After the outbreak of world war in 1914, many new rules and regulations came to Britain. This is of course understandable given the scale of national security. The most important of these was called the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), passed on 8 August 1914 which was designed ‘for securing public safety’.
DORA gave the government the power to prosecute anybody whose actions were deemed to ‘jeopardise the success of the operations of His Majesty’s forces or to assist the enemy’. By its nature, this gave the act a very wide interpretation. It regulated virtually every aspect of the British home front and was expanded as the war went on.
At the time, people were banned from loitering near bridges or tunnels or from lighting a bonfire. Whistling in a cab was made illegal in case it was mistaken for an air raid warning. Pub opening hours were reduced as was the alcohol content in drinks.
Some regulations were never changed after the war. Clocks were moved forward to gain maximum working hours from the workforce and drug possession of opium and cocaine became a criminal offence unless you were a professional such as a doctor.
Then came the propaganda machine. Press censorship was introduced, severely limiting the reporting of war news. Warrantless domestic surveillance started with mass inspection of private correspondence through the mail and telegrams. DORA put restrictions on the movement of foreign nationals from enemy countries. The freedom of such ‘aliens’ was severely restricted, with many interned.
Contentious objectors to conscription led to local tribunals being set up especially to identify those unwilling to fight. This was the targeting of opponents to war and usually ended in service on the front-line or jail.
Many objectors sent to prison were treated poorly with the first month in solitary confinement, given just bread and water and were more often than not re-arrested once released for ‘desertion’, court-martialed and returned to prison. Some were given a regiment, taken to France, away from home soil and then shot. For some, years in prison was endured without access to newspapers, books, calendars and very limited visits. The primary cause of death in prison for these people was psychological more than physical.
Rendition, harsh detention, interrogation, torture of war prisoners and extra-judicial killings were all too common in the backdrop of global conflict. Britain covered up these acts as she was fighting a ‘clean and just war’.
Habeas Corpus was suspended along with other restrictions on free speech and public meetings. Internment – detention without charge was employed in World War I and II.
Wartime domestic propaganda made it all too plain that a person was either with the national effort or against it and persecution of war critics became commonplace.
Civil liberties are basic rights and freedoms granted to citizens through national common or statute law. They include freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom from arbitrary arrest, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of religious worship.
Such rights and freedoms form the basis of a democratic society and are often denied to those living in a dictatorship, or as we have just seen, in emergency situations such as national security but only when your country is being invaded by a foreign force.
So why is it that our government seemingly preparing us for a large-scale war with continual erosion of civil liberties that require the components and measures of a dictatorial leadership such as in an emergency situation.
Without being threatened by an invading force of any type, the British government, along with its Western counterparts, particularly America and France are imposing warrantless mass surveillance, deploying the illegal strategies of kidnappings and rendition, complicity in torture and for the first time since the World War, extra-judicial murder of its own citizens. We have also recently witnessed the beginnings of identification of war critics with David Cameron’s recent and extreme ‘terrorist sympathisers’ accusations in parliament.
Today, you can be arrested without charge and held by police for 28 days in a cell. This capability by government was not legally available for any more than 24 hours until recent years.
Hoarding these items is better than having money in the bank (Ad)
Control Orders passed in the Terrorism Act 2006 meant anybody ‘suspected’ of terrorist related activities (a broad definition at best) by the Home Secretary, without any kind of trial, can be electronically tagged and monitored, restricted from using the internet or making phone calls and have a passport revoked and be under a duty to report to the police. They are effectively interned.
Never in the UK have we had secret courts. Today we do. If a citizen decides to take the British government or any of its officials to court in cases of torture, rendition, or a whole host of other reasons, many nothing to do with terrorism or acts of war, the government now has the ability to present evidence to the judge which the claimant, defendant, media and public will never be privy to. In addition, the citizen in this case may well be subject to illegal deep surveillance to subvert justice in the governments favour as admitted by the security services as “routine interception of legally privileged communications.”
The Public Order Act seeks only to undermine the right to peaceful protest. The Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act grants a number of powers to police aimed at protesters. The result is that it is now impossible to protest outside Britain’s parliament without being arrested.
Agents provocateur are routinely deployed by the authorities to cause trouble at protest meetings to generate a violent reaction that causes unjustified arrests.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 allowed the government full surveillance powers over all kinds of communications and population control measures such as using the Act to arrest people for parking offences, non-payment of BBC TV licence, dog fouling and even under-age use of sun-beds. Tens of thousands of warrants designed to catch terrorists have been issued for petty offences.
The streets of Britain is now home to 4 million CCTV cameras watching the every move of its citizens, more than in China. Arrests as a direct result of CCTV footage amounts to less than one per day.
Political dissent is being met with arrest as seen when a woman was apprehended for protesting against cuts to disability benefits. For that, she was convicted, received a criminal record and a fine under Public Order laws for shouting ‘Cameron has blood on his hands’ while the Prime Minister turned on the Christmas lights in her town.
The government is acting as though a foreign invading force is marching towards our shores. There are now countless reports in the alternative media of threats to Britain’s democracy whilst the mainstream press regurgitates political propaganda on a scale not seen since the illegal invasion of Iraq by Blair and Bush. As democratic audit has already warned, Britain’s democracy is in “long-term terminal decline”
There is a battle of supremacy going on in Syria involving the global super-powers. David Cameron has dragged the country into fighting its fourth war in a little over a decade which they now predict will last for years. Russia and China may well be our opponents in the coming fog of war. Ground troops from many nations are heading that way right now.
