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Is no one even a little concerned about the intrusion and removal of freedoms?

569 replies

DoubleAction · 24/03/2020 20:41

I know needs must and we're in a real crisis situation but it does make me a little uneasy to see how easy it has been to remove all freedoms.

The real shocker for me today was the text messages. I've spent the last year or so working on GDPR stuff and all the "threats" associated with that. Who gave the government all our numbers?!

I know it's insignificant in the scheme of things now but is it right that it's so easy?

OP posts:
Redglitter · 30/03/2020 06:28

but I got so nervous about the repercussions I deactivated my account

What repercussions were you imagining??

adiposegirl2 · 31/03/2020 08:39

I've not read the whole thread so I'm sorry if this has be said already.

But can we talk about how far Hungry have gone in comparison to our Government?

Hungarian Parliament passes bill that gives PM Orbán unlimited power & proclaims: - State of emergency without time limit, Rule by decree, Parliament suspended, No elections, Spreading fake news and rumors: up to 5 yrs in prison, Leaving quarantine: up to 8 yrs in prison
🥵🤯

LuxLFC · 31/03/2020 14:47

In May 2010 The Rockefeller Foundation & the Global Business Network published a document titled 'Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development'. The senarios were supposed to aid strategies to deal with situations such as this & were "stories not forecasts". I suggest everyone read it, particularly page 18 titled 'Lock Step: A world of tighter top-down government control and more authoritarian leadership, with limited innovation and growing citizen pushback'

It describes a pandemic in 2012 that leads to "a deadly effect on economies: international mobility of both people and goods screeched to a halt, debilitating industries like tourism and breaking global supply chains. Even locally, normally bustling shops and office buildings sat empty for months, devoid of both employees and customers."

It goes on to talk about how China had a mandatory & strict quarantine & other countries followed suit.

"Even after the pandemic faded, this more authoritarian control and oversight of citizens and their activities stuck and even intensified."

"At first, the notion of a more controlled world gained wide acceptance and approval. Citizens willingly gave up some of their sovereignty — and their privacy — to more paternalistic states in exchange for greater safety and stability. Citizens were more tolerant, and even eager, for top-down direction and oversight, and national leaders had more latitude to impose order in the ways they saw fit."

The "story" plays out until 2025 by which point ^"people seemed to be growing weary of so much top-down control and letting leaders
and authorities make choices for them."^

It makes for very interesting (& creepy) reading.

LouQoo · 31/03/2020 16:17

@LuxLFC

That’s really interesting, thanks.

goldpartyhat · 31/03/2020 16:59

No.

mindproject · 31/03/2020 17:06

I'm very, very concerned.

ChateauMargaux · 31/03/2020 18:45

@LuxLFC... how did you find that? Is it real or some internet hoax? How very strange.

I am very concerned at the loss of freedoms in many many ways. First we lost freedom of movement within the EU and now this. I am very concerned for our future.

LuxLFC · 31/03/2020 19:11

It's real, if you google the title you should be able to download the full pdf.

BeijingBikini · 31/03/2020 19:38

I do feel like this whole thing is showing up the EU to be pointless - when it comes down to it, it's every country for themselves.

ChateauMargaux · 31/03/2020 19:56

@LuxFC.. I found the text... still trying to work out if it's a hoax.

@BejingBikini... but the EU has been thoroughly unsettled by Brexit... perhaps that is why there is less collaboration than one might have expect otherwise.

LuxLFC · 31/03/2020 21:24

It's not a hoax, it was online for Warwick uni's future trends series. It's still there. This has been around since 2010, I was reminded of it today by something I watched.

ChateauMargaux · 01/04/2020 06:31

@LuxFC thanks

SwerfandTurf · 01/04/2020 11:23

There’s a horrific article in the Guardian about police in other countries committing human rights abuses (including use of torture) as punishment for breaking quarantine rules. And these are countries where people really will die of starvation if they don’t go out.

Police in Kenya shot and killed a child just for standing on his own balcony.

There’s video footage of workers in India being forcibly sprayed with an extremely dangerous disinfectant that causes lung damage.

Video from the Philippines of quarantine breakers locked in dog cages, and sick people being tortured.

I’m not saying I expect any of that to happen here, but this pandemic is being used to eradicate the concept of human rights and that’s something we should be aware of.

Sostenueto · 01/04/2020 15:32

After today's figures I think we should go on full lockdown!

LouQoo · 01/04/2020 21:27

Thanks @DGRossetti

Also, saw this in the Guardian earlier. Makes an interesting point about policing potential protests.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/01/policing-under-coronavirus-the-real-test-is-yet-to-come?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

MarginalGain · 01/04/2020 21:31

I can't quite get a handle on where the left is in this. Corbyn is absent.

On the one hand, they seem to think Johnson has not locked down enough but on the other hand, they are the ones historically concerned with police overreach.

Any thoughts? Is there any defence of civil liberty coming from the opposition?

TwistinMyMelon · 01/04/2020 21:34

563 deaths in the past 24 hours. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Aceventura20000 · 01/04/2020 21:35

The stat that was interesting today was the spike in car use. It shows already that people are getting bored and are starting to think of ways to get out, even if it is “I’m just on my way to Tesco”

This lockdown can’t go on forever as even law abiding usually obedient people will get agitated, the ones who flirt round the edges of law and who don’t follow rules will break out at some point.

We don’t live in a communist state so there is no risk of being shot or jailed for years.

I personally think this lockdown has got a maximum tolerance level of a month before people start really breaking the rules.

There are a lot of people in this world and country who don’t follow rules. They seem to be mostly in general at the moment but not sure that will continue.

Gwenhwyfar · 01/04/2020 21:38

"The stat that was interesting today was the spike in car use."

Could it have been key workers choosing to commute by car rather than public transport?

Aceventura20000 · 01/04/2020 21:41

Possibly but I doubt it. There were more cars on the road today when I went to deliver some good to my mum.

MarginalGain · 01/04/2020 21:45

I took the bus today for the first time during lockdown and I have to say, it was amazing.

It took probably 30% the normal amount of time.

Unless you're a risk-averse type, I would imagine public transport would be pretty attractive right now.

Gwenhwyfar · 01/04/2020 21:47

We're not allowed on public transport unless key workers Marginal.

Gin96 · 01/04/2020 21:48

I’m worried about loosing our freedom more than the virus. The numbers don’t add up, even with the high numbers of deaths in Italy which is 12000 over 3 weeks, when you consider there are 10,000 deaths in the UK every week without the Coronavirus, 802,000 infants died in India in 2018. Worldwide coronavirus deaths are 50,000 since November out of nearly 8billion people, there is either something we don’t know or the governments are willing to sacrifice our freedom to save a certain group of people. Who knows we will have to wait and see.

LouQoo · 01/04/2020 21:50

Also, pay day yesterday. So perhaps people stocking up, if they haven’t been to the supermarket since before lockdown started.

It wasn’t a particularly nice day so probably not day trips.