Is The Uk Turning Into An Authoritarian Hole?

[Kromovaracun]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/police-threaten-to-arrest-facebook-users-after-tiny-drugs-bust-mocked-a3836296.html

Facebook users have been threatened with prosecution by police because they made fun of a small drugs bust.

Is "being disrespectful" to police on the internet really grounds for prosecution?

[Mamyalynne]

Constructive well thought out criticism is fine.

[nailit]

Like this

[Mamyalynne]

Nailit, I can see that we are at cross purposes here.

I am commenting on remarks on a Facebook page.

You have had lots of dealings with the Police and not all good ones I understand.

My dealings has been less than yours and I have had mixed reactions when I have dealt with them - some good some bad.

Yes, there are problems inherent in the system and those need sorting, but I'm not sure sarky comments on FB is going to alter things much.

[youngmafbog]

All they needed to do was to remove the 'offending' posts from the page. Surely simply having the page is for them to 'appear' more human so going OTT and 'threatening' arrest is really not a clever move. Most likely from some graduate Superintendant I suspect.

"Is The Uk Turning Into An Authoritarian Hole"

Yes, I believe it is and if COB gets his way it will be total.

[douglas9401]

https://www.memecenter.com/fun/2728973/you-shall-respect-my-authoritah

[nailit]

Agree with youngmafbog, all they had to do was remove the posts. Not start throwing their weight around. ''A few sarky comments'' and they start threatening arrests FGS...

[youngmafbog]

With my experience of plod I am not in the least surprised.

[Mamyalynne]

Sometimes, just sometimes a reminder of the law (or rules in other situations) is needed.

I shall continue to judge them on each dealing I have.

I have already promised never to try to strangle one again ( a long and old story). I've gone straight now.

[Jackdaw33]

I was unaware that the term 'snowflake generation' extended to the police.

[youngmafbog]

Since the fast track graduate coppers I'm afraid the liberal snowflakes have pretty much taken over JD. So you must do what they say as they cannot possibly be wrong.

In other words shut up or get in the cell via a steep set of stairs.

[nailit]

//In other words shut up or get in the cell via a steep set of stairs//
Or a gentle tap with a few size 9s??

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Kromo, not a casual threat but a warning not to break the law.
" being insulting, abusive or offensive can and will result in a prosecution under the Malicious Communications Act 1988"//

That's the kind of law you see in fascist dictatorships and has no place in free societies. I'm surprised (no, not really) that so many posters are willing to support these attacks on our liberty.

"Being insulting, abusive or offensive" is the definition of political satire. "Edgy" comedians and social commentators used to boast about their "courage" in being any or all of these things. And were applauded for it. But now, it seems, "being insulting, abusive or offensive" might constitute "malicious communication" and thereby be a crime?

The definition is, of course, infinitely plasti, its interpretation subjective and its enforcement arbitrary. It can, and will be used to silence people who offend whatever today's orthodoxy is.

Those of you who support this tyrannical formulation should remember that tomorrow's orthodoxy may not be the same as today's. "Late you come, yet still you come".

[Old_Geezer]

Common sense needs no proof. Try life's experience.

[Spicerack]

I'm with you, kromo.
Excellent post, ve. Probably wasted on the happy clappy crowd. They haven't the imagination to understand it.

[Raynes]

West Yorkshire Police should have acted like adults and simply blocked anyone for trolling them, not threatened them with arrest and the possibility of up to six months in jail. They made a post, it was funny to see them acting as if seizing a half empty bag of weed was compatible to taking down a Mexican Cartel.

They think they are justified in threatening us for expressing views. Ladies and gentleman, we not live in a society where we cannot question and laugh at our police, we deserve a society where we have the right to voice our views, after all we are not a police state. As a liberal I certainly think that freedom of speech is a vital thing, and the curbing of such a basic right is disgusting and the sign of regression.

Oh but it gets worse. The judges and magistrates aren’t going to defend us, in fact they're actively pushing for people to spend up to six months in jail for “hate trolling” which can include things such as being opposed to homosexuality or criticising Islam.

Just last month a man named Mark Meechan was arrested and convicted of being "grossly offensive" under the Communications Act 2003. His crime was posting a YouTube video in which a pug did the Nazi salute.

A very recent pro-free speech protest in London was branded “far-right” by mainstream media like The Guardian. I’m sorry but since when has liberalism been far right? It’s the utter opposite and such attitudes are worrying.

I now do not live in a free and liberal nation, I could be at risk right now and be subjected to months in jail for this post has offended someone. But I shan’t keep silent as the alternative brings a certain passage to mind from Orwell’s 1984 (spoilers), I’ll paraphrase:

It’s all right, everything is all right, the struggle is finished. I have won the victory over myself. I love Big Brother!