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UK Conservatives Pledge To Create Government-Controlled Internet (independent.co.uk)

Martin S. writes: Theresa May, the leader of the UK Conservative Party has pledged to create new internet that would be controlled and regulated by government on re-election. An early lead in the polls appears to be slipping but not slowly enough to change the result. Social Media has rapidly become an intense political battlefield. Known as #Mayhem in some circles, but seemingly able to command significant support from new and old media. Also, applying new social media analytics. According to the manifesto, the plans will allow Britain to become "the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet." It states, "Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet... We disagree."

186 comments

  1. Never underestimate the power of stupid by Sebby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They passed the Snooper's Charter. They could very well pass this too.

    --

    AC comments get piped to /dev/null
    1. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by sycodon · · Score: 4, Informative

      This shit reminds me of V for Vendetta

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    2. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No shit, as soon as that movie came out they started using it for ideas

    3. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by supertrooper · · Score: 1

      Seems like it more and more. Also, does anyone believe that they stopped snooping on everyone in the US and Canada?

    4. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Some+nick+or+other · · Score: 2

      There's this country in Asia that has considerable experience with a government-controlled internet. Perhaps the Conservatives could arrange a trip there to learn?

    5. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The way The Independent describes the proposal, this is very different from surveillance. Surveillance laws are usually exempt from the various rights declarations and treaties due to the national security exceptions. Instead of the regulation for well-functioning market, or fair treatment of consumers it sounds like the Tories go for censorship and moral policing instead. I wonder how this is received in the Council of Europe.

    6. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pro tip for the UK government: First leave the EU, afterwards you can consolidate your fascist regime. The EU will not have problems imposing fines within the remaining two years...

    7. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And this is exactly why you should be persuading people to register to vote - they still have a day or so! - and to vote the Tories out. Both Labour and the Lib Dems would be far better for the country than this shower of Tory shite. The UK press, and increasingly the BBC, are promoting Tory ideology while subtly or unsubtly denigrating Labour's (fully costed, in comparison to the Tories') manifesto. If Labour cannot win in your area, vote tactically to do your bit in getting rid of this group of authoritarian arseholes. The sole reason this election was called was due to the possibility of criminal charges being brought against a number of Conservative MPs for cheating their way to an election win via breaching the spending limits that all parties must adhere to; unfortunately due to the way our wonderful democracy/legal system works, putting them in the dock was always going to be an uphill struggle. The Conservatives are a bunch of used-car salesmen, promising faithfully that this shiny car won't break down in the first week but knowing full well that any function after that would be a bloody miracle.
      I'd prefer a Labour majority but a Lab/Lib coalition would still mean we get to keep our NHS and other public services out of the clutches of private sector shysters like Virgin Care.

    8. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      s/movie/comic/

    9. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by eneville · · Score: 0

      The UK press, and increasingly the BBC, are promoting Tory ideology while subtly or unsubtly denigrating Labour's (fully costed, in comparison to the Tories') manifesto

      This is because the Tory's control the BBC's revenue, the TV Licence. They threaten to reduce it, continually until the BBC show the Tory government in a good light. Sad as the BBC now has a bias.

    10. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fascinating Aïda's post-Brexit song - So Sorry Scotland

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVy7faNKEtM

    11. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd just like to point out one thing:

      Neither Theresa May nor, it's very clear, the author of this headline has the faintest idea of what "creating a new internet" means.

      None of them would know a DNS if they sat on it. I doubt if any of them has ever got closer to a router than plugging it in. They may have some vague notion of what a firewall is, but that's about all. I doubt they've ever configured one.

      So riddle me this: what does "create a government controlled internet" even mean? What would it look like, if achieved?

    12. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The citizens of the UK should rapidly realize that their guberment wants to turn them all back into serfs of the kingdom.

      The monarchy is the monarchy. The guberment is the royal court. The citizens are the serfs that slave in the fields and barley scratch out a life.

      Citizen of the UK heed the words of the great American Patriot Thomas Jefferson: "A little revolution now and again is a good thing!"

