I have been reading the Economic & Social Research Council's report on Britain in 2008. One of the articles touches on an issue that is particularly important to me. I recently blogged about what happened to one of my colleagues who was taking part in a peaceful demonstration.
The article discusses the effect of the September 11th 2001 attacks on the United States and other similar attacks and how this has raised public awareness on issues of national security. The article asks if we would sacrifice freedom for safety? It concludes that at the moment the British public are not prepared to trade off core freedoms in order to feel safer.
The report goes on to say:
The article discusses the effect of the September 11th 2001 attacks on the United States and other similar attacks and how this has raised public awareness on issues of national security. The article asks if we would sacrifice freedom for safety? It concludes that at the moment the British public are not prepared to trade off core freedoms in order to feel safer.
"Professor Conor Gearty at the London School of Economic and Alison Park of the National Centre for Social Research uncovered a general commitment to civil liberties. Most people questioned agreed that the right to protest, the right not to be detained by police for more than a week without charge, and the right to keep your private life private from government are important."We are led to believe that the changes in civil liberties are a direct result of such terrorist attacks but the report reveals that most of the decline in commitment to civil liberties happened in the early 1990s, long before the recent terrorist attacks.
The report goes on to say:
"So what happened in the early 1990s to make us less 'liberty minded'?"The researchers conclusion:
"This change of mind coincided with a shift in Labour Party Policy, with the Party's leadership and supporters becoming less civil libertarian in their approach to freedom and justice."
The article concludes that we need to be constantly vigilant if we as a nation wish to keep our basic freedoms and liberties intact!
10 comments:
"The article concludes that we need to be constantly vigilant if we as a nation wish to keep our basic freedoms and liberties intact!"
Couldn't agree more. As Abraham Lincoln once said: "...If you sacrifice liberty for security, you will lose both..."
Andi - So very true!
A cynic might say that the hyping up of the 'terror threat' was a direct result of the mind shift in the ruling elite in the early nineties.
I would say Thathcer's time in office showed Blair he didn't need to give a damn about civil liberties, he could quietly adopt the traditional social freedom overtones of the Labour Party and use the structure already put in place by the likes of Michael Howard and tighten the screws further.
But we are not really free with so many controls now in place.
Crushed - New labour have indeed taken on the policies from the Thatcher years and made them more extreme. Hyping up the terror threat gives a means of control!
Nunyaa - I totally agree, it is something that has been annoying me for a number of years.
CP
Unfortunately I think we are well on the way to becoming a subservient population with fewer and fewer liberties. Whilst the report says, " ...... a general commitment to civil liberties. Most people questioned agreed that the right to protest, the right not to be detained by police for more than a week without charge, and the right to keep your private life private from government are important." this doesn't translate into action to preserve our civil liberties.
There is only real commitment to anything when we are prepared to stand up and say, "Stop. No more."
Unfortunately, I fail this test.
It's not only what the government does, we collectively seem to be more paranoid and risk averse in general.
Calum - You are quite right, things will only change if people are prepared to make a stand.
Jams - Judging by the people I work with that is definitely true!
Interesting and I totally agree with the last sentence.
Welschcakes - Yes it is worrying isn't it?
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