BobNewYork
Member
But let's get practical: How to react?
Starting a campaign against that kind of control?
We should not forget that many people want that control, so it's not just the authority.
Just have oneself checked and go further as long as they don't stop you taking photographs?
Well, I have nothing to hide at a police control, but they might think, that guy has been mangled that often through the computer, there must be something wrong with him.
That's the big question - and an excellent one to ask. And you're right - many people want the control because somehow it makes them feel safe. I used to commute daily into London in the early seventies in the middle of the big IRA bombing campaign and there was a sense then, that if we allowed things to change because of the terrorism we would, in effect, be surrendering. The police had everyone's cooperation and mutual respect prevailed - and it worked. This time around it's so very different.
I agree, I have nothing to hide, let them search me; but random search and seizure was outlawed for a reason - the power it afforded was abused. We've seen too many countries where civil rights were sacrificed in the name of security, and it's always gone tubular. It never starts without some sort of apparently reasoning, but it nearly always degenerates bit by tiny bit until it's just too damned late.
Perhaps the U.S. Bill of Rights, or the U.N. Bill of Rights or the European Bill of Rights would be a good start. They're all good documents and perhaps if we really stood for that (as we say we do) then personal "security" may, in some instances be at odds. It's a choice - and one which we should be permitted to make. As it is we are instructed as to which of our rights we will forgo and it becomes a fait accompli
It's become either unpatriotic, naive or just plain stupid to promote rights over security, but to my mind too many people have died fighting for those rights over too many years to just surrender to people who no better than us what liberties we deserve.
I'll just go format my hard drive now

Bob H