There has been something on my mind lately that I would like exchange some thoughts about.
Lots of posters on this forum touch on topics related to 'loss of liberties' due to 'extreme' law enforcement (CCTV surveillance, taser guns, being searched when leaving shops, police brutality etc. etc.), most notably those in the US, UK, EU & Australia (in other words, the West). These posts and articles are all of the opinion that these are all preliminaries to a coming full-blown police state (which is so). The ‘Big Brother' section on the SOTT page carries these stories as well.
I recently posted an article about our new DNA bill being passed (something which I and everyone else welcomed). It was well publicised here and there were lots of radio discussions about this matter, all very positive with people calling in and saying what a wonderful step in the right direction in the fight against crime this is.
So today I read an article about Mexico’s crime situation: Kidnappings in Mexico send shivers across border.
That’s what made me think about this again and therefore my post.
Okay so let’s face it; the times they are a changin'. And let’s also face it; extreme circumstances requires extreme measures. When I read the article about the FBI that’s going to help us fight crime (FBI to help SA fight crime), I’m afraid that my natural reaction was that this is great. Whether the sudden urgency is because of the upcoming soccer world cup we’re hosting, I don’t know.
It would appear to me that there’s no middle ground where control is concerned. You either have too much control (police state), or you have a lawless society. It’s unfortunate that we have rapists, murderers etc. amongst us. But how do you police them without affecting the entire population (strong police presence, surveillance etc). I sometimes wonder to myself when I read these complaints about big brother on this forum, whether you would rather walk underneath a surveillance camera or have your bags searched, or whether you would prefer running for your dear life day in and day out in a lawless society (like Congo, and by the sound of it, Mexico as well, and others).
Over the festive season our police force have been conducting these raids in bars and shebeens in high crime areas, hauling everybody to the police station and then checking them out one by one. It’s unfortunate that the innocent people among them were subjected to this treatment, but when you look at the success of these raids, then you think, well, this is good. On a single raid they would for example capture a number of violent criminals wanted for crimes like rape, murder, armed robbery etc.
Anyway, that’s just what I’ve been thinking about, I’m sure I’m the only one who sees it this way. The police force are few, and the population are many. It’s only natural for me with technology dominating our world, that it should find it’s way to law enforcement as well.
The crime levels around the world are on the increase, must they just keep using archaic methods to fight crime? I also find it a bit tiring that the inequality of our society is solely to blame for crime. The “eradicate poverty and you eradicate crime” philosophy. If I have a family to feed and I’m jobless, I might very well turn into a thief. But a thief only. This philosophy unfortunately falls flat on it’s face when gang rape, murder and torture accompanies the “stealing to feed your family”.
Lots of posters on this forum touch on topics related to 'loss of liberties' due to 'extreme' law enforcement (CCTV surveillance, taser guns, being searched when leaving shops, police brutality etc. etc.), most notably those in the US, UK, EU & Australia (in other words, the West). These posts and articles are all of the opinion that these are all preliminaries to a coming full-blown police state (which is so). The ‘Big Brother' section on the SOTT page carries these stories as well.
I recently posted an article about our new DNA bill being passed (something which I and everyone else welcomed). It was well publicised here and there were lots of radio discussions about this matter, all very positive with people calling in and saying what a wonderful step in the right direction in the fight against crime this is.
So today I read an article about Mexico’s crime situation: Kidnappings in Mexico send shivers across border.
That’s what made me think about this again and therefore my post.
Okay so let’s face it; the times they are a changin'. And let’s also face it; extreme circumstances requires extreme measures. When I read the article about the FBI that’s going to help us fight crime (FBI to help SA fight crime), I’m afraid that my natural reaction was that this is great. Whether the sudden urgency is because of the upcoming soccer world cup we’re hosting, I don’t know.
It would appear to me that there’s no middle ground where control is concerned. You either have too much control (police state), or you have a lawless society. It’s unfortunate that we have rapists, murderers etc. amongst us. But how do you police them without affecting the entire population (strong police presence, surveillance etc). I sometimes wonder to myself when I read these complaints about big brother on this forum, whether you would rather walk underneath a surveillance camera or have your bags searched, or whether you would prefer running for your dear life day in and day out in a lawless society (like Congo, and by the sound of it, Mexico as well, and others).
Over the festive season our police force have been conducting these raids in bars and shebeens in high crime areas, hauling everybody to the police station and then checking them out one by one. It’s unfortunate that the innocent people among them were subjected to this treatment, but when you look at the success of these raids, then you think, well, this is good. On a single raid they would for example capture a number of violent criminals wanted for crimes like rape, murder, armed robbery etc.
Anyway, that’s just what I’ve been thinking about, I’m sure I’m the only one who sees it this way. The police force are few, and the population are many. It’s only natural for me with technology dominating our world, that it should find it’s way to law enforcement as well.
The crime levels around the world are on the increase, must they just keep using archaic methods to fight crime? I also find it a bit tiring that the inequality of our society is solely to blame for crime. The “eradicate poverty and you eradicate crime” philosophy. If I have a family to feed and I’m jobless, I might very well turn into a thief. But a thief only. This philosophy unfortunately falls flat on it’s face when gang rape, murder and torture accompanies the “stealing to feed your family”.