Turkey has just proved that a global conflict is but one act of stupidity away from catastrophe. Iraq has now asked Russia to expel Turkey’s troops and war planes from its land. Israel has just started bombing Syria, even Germany wants to send its special forces ground troops. What next?
You can read more from Graham Vanbergen at his site TruePublica.org.uk
In any truly free society rights and freedoms are not “granted” by law, they are protected by law…
How ironic that you’re citing mainstream media sources for Germany “wanting to” send ground troops.
The reality is that about one third of Germany’s parliamentarians recently voted against joining the US-led military campaign in Syria, and it won’t be conducting any airstrikes over Syria. The majority of the German population do not want to join in this war.
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/german-parliament-votes-to-join-military-effort-34260921.html
Who initiated this sudden rush within major NATO governments to get parliamentary blank checks for waging a long war on Syria?
The German government turned on a dime from “no military intervention in Syria ever” to “lets wage a war of terror on Syria” without any backing from the UN or international law. .. Who initiated this?
Said Erdogan’s advisor, Burhan Kuzu: “The EU finally got Turkey’s message and opened its purse strings. What did we say? ‘We’ll open our borders and unleash all the Syrian refugees on you,’” Kuzu stated in his controversial tweet… ” (“EU bows to Turkey’s threat on refugees says Erdoğan advisor“, Today’s Zaman)
Blackmail is the reason for the sudden rush to war.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/erdogan-blackmails-nato-allies/5493354
If I can’t find any more nuanced reporting on Activist Post than in the MSM, what’s the point of coming here?
Contentious objector? I assume you meant conscientious objector.
as country provocateur britts should watch their ass,but current confrontation may send microbrittanyto join Atlantis.Cheers for that day.If Graham Vanbergen consider brave solgier on picture do something to putin? or this typical microbrittany stinky style traditionally belong to BBC british bullshit corporation and ASSotiation prASS
This isn’t even coherent you fool !
Thats all you can say you ,are victim of congenital fetal alcohol syndrome? 19 hours later,PS I hope debil hammond from foreign office was helping with your reply.
Ha, Ha , Ha !
Judging by your questionable vocabulary it is you who is suffering from “Congenital Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.”
Your writing as though you still have the drinking tremors and withdrawal symptoms of that very illness lol.
You really need to think about what you type because you have made yourself look like a right doughnut.
What i am saying is your writing is incoherent and does not make any sense although this “Microbrittany” is an insult towards British People i take it ?
Meine liebe halfwit Nice analhusten You are greatest microbritt ANALyst I ever met ,First of all being great like you think about yourself and mirroring statements characterize you as brainless imbecil, fetal alcohol syndrome only hint,may be you was born neurologically deficient, Down syndrome, anencephal, microcephal but statistically it might be less common and sipping whiskey in your family has more probability,so it is not my problem but nuthouse where you are reside,Keep farting my mentally handicapped microbrittonoid
So you call people imbeciles and all your other petty little insults because someone pulls you up for your non existent grammar and failure to come up with an intelligent sentence in three attempts to do so ?
You have not uttered one intelligent sentence thus far but have the brass neck to call into question people’s parentage when it is you yourself who seems to be displaying all the characteristics of which you accuse me of being lol
If you were circumsized as a child then they clearly threw away the wrong end !
I hear there is a tax rebate for the mentally impaired so i suggest you get yourself in there sharpish !
More lies about torture. Sigh. If you can’t get your facts straight, why bother writing? You’re just another leftist hack.
the ndaa here in the several states is a carte blanch bill passed by the house and senate to seize or kill anyone they wish whenever they wish.
…”that’s a spittin on the sidewalk tax and that’s a walkin away mumbling tax”. Popeye confronting tax collector.
is carbon tax any different – another tax to keep folks from having anything – agenda 2030.
government is mafia.
2 Corinthians 11:
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
“No man can say that he knows God, or that he is the child of God, if he does not do the will of God. To do the will of God means not to cheat, nor to steal, nor to lie, nor to hate, nor to be jealous ; but to be of service to humanity, to give forth good counsel, to cheer the fallen, and to give love to all those that need it. ‘By their fruits shall ye know them.’ “
What an idiot !
If you had a brain cell it would be lonely…
Hey my little brain defficient microbritt, where have you been?,are you still on Haldol?still talking to mirror ,I thought I almost miss you, .and you RIP on pet cemetary in Londonabad .I was wrong or you have good veterenarian or you become cloned , so you are back with your stinky analhusten
Care in the community is called for in this case because this pathetic excuse for a human being is clearly deranged and not playing with a full deck of cards !
“Still Talking To Mirror.” ?
“Microbritt” eh ?
“Stinky Analhusten” lol
I will ask you yet again, What are you going on about ?
You are not making any sense in the slightest and i have to come on here to two and fro with some lunatic who doesn’t appear to know which end is up.
Some mothers do ‘ave ’em !
Meine liebe braven halfwit ,keep farting ,brainless cretino.PS do not forged wipe results of your liberoid drooling .PS I feel sorry to your nutse in nuthouse
Keep them coming, I do enjoy a good chuckle lol
Care in the community is sorely required in this instance lol
Does nuthouse left you unattended,It is sad
Yes, They even let us walk around the grounds with our stinking backsides to boot !
I was just checking to see if you were still around my bigoted friend after such a lengthy absence.
In this case it does not make the heart grow fonder lol
“Pig Cameroon” ?
So i take it you are being racist against a West African country ?