Dutchboy - I thought <i>we</i> were headed for 1984- JournalHome.com

5/2/2007 - I thought we were headed for 1984

In the UK it's infinitely worse! All the surveillance, etc., the naming and shaming... Even if you're trying on new clothes in one of those cubicles they film you. They're also far ahead of us when it comes to the monitoring of your internet activities, they keep much more detailed records of bank card use, they keep much more detailed records of your location as derived from cellphone signals...

We, in the Netherlands do have more and more surveillance cameras, but there are major differences. In the UK they can watch the footage realtime (in one town this power is already being used for immediate correction: if you drop a cigarette a voice will tell you to pick it up, stating a few details the public can recognize you by in the process), and the footage is distributed to the media without any regard for your privacy.

Also, and this I have known for ages because I watch British TV a lot, if you are suspected of committing a crime, or sometimes even if you're the victim, you can be sure that your name and the street you live on will be in the public domain. Nice to know that criminals are named and shamed, but if it really helped there wouldn't be any more crime, would there? If you want evidence that that's simply not the case, turn on BBC radio. The hourly news will open with at least five stories of murder, and rape before they come up with real news.

In the Netherlands the media are technically allowed to name suspects, but a few decades ago they decided not to do so any longer. They reason that if you tell the public his or her name, and where he/she lives, not only do you make life a little harder for a person you don't even know really did it, but for their innocent relatives as well. Security footage is also sparsely given to the media. If you can catch a criminal using other methods, this is highly preferable.

The next step in Great Britain's quest to rename itself Landing Strip One will be a plan that we in the Netherlands have given some thought as well: a mileage fee for the use of cars. The exact distance you cover will be measured with the help of satellites, so they will know exactly where your car was at any given time. Double plus yay!

If we in the Netherlands were ever to fall victim to such scrutiny, I will join in any attempt to overthrow the government.

Technorati Tags: big brother, news, opinion
Filed under: big brother, news, opinion

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