“There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.”
– From George Orwell’s “1984”
For Britain, Orwell’s dystopian future is now. A report by the House of Lords’ Constitution Committee states:
“The development of electronic surveillance and the collection and processing of personal information have become pervasive, routine and almost taken for granted.”
No one is better acquainted with the pervasive nature of government power than Jenny Paton, a mother of 3 and resident of Poole. Big Brother’s electronic eyes followed and recorded Paton’s every movement as she went about her daily life. Was she in league with Islamic jihadists or involved with organized crime? No, she enrolled her daughter in school. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), Britain’s government – down to the local level – is authorized to spy on whomever they deem worthy of intrusion. According to the New York Times, RIPA gives “474 local governments and 318 agencies – including Ambulance Service and Charity Commission – powers once held by only a handful of law enforcement.”
Paton became aware she was being spied upon when confronted by school officials bearing video and telephone records. Apparently, Paton moved to a neighboring community outside the school district her daughter was to attend. In other words, the Big Brother mindset has filtered down to the lowest rung of government. Now, every British agency that feels the need to swoop down, Mary Poppins-like, in defense of Nanny State regulations can do so. And who can blame them. If Paton and others want the government to care for them cradle-to-grave, they shouldn’t be surprised when their governess occasionally checks-in on her charges. It comes with the territory. It just goes to prove that the government that giveth can taketh away…including freedom.
Most Britons don’t seem to mind, like Orwell’s Winston Smith:
“… everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.”
– Mr. Curmudgeon