    13. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Maritz · · Score: 1

      They will. And the moronic Brits who keep voting these cunts in will lap it up.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    14. Re:Never underestimate the power of stupid by Maritz · · Score: 1

      The Sun like the Tories, so the Tories will get in. That's how it works. Don't get your hopes up for anything else. The British electorate are just as stupid, perhaps even slightly more stupid, than the American electorate.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  2. isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    please wake me up

    1. Re:isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, it is a big corporate->gov->corporate circle jerk. Some call it tyranny, others call it corporatism. Either way, it should be stomped on and killed with fire.

    2. Re: isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really. The government doesn't do enough to protect us from fake news.

    3. Re: isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is why Zuckerberg's plan to limit news is so good. We need to control news sources.

    4. Re: isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. We need more government control of information to protect the people from fake news. If Faux Knews was created today, the government would censor it. As several studies showed, they report more factual information than any other news channel, but they cherry-pick which makes them fake news.

    5. Re: isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are correct. Cherry picking news is fake news.

    6. Re: isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just look at all the stories today connecting Seth Rich to Wikileaks. That needs to be censored since people jump to conclusions.

    7. Re:isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by AHuxley · · Score: 2

      The UK collected every call into and out of Ireland. The best part of that was never telling any UK court, police officer, human rights group, member of the press or lawyer about that collection.
      The GCHQ and UK mil got on with tracking and collect it all outside of the UK courts. Interesting supporters of Ireland in the US kept on raising funds and talking to interesting people in Ireland.
      As no open/secret court action was taken people kept on talking, meeting, supporting, funding, mentioning names.
      The GCHQ/UK mil thought it was more productive never to mention methods in pubic, to the UK police or in any court setting.
      Collection was Ireland wide, in the UK, Irish supporters in the USA with access to the US mil (globally) and UK collection methods stayed secret.
      The UK gov could then act on information in the UK, Ireland or USA and the results never got published.
      Making collection court friendly and part of the internet will just ensure interesting people never use the internet or their phone. They will meet in person, go on holiday or for a trip back to some nation or take up faith. The wider faith based community will pass on messages in person.
      The UK had a great success with the Soviet embassy codes in the UK before WW2. Political leaders talked in public and the Soviet embassy then quickly updated its codes in the UK.
      The GCHQ and UK mil later learned from that and never trusted UK politicians, courts, police for decades.
      Now everything interesting is going to face open or secret UK courts. UK human rights groups will get access and the UK press will report on methods.
      Political leaders will want good news stories and wins in courts. Most people once accepted that collect it all was technically impossible and that a phone call or internet connection was too random. A Soviet official in the Soviet Union or East Germany would face the NSA and GCHQ but that was very special tasking and collection.
      The UK has now told the world that every network in the UK is been collected on for court use. Not many very interesting people are going to stay on UK networks.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    8. Re:isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by coastwalker · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Good points. Not only that but the right wing Conservative party have seen an opportunity through the Brexit process for a land grab of unimaginable proportions. The policies they have put in their manifesto will take them forward a quarter of a century on the path to oppression in a single election. This is a disaster of epic proportions because no party once in power has ever stepped away from the levers of power once acquired. So all this shit is here to stay even if they get voted out in the future. Given the strength of the position they are giving themselves on big data I doubt they will leave power for the next quarter century either. This is the biggest political disaster in my lifetime, the end of politics; total corruption.

      The UK will indeed be leading the world, leading the world with a right-wing big-government totalitarian hell hole.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    9. Re:isn't the internet Gov controlled now? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      To make this work the UK will have to mandate junk NSA standard encryption all over the UK. Everything networked in the UK will revert to plain text, be sorted, collected and tracked ready for legal action.
      Nobody interesting has to use the internet but in the past felt it was not a huge risk. The winners are the contractors, installers, people who have the over time to keep collection working and the courts and police who decide who to investigate.

      The part the UK of all nations should understand is that they had it all and how unsuspecting populations change communications methods when told of a collect it all policy.
      The moment lawyers, human rights groups, police start to see methods and logs presented in any open or closed court setting, every one interesting will be told and change their communications.
      The UK could have won every decade using methods it pioneered in Ireland. Track the investing people, their support from the USA, their funds, their lawyers, supporters. Nobody would have thought to stop talking on phones or with todays modern networks.
      Fake stories about informants and informants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... would have kept everyone guessing about actual information gathering. A government totalitarian hell hole on a small budget and real results. Just the GCHQ, mil and something secure like what was the RUC Special Branch.
      The question is then why the need for a change? Past methods worked, did not need any public support and no court found out.
      What are UK net users doing that needs methods beyond police services and will see the methods of the security services in court?
      Once a few people have their chat logs, and messages played back in court, most interesting people will just change their patterns.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  3. poor britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    descending into totalitarianism slowly but surely.

