaknesses.
Inga – the Democrat getting the highest number of votes supports the rape of women by her husband. And we have the perjury issue.
I know the Conservative Party has a relatively strong liberal wing. I can see many back bench Conservative MPs defying the whip on this kind of change to the law.
I wish I could say we could rely on Labour and the Liberals to uphold basic liberties, but they’ve both proven worse than useless on this kind of issue when they were in power.
Not for the first time I find myself pinning my hopes on anti-authoritarians in a party I would never vote for.
Justice, That’s what makes this even more concerning.
By the way Cameran is a Tory conservative not a liberal.
Criminalizing language is so dangerous and authoritarian. I don’t understand how anyone who claims to be a democrat (with a small d) can suggest it.
Comedians, our canaries in the coal mine. are routinely harassed in the UK. Seinfeld made some comments about PC and he is being stalked by the PC mainstream liberal media here in the US. Salon has been on him. Just yesterday they analyze his shows and found 10 shows that they consider racist or sexist.
Using a baseball metaphor, “the right to criticize” is on deck. Taking freedoms from the people is almost always done incrementally. Some people know many historical facts but are clueless as to the texture. It’s wisdom these people sorely lack.
I totally agree with Cameron. We continually bow to the lunatics of our society to advance the progressive ideology and it’s time to stop.
There are the words and then there is how the words are applied. The greatest words, of which those in the Constitution rank so high, are useless when ignored. Addressing a ‘Passively tolerant’ condition will out as fascist or prudent through the actions of the administration and the authorities.
In the US, the country that reveres its words as much if not more than any other countries, those words are interpreted, perverted, and designed on a daily basis by administrations and authorities that can apply them in diametrically opposed manners. However, the greatest freedom is the freedom to criticize. That has yet to be lost here in the US or in the UK, regardless of the projections of JT.
I suppose Mr. Cameron would feel at home at just about any university in the US. Watch the UK carefully to see our own future.
I’m waiting for Trump’s comments on NATO allies. UK, France and Germany going to be very interesting. Go them Don.
This is the country that allows you to remain anonymous if you are a celebrity in a trial. Also the courtroom is closed to the public. Parents in CPS cases are ‘gagged’ so they cannot discuss the case with the press to get some support from the public. Freedom of speech has long been chipped away at in the UK.
Reminds me of Obama slashing the 1st Amendment, not to fight terrorism but to allow it! Political correctness is a hatchet to the 1st Amendment as well.
“Every nation has the government it deserves.” – Joseph de Maistre
“Great” Britain has been in decline for many years; the greatest decline has been in their character, lead by a series of bozos from the political class.