Guilty until proven innocent | The Jackal

2 Apr 2012

Guilty until proven innocent

Today, the BBC reported:

The government will be able to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everyone in the UK under new legislation set to be announced soon.

Internet firms will be required to give intelligence agency GCHQ access to communications on demand, in real time.

The Home Office says the move is key to tackling crime and terrorism, but civil liberties groups have criticised it.

And with good reason. The problem here is that government will likely use the new provisions to broadly monitor large groups of people that oppose their capitalist based regimes.

The question is can we trust our so-called "representatives" to act ethically and ensure that such powers are not abused?

Past misconduct by various MP's and government agencies clearly shows that we cannot trust their standards.... and they will assuredly use such widespread control for personal and political gain. In many instances, their ethics are sold to the highest bidder.

On March 22, New Zealand's Parliament passed similar repressive laws, with Stop the Search and Surveillance Bill reporting:

Police and State agencies will have even more powers to spy and surveil people. The police and others have more power to do unwarranted searches and surveillances. Human intervention devices (spies) need no warrant and have no time-limit on how long they can operate. The road-blocks seen in Ruatoki on 15th October 2007 can become the norm. The list of powers given to the police and other agencies is atrocious.

The Bill also attacks core concepts of 'justice', including the loss of right to silence and the right not to self-incriminate. The old adage of innocent until proven guilty becomes guilty until you can prove your innocence.

Big brother isn't just watching you, he is going through your trash, opening your email/letters and putting recording devices throughout your house. Welcome to the brave new world.