Is the UK Really a police state?

This is obviously directed to people living in the UK, (or anyone that has spent time living there I suppose) but of course anyone is free to participate.

All this political hoopla going on right now jogged my memory of this question:
Is the UK really a police state?

I've always heard this, and dismissed as people just being "alternative" or "yeah we all hate the government" or people just talking without really having any clue.
But I have heard stuff like there is a national police force, curfews and jazz like that.

So, to those who would know. Do you honestly think the UK is a police state?
And I'm being serious. If you think it is one explain why, and to what degree?
Police State is not just a term to be thrown around to bash the political system, a police state is a very serious and crushing form of society.

When is the last time I made a serious thread?
Musta been at least 3 years ago

I think the US is a police state. UK easily qualifies then.

Equality 7-2521 wrote: I think the US is a police state. UK easily qualifies then.

One, you don't live there. I'd like input from people living the day in day out of it.
Two, sorry your opinion is very difficult to take to heart on this one. Unless the government is a court system....you'd think it a police state.



Edited by JJLehto - November 02 2010 at 22:58

It's not a police state yet. Still quite far from it, in fact, but it's potentially on the cards imo. The transition to this kind of society would always be a gradual one. It was never suddenly going to be a land of curfews, with the police 'black bagging' subversives in the middle of the night. Of course some individuals are curfewed for repeat offending, and anti social behaviour, and I'm sure our intelligence services do what they have to do somtimes, but it's not yet run of the mill imo.

Ultimately the people may call for the type of civil liberty erosions and level of surveilance, which we currently protest so much about, if the 'terror threat' becomes too severe...or is perceived to be too severe, for current security arrangements to manage. This will be more likely than the state suddenly imposing 'martial law' or similar conditions. We've learnt a lot from history, and the biggest lesson of all is that if people are frightened they will accept some pretty draconian measures imposed on them, in the name of security. In short it is possible people will sleepwalk into a police state.

Of course it all depends on whether or not you believe the authorities when they eventually tell you that it's 'for your own protection' If you natuarlly believe what you're told by governments, then no one will ever be able to convince you that you'll be living in a 'police state' Arguably this dynamic works the other way round too.

Interestingly some pretty sinister laws have been passed in the UK, since 2001, in light of 9/11. Further measures were introduced after 7/7. As you may expect, no one shouted too loud about them. In 2002 David blunket (then home sec) pushed through a law giving traffic wardens (now officially called civil enforcement officers - although in public they are still good old traffic wardens) powers of arrest and detention. I was informed by a freind of a friend (who worked in a relevant public service), I met a few years back, that many TW's actually carry 'pace cards' which bear the script a cop has to read out when making an arrest. Blunketts law also gave government the power to use private security firms to search people and their homes in times of 'national emergency' This was briefly covered by the Guardian and The Times, but no one really kicked up much of a fuss about it. There is apparently a a widespread belief among the police that this government and the last are preparing for a time of 'massive civil unrest' and will need to utilise, TW's, CSO's, security firms, and the forces to police to the situation.

In June 2005, the British government also slipped another interesting bill through parliament with little coverage or objection. This was the 'Enquries Act 2005' This act states that any independant public enquiry into any 'event' will be overseen by the relevent government executive; defence minister, health minister, etc. He or she will be able to decide the scope of the enquiry, and will be able to ensure that the 'right questions' are asked. I don't have to point out what's wrong with this arrangement, surely.

Edited by Blacksword - November 03 2010 at 07:57

No it isn't. 

No.

Equality 7-2521 wrote: JJLehto wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: I think the US is a police state. UK easily qualifies then. One, you don't live there. I'd like input from people living the day in day out of it. Two, sorry your opinion is very difficult to take to heart on this one. Unless the government is a court system....you'd think it a police state. First point is fair enough, but to the second that's not true. The country just threw someone into jail for offensive comments on a facebook page. I don't know what else to call that.

Again, it comes down to definition. If you ask that madman Alex Jones if the US (and UK for that matter) are police states, he would say yes, but the 'sheeple' hadn't yet noticed, and by the time they do it'll be too late...etc.

So first, lets ask, what is a police state, and work back from that either ticking the boxes as we go, or debunking each point in turn.

Slartibartfast wrote: Ere I am JH

Pipes!