Society as we know it to collapse within 20 years

[JULES]

Do you think having elected judges would make the system fairer and less corrupt?

what corruption do you mean

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

what corruption do you mean

Unfair trials. There is probably some corruption that happens (it would be very naive to think it's non existent, but it's very low). Judges are paid very well and so there's no incentive to be corrupt.

But compare the system to USA, where DAs get elected and parties pick people for partisan beliefs.

 

[City Hobgoblin]

We have a bent electoral system. This includes recent legislation to make it more difficult for some people to vote and there are suggestions this could be extended.
We have laws that can be used to stop demonstrations, with some pretty hefty penalties.
We have anti-terrorist laws that can be stretched well beyond their intended target to include non-violent direct action.
We have enabling powers that the government can invoke at any time, as it did during lockdown. There is virtually no restraint. BTW, Blair put this legislation through, not the Tories. The government merely has to decide there is a 'national emergency' and they get to decide if there is one.
There are heavy restrictions on trade union activities, way more stringent than in most Western democracies.
The media is in the hands of a clique, and the government can forbid the publication of anything it deems a 'security matter' anyway.
Much of what the government and royal family have done in the past will not be released in our lifetimes. (This includes Edward VIII's dodgy dealings.)
We have some of the most extensive surveillance systems in the world. In the world, not just the 'free' world. They could easily track your movements if they wished.
The internet is now censored. 'They' get to decide what is 'harmful', not us. They can extend the scope whenever they want.
The DWP can spy on your bank account. It doesn't need a judge to approve this, you just need to be on a state pension or any benefit.
Anyone with dual citizenship can, potentially, be stripped of UK citizenship and thrown out.

Nearly all of this has been developed in recent years. Do you seriously think the trajectory is towards more freedom? If you don't want to use the word 'fascist' - fine. Call it 'profoundly authoritarian' instead. You can always pretend it's the work of lefties if you like.

And they have the cheek to slag off Putin

 

[BlueHammer85]

Nothing to hide? On that logic, I should not mind (and nor should you) if the coppers come around to your house and search the entire gaff. Why not?

If I’m not in then yeh, fine. Just don’t make things a mess.

You should also put your diary on the Internet. After all, nothing to hide.

Hassle and anyone could put in as little info as they want.

And your credit card data. Nothing to hide.

Fraud. Don’t want bank details stolen.

Maybe we could all live in transparent houses with no curtains. Why not? Nothing to hide.

Sunlight. Close curtains to retain darkness and heat.

 

[Postman Pep]

Here's Tom with the weather ...

 

[Rory Bluelow]

Unfair trials. There is probably some corruption that happens (it would be very naive to think it's non existent, but it's very low). Judges are paid very well and so there's no incentive to be corrupt.

But compare the system to USA, where DAs get elected and parties pick people for partisan beliefs.

I used to admire the system in the USA, until Trump came along, where from the Supreme Court downwards the judiciary etc seem totally mired in party politics. Not good - and will not end well. I suppose it reflects a fractured society. It’s seeping into our society too - where unpopular views etc can be too easily criminalised. You have to constrain how people act, and to an extent what they say, but it does concern me how we are clamping down on dissenting views and opinions.

 

[mexico1970]

it does concern me how we are clamping down on dissenting views and opinions.

We live in a world where calling a pretend woman a man can be a crime, the very basic opinion reduced to some fucked up version of reality.

 

[Rory Bluelow]

We have a bent electoral system. This includes recent legislation to make it more difficult for some people to vote and there are suggestions this could be extended.
We have laws that can be used to stop demonstrations, with some pretty hefty penalties.
We have anti-terrorist laws that can be stretched well beyond their intended target to include non-violent direct action.
We have enabling powers that the government can invoke at any time, as it did during lockdown. There is virtually no restraint. BTW, Blair put this legislation through, not the Tories. The government merely has to decide there is a 'national emergency' and they get to decide if there is one.
There are heavy restrictions on trade union activities, way more stringent than in most Western democracies.
The media is in the hands of a clique, and the government can forbid the publication of anything it deems a 'security matter' anyway.
Much of what the government and royal family have done in the past will not be released in our lifetimes. (This includes Edward VIII's dodgy dealings.)
We have some of the most extensive surveillance systems in the world. In the world, not just the 'free' world. They could easily track your movements if they wished.
The internet is now censored. 'They' get to decide what is 'harmful', not us. They can extend the scope whenever they want.
The DWP can spy on your bank account. It doesn't need a judge to approve this, you just need to be on a state pension or any benefit.
Anyone with dual citizenship can, potentially, be stripped of UK citizenship and thrown out.

Nearly all of this has been developed in recent years. Do you seriously think the trajectory is towards more freedom? If you don't want to use the word 'fascist' - fine. Call it 'profoundly authoritarian' instead. You can always pretend it's the work of lefties if you like.

Some great points there, but I’d add authoritarianism doesn’t have a “left” or ”right”.

 

[TonyM]

We live in a world where calling a pretend woman a man can be a crime, the very basic opinion reduced to some fucked up version of reality.

It probably depends on the context of calling that person a man. If for example you were being a **** ...

 

[mexico1970]

It probably depends on the context of calling that person a man. If for example you were being a **** ...

Nope, just not believing the principle is enough to bring men in skirts and their useful idiots out of the woodwork.

For future reference mate being a **** shouldn't and has never been illegal.