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I'm watching the news and seeing that the British are now investigating the feasibility of of installing "X-Ray" cameras on lampposts which can see through one's clothing to detect guns, bombs, whatever one is carrying.
Britain is already the most heavily monitored country in the world by police cameras with more than 4 million cameras watching almost every Briton's public moves. There is one camera for every 14 Britons. If you walk outside, you will be recorded on cameras hundreds of times in one day.
Britain now has CCTV cameras that not only photograph you live in public places, they are manned by staff who will speak to you over speakers if you litter or do anything they perceive as anti-social! They also can listen and record conversations in public up to 100 yards from the device. Britain is also developing face-recognition cameras to watch it's population.
As of 2006, you can no longer drive in the U.K. without your car and car license being recorded by cameras. The Independent wrote in 2005: "Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years." The goal is to build a surveillance database that extends to five years, so any car can be tracked in the past to the present wherever it's been in the U.K.
What puzzles me is why the British, who have a proud history of independence and privacy would allow their country to become Orwellian?
The answers given are to tackle crime, etc.
Yet Britain is the most violent crime ridden country in the western world behind number one...Australia. The cameras haven't cut the crime rate.
It is also the home to radical Islamic imams who preach the destruction of the West, U.K., USA, and openly call for murdering politicians and destroying western civilization. Why is this tolerated yet the country is virtually under constant 24hr. visual and audio surveillance?
The USA is also now increasing public surveillance and installing cameras in public places, though nowhere on the scale of Britain.
Do you support us becoming like the United Kingdom and installing cameras everywhere that will track, record, photograph, and store in a database your every move?
yes we have speed cameras, people cameras, red light cameras ok i don't agree with them but the government likes them, i can walk all over Bournemouth knowing i will be watched but when my car was stolen guess what the camera wasn't on!! they want to install boxes in our cars for the toll roads as away of paying ( as it was told to us) yeah right, no way in my car . i would say the US is more violent you have more guns. however we all have satellites it seems we are all being watched somewhere!!!!!??
I hate the idea of being constantly watched, it really creeps me out. On the other hand, I saw something on tv about a guy who was accused of a crime, but his alibi was that he was at some sporting event. Turns out he was telling the truth because they have him on the surveillance cams at the time the offense took place. In some cases, it can be useful.
Last edited by Callie_D; 01-30-2007 at 03:53 PM..
Reason: Typo
I hate the idea of being constantly watched, it really creeps me out. On the other hand, I saw something on tv about a guy who was accused of a crime, but his alibi was that he was at some sporting event. Turns out he was telling the truth because they have him on the surveillance cams at the time the offense took place. In some cases, it can be useful.
See, that is what bugs the crap out of me and can get my blood boiling. I've seen the pics taken showing my house, car in the drive, mailbox, EVERYTHING. We all know that there are cameras on just about every public square inch of this country and planet. So why is it when a child is abducted they won't use it? We have it. I know why. The gov't does not want us to know how closely we are being watched. Not that someone is sitting watching every bit of footage from every square inch of the country but that it is available IF needed.
See, that is what bugs the crap out of me and can get my blood boiling. I've seen the pics taken showing my house, car in the drive, mailbox, EVERYTHING. We all know that there are cameras on just about every public square inch of this country and planet. So why is it when a child is abducted they won't use it? We have it. I know why. The gov't does not want us to know how closely we are being watched. Not that someone is sitting watching every bit of footage from every square inch of the country but that it is available IF needed.
Well, I always imagined that NASA, the NSA, the CIA, and other "secret" agencies probably have cameras stationed on satellites that peer down and are precise enough to actually identify a person. I understand installing security cameras in public places like a town square or in public buildings, and also private businesses. That makes sense. I just think the British have gone way overboard and I for one would never want to live in a country that records my every movement without any control or real standards (there are standards, but if you read the British sources, they say up to 80% of the monitoring ignores the limits of the law.). The privacy issue is also relevant as the European Union says the British are breaking EU privacy laws.
For me, I often (in the summer, today is 19F!!!) lay out on my deck fully starkers. If it occurs to me that a satellite just might by chance be recording my nudity, I flip over and show them my backside with a bit of ...displaying.. ,
Or, I do lewd things with my tongue hanging out (the tongue has NO relation to the lewd behavior...so no rumors please... ) and hope I'm being watched
I seem to recall hearing back in the early eighties that satellites were cabable of identifying the different Ayatollahs by the shapes of their beards-seriously, even though this might be showing up at the wrong place in this thread!!
Heck if I can see my car parked on the street with a couple of clicks using GoogleEarth, you know there are some bigger eyes in the sky that can do a lot better than that. CNBC had a great program on the whole "big brother" topic just a few weeks ago, and they will probably re-air it a few more times. Whereas UK has millions of cameras installed by government and police agencies, in the US private enterprise + business has taken the leap in a huge way. At the building where I work the security desk monitors at least 15 or 20 video cameras around the perimeter and inside the building, and this is a tech company that has nothing to do with homeland security or national defense. Stores, restaurants, I can spot them all over the place.
Ever watched "Enemy of the State", with Will Smith and Gene Hackman? This thread reminds me of that movie. And, you know that the government has those capabilities. Good gracious! Just look at Google Earth, as was mentioned before. I, also, have found the houses of friends and family, and could pick out barns, vehicles, etc. How 'bout the movie, "The Patriot", I believe it was called, with the Jack Ryan character, played by Harrison Ford. Remember where they could watch by satellite, as the terrorists were exterminated in the desert? Interesting, entertaining, and scary stuff, because you know that the technology shown in these two movies exists. And, although it may have it's place, personally, I find it invasive and creepy. It's bad enough here in the U.S. I can only imagine what it must be like in Britain. And, as MoMark mentioned, it does seem strange, given their history, that they would put up with that. But, then, we could say the same about our country, right? 1984, indeed!
hey Momark never mention the EU we are not governed by them!!i still say we are all watched. It is great living in the UK just need to sort out the the government abit.
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) and hope I'm being watched 