    1. Re: poor britain by Oxygen99 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We've never had a taste of fascist government before so we don't know how it happens. We will though.

      --
      I had a dream, bright and carefree, but now there's doubt and gravity
    2. Re: poor britain by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

      One of your famous writers wrote an instruction manual a while back.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re: poor britain by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I haven't heard that one before!

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re: poor britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and idiocracy wasnt a how to guide to elect an idiot but you still followed it.

    5. Re: poor britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I understand they still publish it, it's called "The Daily Mail"

    6. Re: poor britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They are so proud of it!

      from manifesto:-
      “the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet”

      What you mean the worlds nr.1 fascists?!?!?

    7. Re: poor britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here you go
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Zamyatin

  4. We don't need you in order to communicate. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have the technology.

  5. uh yeah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  6. Soviet Europe and 1984. by aliquis · · Score: 1

    No need for anything additional. I got it all in on the subject.

  7. Useless by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Small wonder that UK users are flooding all the VPN vendors.

  8. bad ideas dept. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    let me be the first to say, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

  9. Maybe they'll call it... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1
  10. Viable Opposition by Kunedog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is why we need viable leftist opposition parties that actually care about things like free speech, labor rights, and illegal immigration. If you spit in the voting public's face long enough, they will flock to the lesser evil that doesn't completely disregard their interests.

    1. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why does not the Brit yeomanry shoot down, hang and slaughter the mocking elites tyrannizing them ? Have they lost completely 14,000 years of Pict, Roman, Saxon, spear-Dane and Burgundian blood ? Smells like the shitpile left over from a drunken faggot bawd.

    2. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They only care about that, while in opposition.

      10 nanoseconds after receiving the reins of power, all those promises about free speech, civil liberties, winding back intrusive state surveillance will disappear into the ether, and be replaced by the necessary to prevent terrorism crime drugs child abuse mantra.

    3. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Traditionally Big Brother has been only a leftist, big-goverment thing. These days it is hard to tell the "conservatives" from the liberals. You are barking up the wrong tree(s). Both conservatives and liberals want big government these days. This goes directly against your desire for less intervention, laws, and loss-of-privacy. I'm sure you will get it eventually.

    4. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is why we need viable leftist opposition parties that actually care about things like free speech, labor rights, and illegal immigration.

      Leftist?

      The left want stronger restrictions on speech and expansions on what is considered heate speech or libel/slander.

      The left do want more labor rights.

      The left are for any immigration, even if done illegally. Multiculturalism before anything else! Is the rallying cry.

      2/3 in the wrong direction for your political goals.

    5. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you think the Labour party would decide any different? Both parties will face the exact sample problems; the fault lines are between Brexit Remainers/Brexiteers, fundamentalist terrorism, non-Christian pedo gangs, illegal immigration, housing shortages/high rents/house prices. New Labour needs immigration to bring in new voters since they lost their traditional working class supporters.

    6. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -1 mod? Seriously? Slashdot has become a jewish shithole for sure.

    7. Re: Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here in the USA both parties love big government. The right wants big government in the bedroom and the left wants it in the board room. The difference is the left doesn't pretend it hates big government. I think both sides are dolts. Have smart regulations, make sure every one plays by the same rules and other than that GTFO!!!

    8. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      >Traditionally Big Brother has been only a leftist, big-goverment thing.

      forgot about the nazi's?

    9. Re:Viable Opposition by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Not right now they won't... Because immigrants.

      The Tories have picked up all the UKIP voters. Their primary concern is getting rid of immigrants. That overrides all other concerns.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    10. Re:Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is why we need viable leftist opposition parties that actually care about things like free speech, labor rights, and illegal immigration. If you spit in the voting public's face long enough, they will flock to the lesser evil that doesn't completely disregard their interests.

      Which lesser evil would that be?
      Conservatives all over the world have pretty much declared themselves to be enemies of the people.
      When conservatives don't think that common people should have rights there aren't many alternatives to going left, regardless of if you think they are viable or not.

