INGSOC Gaining Momentum

[c6h6o3]

I wish Eric Blair were alive to see this. Not only are you not allowed to photograph certain areas, but the government refuses to tell you which areas. All you need to know is that any uniformed officer may stop and search you and your equipment without any other probable cause in certain places. Doubleplus good, this!

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

The price we pay for security, huh.

 

[AgX]

c6h6o3, what is INGSOC ?

It does not show up in your link.

 

[Pete H]

c6h6o3, what is INGSOC ?

It does not show up in your link.

INGSOC was the English Socialist Party in Newspeak, in the book "1984" by George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Blair). The book was a satire against all forms of totalitarianism ...

 

[snallan]

INGSOC is "English Socialism", the political system of Oceania in Blairs's novel 1984. (Eric Blair was George Orwell.)

Their philosophy could be boiled down to "What we tell you is true. What we do not tell you is false". Enacted by a continuous rewriting of history to suit the party's purposes. (Sorry, that should be Party!)

 

[Andy K]

I have written to my MP about this:

Dear James Duddridge,

I am an amateur photographer. I hope some day to make a living at making, enlarging and selling traditionally made black and white photographic prints. I also like to indulge in 'documentary' photography using black and white film. This involves taking photographs of places, towns, buildings, roads, as a record of the changing face of our nation. One day, just as photographs from a hundred years ago have, such photographs could find their way into history books, reference collections and the like, as a valuable record of our times.

So you can imagine my alarm at reading news of yet more draconian, totalitarian laws being imposed by the British government to restrict photography in public places. See the article here: http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=861650

Is the government not aware that a photographer openly using a 35mm or digital SLR, or digital or film medium format camera, or in some cases large format view cameras, in a public place is extremely unlikely to be a 'terrorist'. Terrorists are much more likely to surreptitiously use a phone camera, or even go online to Google Earth, to map out an area.

So it is with great concern, even fear, for my country, that I write to you. My fear is that Britain is becoming subject to an increasingly authoritarian government, which will trample our long fought for and hard earned British civil liberties. All in the name of the placebo of 'security'.

Britain is becoming a nation Stalin would have been proud of. The public is filmed, listened to, our email, telephone calls and text messages monitored. In Middlesbrough people are hectored by loudspeakers telling them how to behave in public. Lie detectors are used on telephone calls with local authorities. Compulsory ID cards are on the horizon. A national DNA database has been proposed. ANPR cameras on all major routes are tracking and recording the public's movements.

Yet at the same time this so-called 'government' is imposing restrictions on photography by the general public. This cannot be permitted to continue.

I lived through the IRA bombing campaigns of the seventies, eighties and nineties, there was none of this panic then. Even though terror attacks were happening with alarming regularity the people got on with their daily lives. Unlike the actions of our current government there was no finger of suspicion pointed at the public. Those governments did not take a view that all are suspect until proven otherwise. Those governments used a sensible, measured approach. They did not clamp down on the freedoms of the entire nation. They did not ban legitimate protest in the areas surrounding Westminster. They did not retreat into a bunker of concrete and steel within Westminster. They did not deliberately whip up a false climate of fear.

When did the British government become a government of abject cowards?

Can you give me your assurance that a Conservative government would reverse this slide into totalitarianism? That a Conservative government will undo the actions of the current cowardly government and remove these restrictions and impositions on the freedoms of the British people?

Will you raise my (in fact I will say 'our' as there are a great many photographers in Britain) concerns in Parliament?




Yours sincerely,


I will update you on any reply.


Ps. I know the 'make a living' part is hugely optimistic, but hey, it lets them know I'm relatively serious.

 

[c6h6o3]

See this article which is apropos of the current thread.

 

[naeroscatu]

Hats off for your action, Andy. I lived 35 years under a totalitarian regime and I recon that the dangers you show in your letter are real.

 

[Andy K]

I would suggest all UK photographers write to their MPs too. It is easily done using Write to them.

 

[Andy K]

I have now had a reply. It looks like a stock reply to me and completely failed to answer the concerns raised.

Dear Mr K

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding photography in public
places. This EDM has now 'fallen' with the end of the last
Parliamentary session and so it would not be possible for me to sign
them regardless of my opinion. I appreciate your drawing my attention to
this issue. Photography is enjoyed by many people and it is important
that people are aware of their rights. Apart from in exceptional
circumstances, it is not an offence to take photographs in public places
and people should not be prevented from doing so.

When there are serious concerns about national security, such as at
military airports and power stations, there are necessary provisions for
photography being restricted. In general, however, Government buildings
are not covered. Indeed, the Houses of Parliament must be one of the
most photographed buildings in the world. Whilst the Metropolitan Police
recently launched an anti-terrorism campaign which encourages the
public to report any suspicious behaviour, including photographing
sensitive buildings, I am not aware that this specifically has led to
any harassment of photographers.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me

Yours sincerley

James Duddridge MP
Member for Rochford and Southend East

 

[naeroscatu]

Typical politician BS. I'm glad I'm in Canada. For now...

 

[eclarke]

Typical politician BS. I'm glad I'm in Canada. For now...

Yep, politician bullshit. It's worldwide and yet the civilian public keeps believing that their bullshit is righteous compared to everybody else's. We need to wake up and oust ALL politicians at ALL levels of government everywhere in the world. Sounds crazy, but having no government wouldn't be much worse than the government we have...Madman, Evan Clarke

 

[Aurum]

The true Anarchist model, often has a lot to recommend it compared to the alternative we have currently

 

[Marcus S]

A most informative letter you wrote to your MP.
What happend to living in a free country with dignity?

Never give up Andy!

Marcus