Comments on: The British State Bares its Fangs (Again) http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/the-british-state-bares-its-fangs-again/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:07:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: john andrews http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/the-british-state-bares-its-fangs-again/#comment-58369 john andrews Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:49 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=11573#comment-58369 Another excellent piece Tom. Well done. I might just add to the explanation you offered to your own question - "Why would British police target law-abiding citizens exercising their right to protest the depredations of the capitalist order?" You answered - "Because they can." True, but possibly more relevant is the fact that the police (and 'defence' forces and 'intelligence' services) are first and foremost bureaucracies; and ALL bureaucracies are driven by just one vital force: expansion. They not only have to justify their daily existence, they have to justify why they should have bigger budgets every year. The very last thing these particular bureaucrats want is a peaceful world, so it's essential they are continually creating an ever-increasing number of bad guys in order to justify why they must have ever-increasing budgets. So criminalising perfectly law-abiding citizens makes perfect sense to the bureaucrat. Another excellent piece Tom. Well done.

I might just add to the explanation you offered to your own question – “Why would British police target law-abiding citizens exercising their right to protest the depredations of the capitalist order?”

You answered – “Because they can.”

True, but possibly more relevant is the fact that the police (and ‘defence’ forces and ‘intelligence’ services) are first and foremost bureaucracies; and ALL bureaucracies are driven by just one vital force: expansion. They not only have to justify their daily existence, they have to justify why they should have bigger budgets every year. The very last thing these particular bureaucrats want is a peaceful world, so it’s essential they are continually creating an ever-increasing number of bad guys in order to justify why they must have ever-increasing budgets. So criminalising perfectly law-abiding citizens makes perfect sense to the bureaucrat.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/the-british-state-bares-its-fangs-again/#comment-58319 Don Hawkins Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:35:11 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=11573#comment-58319 All part of the big plan I guess Tom. Now it begins the easy way out. I wonder if that ever comes up in a meeting of these agencies? "Ok what's the easiest way to des purse these deviant citizens"? "I know a noise generator". "Now that's brilliant do we need clearance?" All part of the big plan I guess Tom. Now it begins the easy way out. I wonder if that ever comes up in a meeting of these agencies? “Ok what’s the easiest way to des purse these deviant citizens”? “I know a noise generator”. “Now that’s brilliant do we need clearance?”

]]> By: Melissa http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/the-british-state-bares-its-fangs-again/#comment-58309 Melissa Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:47:30 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=11573#comment-58309 Pardon my creeping a bit from the British subject, but a connection to what is happening in Canada with "security" around Olympic torch . . . Activists opposed to the Olympics sucking resources from a needy public and opposed to the symbolism and connection of the torch to Hitler's/Berlin's hosting of Oympics were GREETED BY NAME by security as they converged in public places for the torch relay in Victoria with intent to disrupt. GREETED BY NAME. Sometimes the dragnet does yield the info to chill dissenters and protesters. Melissa Pardon my creeping a bit from the British subject, but a connection to what is happening in Canada with “security” around Olympic torch . . . Activists opposed to the Olympics sucking resources from a needy public and opposed to the symbolism and connection of the torch to Hitler’s/Berlin’s hosting of Oympics were GREETED BY NAME by security as they converged in public places for the torch relay in Victoria with intent to disrupt.

GREETED BY NAME. Sometimes the dragnet does yield the info to chill dissenters and protesters.

Melissa

]]> By: Michael Kenny http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/the-british-state-bares-its-fangs-again/#comment-58287 Michael Kenny Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:48:57 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=11573#comment-58287 A slightly chaotic mix-up of British and American elements! To stick to the British subject, a budget of £9 million is nothing. The Metropolitan Police alone has a budget of £3.5 billion. And a staff of 100 couldn't possibly analyse the mass of material that's out there. So the more the merrier! Not only is such a mass of material unexploitable, particularly as 99% of it will not reveal any illegal conduct, the helpless hundred will inevitably cut corners and make mistakes. That will discredit them in the public's eye and will lead to restrictions being placed on them. Whether that reasoning applies to the US is a matter for Americans, not for me. A slightly chaotic mix-up of British and American elements! To stick to the British subject, a budget of £9 million is nothing. The Metropolitan Police alone has a budget of £3.5 billion. And a staff of 100 couldn’t possibly analyse the mass of material that’s out there. So the more the merrier! Not only is such a mass of material unexploitable, particularly as 99% of it will not reveal any illegal conduct, the helpless hundred will inevitably cut corners and make mistakes. That will discredit them in the public’s eye and will lead to restrictions being placed on them. Whether that reasoning applies to the US is a matter for Americans, not for me.

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