    11. Re: Viable Opposition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought their primary concern was Brexit? Oh well, just goes to show you can't believe anything someone says when they say on the record 7 times that they won't be holding an early election and then do just that. I hear they have a bridge they want to sell, too.

  11. The end result of allowing the Great Firewall by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now everyone is going to have a national internet.

  12. UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by MindPrison · · Score: 4, Insightful

    UK never cease to amaze me.

    They have tons of CCTV cameras literally everywhere, they want the U.K. to be truly isolated from the rest of the world, Brexit...and of course, now - total control and obedience of all their citizens.

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    1. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Those cameras are really there to prevent an apocalyptic event from occurring.

      They're really there for your protection. Really.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't fool yourself. They are only there to keep the godamn wave function collapsed so we can all enjoy reality as it should be.

    3. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by s.petry · · Score: 1

      That same appeal to emotion works with the Government Controlled Firewall too.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    4. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by William+Baric · · Score: 2

      The ones who want total control and obedience are not the same group of people who wanted Brexit. And by the way, Brexit is not about isolating from the rest of the world, it's about stopping mass immigration and trying to stop the fall of the Western civilization.

    5. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fucking fuck are you talking about? Isolated? The European Union is what's isolating the UK from the rest of the world right now. Heard of the Custom's Union? The UK is prohibited from signing deals with other countries.

      Prick.

    6. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Many CCTV cameras are privately owned for protecting businesses. Others are run by councils to monitor traffic flow. Some are just fake.

      London needs international workers because the native Brits feel it is too dangerous to work there (stabbings, acid attacks, biker gangs stealing mobile phones, bicycles, motorbicycles). Then when the international workers move there, they find it is too dangerous and move to the safe parts of the UK and compete for the unskilled labour jobs there. So the locals in those areas got pissed off.

      Other times, the UK government sold off industries like fishing to the EU (it was a last minute amendment made hours before the UK joined the EEC). Then high-tech manufacturing companies were asset stripped by London financial city investors who bought out the company, sold off the equipment to the Far East, looted the private pension schemes, and sold the land off to property developers, then told us it was all part of a virtuous cycle of new growth. The Far East would buy our scrap metal, turn it into new appliances (which don't last a year), export them back to us, and repeat the cycle. Somehow more money started going abroad that the government became desperate to solve this. Bring in austerity measures.

    7. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Harold+Halloway · · Score: 1

      There might be tons of CCTV cameras but they are not all operational. In my town, the police recently called for unpaid volunteers to watch the camera feeds on weekend nights because they can't afford to pay people to do it.

      I can't decide if that's laughable or sinister.

    8. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by coastwalker · · Score: 2

      Brexit is all about being fooled by alt-right propaganda about "Muslim pedophiles" "Unelected European bureaucrats making the laws about bendy bananas" "taking back control" "Health service tourism" "Immigrants on benefits". Basically pal you have been taken for a ride by overseas Billionaires like Robert Mercer who see a future for you as their wage slave in a deregulated economy. Push the right buttons and your ignorance and per-disposition to see the worst in people did the rest. Enjoy your slavery you fool.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    9. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      The European customs union is the only thing protecting you from baby formula with melamine in it pal. Enjoy your freedom to consume poison in future.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    10. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by William+Baric · · Score: 1

      So your point is that I'm "ignorant" and easily fooled by some undefined "alt-right propaganda". You have no "argument", but insults. I'm curious... Do you really think insulting me will achieve anything other than making you look like someone who has no clue what he's talking about and only act emotionally? Are you sure I am the "fool" here?

    11. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Leaving an economic union is not wanting to be isolated from the rest of the world.

      You could make an argument that it's isolating us from the rest of Europe, but we aren't going anywhere.

      How does leaving the EU isolate the UK from Japan? China? US? India? Norway? Etc?

    12. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Brexit controlling immigration was a lie sold to the proles (like the extra money for the NHS), but in itself will have no significant effect other than to reduce the number of EU citizens immigrating in but at the same time raise the number of people coming in from countries outside the EU. Bear in mind that the UK could have easily introduced strict immigration controls like other EU members have done without leaving the EU, yet the government chose not to.

