You scared? The UK Government wants you to be.

[New Laikland]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty sure the world isn't a perfect utopia, so I see no harm in stopping terrorism.

[The Scientific States]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty sure the world isn't a perfect utopia, so I see no harm in stopping terrorism.

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

[Northwest Slobovia]

There's an obscure document written by a bunch of fine English gentlemen that begins "When in the course of human events...". Perhaps it might provide some inspiration.

Don't say that. London will secede as a city-state.

That'll work. As will replacing the current government (ie, the structure, not just the people) with something more useful, such as one with an independent judiciary and a written bill of rights for them to beat the rest of the government into shape with.

[New Laikland]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty sure the world isn't a perfect utopia, so I see no harm in stopping terrorism.

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

But there'd be a larger margin of error. How is this idiotic? It's common sense.

[The Scientific States]

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

But there'd be a larger margin of error. How is this idiotic? It's common sense.

How is it common sense to infringe on the privacy rights of the British people?

[Sjovenia]

Yes the UK is in the EU there is no obligation to use the Euro Bulgaria and The Czech Republic are EU members as well along with the Baltic states and they do not use the Euro

Issuing a major correction here: with two exceptions, all EU states are obligated to eventually join the Eurozone. Denmark and the UK get an asterisk next to this clause that allows them to opt-out. /sidenote

On the topic of the OP, the biggest thing the British public can do is try to call up their MPs and incite a backbench rebellion of massive proportions. Probably not going to happen, but I don't trust the Lords to put a stop to Cameron's nonsense.

I remember Slovenia did it and it jacked their economy up. They had it going for them for a while and then switched from Tolars to euro and up went the debt, down came the car business and other sectors

[The Matthew Islands]

What's the point if the ECJ will just strike it down again?

Presumably so the Eurosceptics can start screaming about how this is proof the EU wants to see Britain destroyed.

[Atlanticatia]

[Alexanda]

If it is for national security, then of course, the Government can access my computer and mobile telephone, but only with a valid reason.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

But there'd be a larger margin of error. How is this idiotic? It's common sense.

What, that the government needs to listen in on all electronic communications on the off chance that somebody is dumb enough to describe a terror plot in detail over them, in the clear? Here in the States, one of our spy agencies has been doing that since 9/11*, and they were recently forced to admit that their eavesdropping has not stopped even one terrorist. Not one. Despite that, there have been a number of terror attacks here. Nor have the Chinese, with even greater authoritarian power, been able to stop terror attacks there. The claim that mass surveillence is needed or helpful is demonstrable bullshit.

*: Fortunately, based on recent rulings of the US Supreme Court (US v Jones and Riley) it looks like they're gonna tell the spies to fuck right off as soon as the relevant cases reach them.

[Caltarania]

I have a solution.

I definitely does not involve hella explosives in Westminster.

[Sjovenia]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty sure the world isn't a perfect utopia, so I see no harm in stopping terrorism.

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

Really? Strict gun laws, CCTV on every street corner and crevice, as well as a large police force surely didn't stop the PIRA from detonating a bomb in what was it? Victoria ststion back in the 90s/00s

[Imperializt Russia]

I'm almost certain they wouldn't. They're big on being populist. Being unpopular and rushing surveillance legislation is not in their remit.

Fair point, they want to appeal to the populace in whatever way possible. But, given some of their authoritarian policies, I don't think the UKIP has a problem with this.

They're only authoritarian if you're dusky or anti-Queenie.
They support repealing a ton of gun laws.

[Imperializt Russia]

The UK government can stop terrorism without doing something so incredibly idiotic.

Really? Strict gun laws, CCTV on every street corner and crevice, as well as a large police force surely didn't stop the PIRA from detonating a bomb in what was it? Victoria ststion back in the 90s/00s

CCTV coverage is by no means universal, and that incident is why we no longer have bins on our train platforms.

[Atlanticatia]

I don't really have a problem with surveillance, obviously, as it is vital for national security. However, is it really that crazy to request that the government should at least get a warrant, or only surveils if there is probable cause?

Surveillance should be a 2nd step - i.e. the government thinks someone has ties to a terrorist organization, then they begin surveilling. Even if they don't get warrants, they should atleast have some sort of probable cause.
They shouldn't watch millions of people's phone and email records just because they hope they'll catch a terrorist that they're not even sure exists.

