Looming totalitarianism in westernised countries.

[Shapeshifter]

What are your thoughts on this? Is it slowly approaching or am I being alarmist. Do you think the public will act too late if it happens?

[bernardo]

There are signs of it happening, but I think it is one of those cycle things that comes round occasionally. The reactionary panic which the USA is going through concerning terrorism and Islam (and anybody who vaguely looks different) is a bit like the anti-communist witch-hunts of the 1950s or the internment of Japanese Americans in the 1940s. judging by past events, it is likely that the people (and politicians and those in positions of authority) will come to their senses sooner or later. This is a big collective psychology thing, and should not be confused with the much more mundane question of Bush or Kerry in November's election. There are also signs of it in the UK (Blunkett's reactionaryism) and France (ban on headscarves in schools etc.) so it is not an entirely USA thing.

[Quizmonster]

British people who go on about totalitarianism, complaining about identity-cards and so on never seem to see the illogicality of their position. People constantly accuse the government of the day - of whatever political hue - of being utterly incapable even of arranging a "drinks-party in a brewery" and then imagine these very same people to have the superhuman SS-like powers of efficiently ruthless organisation and management to control us all in the feared way! Absurd, surely?

This is Britain! Remember? The land where we muddle through? Where we queue for weeks in the rain to get a passport. Where checks on potential employees are so rigorous that they allow murderous p�dophiles to work with schoolgirls. Where old ladies lie on stretchers in hospital corridors. And so forth. Need I go on?

We are constantly being told that identity cards etc are reminiscent of the East German STASI or of Franco's Spain. Er...where are they now?

How many doom-sayers are aware that forensic engineers even now can reveal their whereabouts at any given time simply by checking mobile phones and their records? Text messages too - even if deleted - can be retrieved by these people months later. So, are the worriers all going to hurl their mobiles into the nearest river? That surely would be a logical first step if they don't want authority to be aware of their movements. (Actually, I wish they would...think of the peace in the pub and railway carriage!)

On the other hand, wouldn't it be wonderful if a national database of DNA existed, say? Instead of mounting massively-expensive manhunts, all the police might have to do would be stroll around and pick the baddie up. Nationwide appeals for bone-marrow donors would be a thing of the past...and a host of other good things would be vastly simplified. If you have nothing to hide, what have you got to fear?

[jenstar]

Of course, the difference now is that the technology exists to back it up. Yes, totalitarianism is coming, and it's going to be a lot harder to defeat it this time round.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Jenstar, By chance, I referred earlier to the long passport waits of a year or two back. Weren't they brought about precisely because the technology - ie a newly computerised system - mucked the whole process up? The same sort of technology was going to solve the entire Air Traffic Control system for the skies over Britain. Has it done? No it hasn't. So, sure...the technology exists but it rarely seems to back anything up, never mind totalitarianism! That was my point entirely, so I still think you're being alarmist, Shape. Stop worrying about it...that's my advice.

[Shapeshifter]

I wish to expand on this a bit more but, I'm snowed under with work at the ministry of love. Will get back to it soon. Thanks for the thoughtful answers. A little annoyed that anybody dared to disagree with me though.

[LeedsRhinos]

Sorry to be Mr Thicky but can someone please explain what totalitarism actually is?

[Shapeshifter]

Totalitarianism is the prohibition of any other political party than the one which is in power. A totalitarian government controls all natural and human resources of a country. The consequences to the people includes; an even distribution of wealth (or more likely poverty) except for party members who are the elite of society, strict travel restrictions, surveillance, tailing and bugging of ordinary members of society. Punishments for 'non-conformism' are often very harsh. People can disappear without trace- no trial and no assumption of innocence. It's definately something to look forward to. Don't consider yourself 'thick'. It's what this forum is all about. Thanks for the question