      In reality the UK is gearing up to significantly increase immigration levels to counteract some of the economic impact of Brexit The Conservative Party knows better than to say so during a general election, but the mumurs in preparation have already begun "think tanks say immigration levels must be raised significantly"

      The people who want total control and obedience are those under Theresa May, who as Home Secretary and now as PM continues to introduce draconian 1984-style policies. She needs to feel "in control" and nothing less than a totalitarian state of puritanical censorship and government spies on every street corner will grant her that.

    13. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      Yes they are the same, its delusional to think they are not. They arrogantly think they are better than everyone else outside the UK with nothing to justify it.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    14. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Barsteward · · Score: 2

      Ignorance is not an insult, it means a lack of knowledge about the subject concerned, so yes you are ignorant of the reality and you have been fooled because you and so many others did NO research for the facts (this will cure your ignorance) - you just accepted the headlines from the anti-immigrant xenophobic rags like the daily mail and express and looked no further

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    15. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      look up "level playing field" for an understanding of it then you'll find out why the WHOLE union must be part of any trade deals. otherwise, to use a football analogy, you want one team to obey the rules and the other to be able to break every rule. its very easy to understand if you think about it - the clue is "think about it"

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    16. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by William+Baric · · Score: 0

      Yes, calling someone ignorant is an insult. Please, have the courage to look at yourself in a mirror and admit what you are doing. Anyway you still have no argument. You talk about "reality" and "facts", but those are just empty words. In the end, you still have only insults. Again, do you think insulting me will achieve anything but making you look like an irrational fool?

    17. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by tendrousbeastie · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I certainly take William Baric's point about the use of insults in arguments like this, rather than trying to use reason and debate. This whole page does seem very similar to a Guardian page in that regard - starts of for the first 5 minutes with an attempt at a well constructed debate (I say that regardless of what side anyone might take on any side of any debate), but then quickly everyone interested sincere debate is forced to flee because it gets taken over by insults and partisan childishness.

      Specifically addressing this particular issue (which I must if I wish to avoid being ignored) - I am British and I voted to leave the EU last June, and I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with my, there was strong feeling on either side of the debate (I'd feel annoyed if someone called me an idiot, but I feel I could live with it, I'm not given to much self-doubt). I have felt the we should leave the EU for around 15 years, and was glad to have chance to vote on it, but it was obvious obvious that as soon as the referendum neared it would get taken over by politicians and campaigners and crappy arguments such as the bus slogans.

      It doesn't mean that we all have to join in. William Baric's point above was essentially expressing his indignation about being called a idiot for his choices in a democratic vote. He expressed it with a certain emotional stance that has cased you Barsterward to reply in kind.

      Why? Why not address the points at stake and not the people. Who cares if William Baric is or is not an idiot? There is a much more interesting issue in this sub-thread about Britain's choices about surveillance, online and offline, and whether we should continue these policies and what we can do about it (I imagine this applies quite well the US too, 1st amendment notwithstanding). Why so quickly resort insults?

    18. Re: UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Another idiot who set himself up to be a slave.

      You sold yourself out under the guise of protection from big bed muslims raping your woman.

      You guys gave them this power by leaving EU to do these sort of things. So have fun not being in EU and being a third world shithole with your own "protected" internet. You fucking snowflakes.

    19. Re: UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The irony about the banana quality regulations is that they were proposed by the UK government.

    20. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Welcome to Theresa Mays britain (small b, no Great) - the cuck of all third world nations! We're so desperate for trade we'll literally do anything!

    21. Re:UK - 1984 - a surveillance state's wet dream. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..They have tons of CCTV cameras literally everywhere,

      (Looks out window) Ah, you must mean the special invisible CCTV cameras then..

      I've posted this before, so will do again,

      • nearest state run CCTV camera to my current UK location? approx 1.5 miles away
      • nearest domestic CCTV camera pointing at a public location? 0.75 miles away,
      • nearest local authority controlled CCTV camera ? just under half a mile away....

      So, interesting definition of 'literally everywhere' you're using there. BTW, I notice these things (CCTV cameras) as I used to have a sideline in installing said systems...yes, I was part of the problem, so my word here is suspect...

      Now if you want to apply 'literally' to London, Birmingham or Glasgow then I might agree (it's been well known for decades that the 'traffic cameras' in Glasgow have been well used for 'other purposes', and, no, I'm not the sort of person who used to regularly wander by the MOD buildings in London to see how many cameras I could get to start tracking me...heaven forbid that I'd ever do such a thing).