[New Laikland]

But there'd be a larger margin of error. How is this idiotic? It's common sense.

How is it common sense to infringe on the privacy rights of the British people?

They aren't rights if they're being infringed upon. It also isn't infringing if it's done willingly. I'm aware the US government intercepts and monitors most communications here, yet I'm fine with it. Who knows how many terrorist attacks it stopped. If somebody commits a crime or intends to commit it, they should be punished, regardless of "rights". If innocent people don't commit a crime, then what is there to care about?

[Charlotte Ryberg]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty sure the world isn't a perfect utopia, so I see no harm in stopping terrorism.

The impact of the fallout is far too great to retain the current surveillance regulation scheme in its current form, even though the duration is cut to 12 months. I'm already on the edge of leaving the UK after GCHQ/NSA.

[New Laikland]

What, that the government needs to listen in on all electronic communications on the off chance that somebody is dumb enough to describe a terror plot in detail over them, in the clear? Here in the States, one of our spy agencies has been doing that since 9/11*, and they were recently forced to admit that their eavesdropping has not stopped even one terrorist. Not one. Despite that, there have been a number of terror attacks here. Nor have the Chinese, with even greater authoritarian power, been able to stop terror attacks there. The claim that mass surveillence is needed or helpful is demonstrable bullshit.

*: Fortunately, based on recent rulings of the US Supreme Court (US v Jones and Riley) it looks like they're gonna tell the spies to fuck right off as soon as the relevant cases reach them.

If there's a chance, it's justified. How do you know it stopped 0 terrorist attacks? I can agree that perhaps the TSA stopped nothing, but the monitoring by the NSA definitely stopped multiple threats before they happened. There will always be loops around the surveillance, it's just important that the surveillance system adapts to those loops and fixes them.

[MERIZoC]

Silly Brits. Don't they know that the invasion of privacy is for Americans only? We need to be the most oppressive western nation. Stop copying us!

[New Laikland]

The impact of the fallout is far too great to retain the current surveillance regulation scheme in its current form, even though the duration is cut to 12 months. I'm already on the edge of leaving the UK after GCHQ/NSA.

Fallout? If people are so willing to allow terrorist attacks to happen to their own nations, then who cares what they think?

[Novorossiya Soviet Ukraine]

The UK government is full of shitbergs lately.
It's no suprise they want to monitor the population, I expect they know that if citizens could get away with it they'd already be conspiring in revolution.

We have lots of shitbergs here in France ruling over us as well. Similar laws are being deliberated across the Euro-Reich continent at the moment. I would hardly be surprised if an equivalent of the Gestapo formed across our NATO-EU countries.

[Pandeeria]

The UK government is full of shitbergs lately.
It's no suprise they want to monitor the population, I expect they know that if citizens could get away with it they'd already be conspiring in revolution.

We have lots of shitbergs here in France ruling over us as well. Similar laws are being deliberated across the Euro-Reich continent at the moment. I would hardly be surprised if an equivalent of the Gestapo formed across our NATO-EU countries.

Yeah, no.

A Gestapo isn't going to be formed. At least not any time soon.

[New Aerios]

We have lots of shitbergs here in France ruling over us as well. Similar laws are being deliberated across the Euro-Reich continent at the moment. I would hardly be surprised if an equivalent of the Gestapo formed across our NATO-EU countries.

Yeah, no.

A Gestapo isn't going to be formed. At least not any time soon.

Even if it was, I think even our shadowy European Reichsführer overlords would have enough sense to refrain from calling it the Gestapo.

[Novorossiya Soviet Ukraine]

Yeah, no.

A Gestapo isn't going to be formed. At least not any time soon.

Even if it was, I think even our shadowy European Reichsführer overlords would have enough sense to refrain from calling it the Gestapo.

Yes, exactly. They might probably call it something like the "National Security Squads" or something. Whilst the death camps for dissidents opposed to NATO wars will be called "filtration centres" à la Euromaidan Poroshenko style.

[Imperializt Russia]

The impact of the fallout is far too great to retain the current surveillance regulation scheme in its current form, even though the duration is cut to 12 months. I'm already on the edge of leaving the UK after GCHQ/NSA.

Fallout? If people are so willing to allow terrorist attacks to happen to their own nations, then who cares what they think?

http://mic.com/articles/49449/prism-pro ... ist-attack
http://www.mediaite.com/online/sens-wyd ... st-events/