[Affected]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2473501,00.html

[Jimmyjimjim]

::EDIT::

That sucks, but I don't exactly trust repeat-offenders either.

[Affected]

You know, I'm not really sure this would apply to only repeat offenders.

[math]

i hope im not gonna be on that list since im playing "killergames" on my pc and now im afraid some wannabe-god psychiatrist gonna put me on the list cuz he doesnt get the sarcasm
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[Jimmyjimjim]

I file stuff like this under the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" catagory.

When some lunatic goes on a rampage, or rapes a bunch of people, the public always cries, "It was a violent person, why didn't anyone do anything before this had to happen?"

So, if a government tries to do something first, people sick the ACLU on them.

In my opinion, there is no right or wrong on this issue.

It's like the profiling on suspected terrorists that's happening in the US right now. After 9/11, everyone was all pissed because there were terrorist cells in our country, but not many people feel to good about doing what has to be done to stop it before it happens.

I personally hate all this profiling BS, but as a government gets desperate, they resort to extreme tactics.

[Affected]

I just wonder when citizens became potential criminals by default... Personally I've lost hope in legislation restricting government, corporate or private surveillance. The only solution, and that too may be just delaying the inevitable, is to make the snoops' job as hard as possible. In 20 years time, privacy as we know it now will probably be a thing of the past. And will anyone miss it? All the kids want to be on big brother nowadays anyway.

Oh, another thing, any takers on bets on how long it will be before cash money becomes illegal? My guess is as soon as the people too old and senile to use credit and debit cards alive now drop dead...

[Mikko K]

Heheh, it's funny that the scheme is being tested here in UK, where people don't want ID cards because they wish to keep their "privacy"..

Yet walking to any bus station feels like playing Half Life 2:

"Please deposit ALL of your litter to the bins provided"
"Extinguish your cigarettes immediately. We thank you for you co-operation."

Just close your eyes and imagine a video screen with a grey man speaking to you That's the future!

[Impaler]

England sucks, though America's not far behind. What's really eerie is how accurate British authors have been when predicting Totalitarianism. Sometimes I get the feeling that our government is taking all of its cues directly from Orwell. Huxley described media oversaturation before television had even been invented. This is from Alan Moore's introduction to V for Vendetta, written 18 years ago.

[Returner]

This could be a good thing. If they keep track of the most potential killer/rapers and what they are doing? But what constitutes a potential raper/killer? Hard to know where to draw the line. Yeah it's like something from a George Orvell novel almost. The smart rapers/killers would avoid drawing attention 2 themselves so wouldn't it only be the stupid ones they can keep track of?

[balistic]

I've stopped being surprised by England's seemingly indifferent acceptance of the Big Brother state.
This kind of thing absolutely disgusts me. The worst part of it is the social engineering that gradually conditions people to laugh at these "stupid drivers", instead of questioning the motives behind creating a dangerous road obstacle that is clearly meant to cause damage to property and make examples out of people.

I assume there are signs posted around these things, but if you're stuck in traffic behind a vehicle that obscures the posted warnings, the last thing you're going to expect is for a hydraulic ram to leap from the road and impale your car (especially if you're from an area that doesn't use such devices). People have died on the things.

I'm far from being an anarcho-capitalist, but when a government starts to treat its citizens as children who need constant supervision and scolding, it's gone too far.

Especially since, in the case of the UK, the government seems ready to act on the ideas of any crank with a fake PhD and a sexy hypothesis.
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brian.prince|light.comp.paint

[Mikko K]

I took a closer look at the huge stickers inside the bus today, here's the saldo:

"BYE POD - Showing off your Ipod is showing off to thieves"

What thieves? You mean the chavs or the ASBO teen next to me?


"Ever thought of joining? Talk to someone who has." (army recruiting ad)

Read: get killed in Basra.


"Don't let your bag become a suspect!" (common warning)

And don't bring more than 300ml of liquids over board thx.


"Our offices are little easier to find!" (army recruiting ad with a soldier in trenches).

Hah.

+ X number of warnings, like "passengers must not talk to the driver" etc.

It certainly FEELS like they're giving birth to a police state here

[Freebooter]

"Phuck the po-liice comin' straight from tha underground."

I hate being around authorities for I always feel that I've done something illegal but I'm just too stupid to realize what. So many a law goes against common sense. Like why can't kick a child in the face if he really, really deserves that?

[math]

cuz nobody deserves that.
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quit pro quo