      Yes the UK is a bit on the CCTV-ridden side, but they ain't literally everywhere...you want that? try here

  13. Punishment for BREXIT. by thesupraman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The thing to remember is that this is pretty much all a reaction to the BREXIT vote.

    As was pretty clear to anyone not jerking their knee, that vote turned into a 'do what the government/financial organisations tell you' versus 'dont do what they tell you', as we know where that ended up.

    Now, the government, naturally, was horrified - people actually exercised their rights, against what they were told to do, even though they were told it would cost the people in power actual money!

    So, what is the governments reaction? To do their very best to make sure that can never happen again. They want total control, which means both controlling the flow of information, and knowing everything about everyone, so they can keep the population nice and compliant. In other words, those in control are escalating, rather than learning from their mistake - they are doubling down on their losses.

    The only sane solution for the general population is to double down on telling them no. Not through such ridiculous means as protest or debate, and of course not through any form of violence - that is just giving more control to those in power as they make the majority think they need more protection.

    The solution is to keep doing exactly what they don't want you to - and that is voting AGAINST them, removing career politicians from office whenever and where ever possible. Unfortunately that is going to mean voting for some idiots - but the important thing to do is to vote for idiots that wont be able to hold on to power - ones who talk too much, dont have lots of friends in high places, etc.

    Very sad, but thats what democracy has degenerated to - mostly because of a lack of limitations in place to stop politicians continuously growing their power.

    Those in control need to know that the majority wont support their carefully crafted 'you need us, give us more power over you' story.

    1. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is that the "general population" is over flowing with idiots. With the advent of the Internet and global communication networks the idiots can know find like minded individuals for their mutual admiration societies and support groups. The politicians number one job is to pander to largest group of idiots to win elections. And as the size of the group increases the collective IQ of the group decreases.

    2. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      people actually exercised their rights, against what they were told to do, even though they were told it would cost the people in power actual money!

      Well, Robert Murdoch is really happy with it. I mean, I suppose he has power, and will make a lot more money. Because he has a lot of power in the UK, but not in the EU.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    3. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not punishment for Brexit. They've wanted to do this kind of stuff for years but needed to be out of the EU to do it. Once the UK is out of the EU the government will be free to trounce upon the rights of the people because citizens won't be able to go to the Supreme Court in Brussels.

      They played the fear of immigrants along with lies that money no longer going to the EU would pay for everything, especially the NHS. The day after the vote they said there was no money for the NHS or anything else and they recently admitted it was all lies. And May will continue to promise a bunch of pretty things for the voters this election to get in so that she can finalize the UKs exit from the EU and introduce a bunch of draconian legislation such as this. All in the name to fight terrorism and protect the children. The people need most protecting from the politicians right now.

    4. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Problem is, almost everyone who makes it into a position to be on the ballot is already firmly entrenched in that corruption game. You'd have to vote out incumbents at every level of government in order to completely clean house first, then make sure the people that slide in aren't effectively agents of corporations or other interests.

      Really, you need to get the money out of politics. If you can figure out a way to do that, well, maybe we should just vote you into power. For one term, anyway.

    5. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As was pretty clear to anyone not jerking their knee, that vote turned into a 'do what the government/financial organisations tell you' versus 'dont do what they tell you', as we know where that ended up.

      That would actually be: some of the government and most financial organisations 'vs' the other half of the government and a bunch of super-rich billionaires.

      This isn't a victory for individual rights.

    6. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Wow, we finally have a Supreme Court in Brussels! Thanks for telling us! My information was rather outdated, so I was still under the impression that there was just the ECJ in Luxembourg, which only looks at violations of specifically European law.

    7. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2

      As was pretty clear to anyone not jerking their knee, that vote turned into a 'do what the government/financial organisations tell you' versus 'dont do what they tell you', as we know where that ended up.

      What the fuck are you on about? Or do you not consider that Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis and etc voices of the government telling people what to do? And May... well she was an inveterate fence sitter being lukewarm towards remain while it looked like it might win. Now, we have one of the biggest authoritarians we've seen in recent years heading for a landslide.

      And you consider *that* people not doing what the government wants?

      The only sane solution for the general population is to double down on telling them no.

      Yeah we told them no by giving them more power than they could dream of. Let's doing again!

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    8. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Nonsense, this isn't punishment for Brexit, this is because of Brexit.

      If you hadn't noticed that all those politicians that were pro-Brexit were also pro-authoritarianism then you weren't paying attention. There's a reason the Le Pens, and Farages of the world all praise Putin - because they love his authoritarian way of leading with an iron fist, given that, it shouldn't be surprising that that's what they want for their respective countries too to anyone who was paying attention. It should've rung alarm bells when Aaron Banks, one of the chief sponsors of the Leave vote said he doesn't give a shit about democracy, but instead people were like "Yeah, sovereignty!".

      But you really actually thought "Get our sovereignty back" meant more power for you as a citizen? Really? You were that naive? Of course it didn't.

      The whole point in the EU and ECHR was precisely to stop any European state descending back into the authoritarianism that plagued and fucked up the continent in the first half of last century. It shouldn't be surprising therefore that the people that most want rid of it, are the people that want a return to that.

      No one was ever going to give you more power as a citizen through Brexit, if they gave a shit about giving people a voice then we'd have switched to a proportional representation voting system as that would be far more achievable with far less economic damage (and possible economic gain). There's a reason there's an almost perfect alignment in views such that those who are anti-EU, are also anti-electoral reform, and against an elected Lords. Those people want absolute power, and those of you who voted for Brexit, have voted to give them it, you're now getting what you voted for, suck it up, and stop trying to blame anyone else. I know that's the fad in the UK nowadays - blame everyone else for your fuck ups, but no, that's not how this works. This is YOUR doing if you voted for Brexit, you now get to blame no one else, it's not the immigrants fault anymore, it's not the governments fault anymore, you voted for it, you're getting it - you voted to eliminate the oversight the EU provides that keeps government overreach in check.

      The EU and ECHR have been the most important organisations for ensuring peace, healthy democracy, and freedom across the continent, because they're conditions for membership. It was the ECHR and EU that blocked things like Phorm from giving all our internet activity data to private companies, it was the ECHR and EU that blocked the various incarnations of the snoopers charter for being as remotely as bad as our governments wanted them to be, it was the ECHR and EU that blocked our governments from the sort of arbitrary detention without trial the UK wanted equivalent to Guantanamo for the war on terror. If you bought the line that the EU/ECHR were blocking our freedoms, then I've got a bridge to sell you. It's not worth much anymore though I guess.

    9. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
      Once the UK is out of the EU the government will be free to trounce upon the rights of the people because citizens won't be able to go to the Supreme Court in Brussels.

      Yes - the technical term is bringing back sovereignty - its not the sovereignty of the people, its sovereignty of our nit-wit MPs. We are still exactly where we were before - the Monster Raving Looney Party still has no seats.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    10. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      we never lost sovereignty

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    11. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tells you how informed the Brexit vote really was...

    12. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The solution is to keep doing exactly what they don't want you to - and that is voting AGAINST them, removing career politicians from office whenever and where ever possible.

      This will never happen until there is a legally binding 'None Of The Above' on every ballot paper, if that is the majority vote, then none of the names on the ballot can stand again, I'd say forever, but at least for five years.
      We're in the 'interesting' position that Labour are in bed with the Tories locally as the council elections didn't give them overall control, and this is in Scotland...parcel of fucking rogues indeed (Tories in Scotland?, in a traditional Labour heartland?, you ask, white settlers and fucking quisling Unionists I reply...)

    13. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Xyrus · · Score: 2

      The thing to remember is that this is pretty much all a reaction to the BREXIT vote...

      The BREXIT vote made Putin do a happy dance. It was yet another success for his global disinformation campaign that's been running for the past couple of decades. It's been wildly successful throughout Europe and even the US.

      --
      ~X~
    14. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by misexistentialist · · Score: 1

      When has an EU court ruled in favor of internet liberty? The "right to be forgotten" and "hate speech" come out of the German heart of the EU, the porn restrictions are cousins of Scandinavian feminist policy. Islamist terror is not mentioned at all

    15. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by MatthiasF · · Score: 1

      Are you dense? The Brexit vote winning LET'S THEM DO THIS.

      The Eurozone's Internet privacy standards are the complete opposite of what is proposed. If anything, people who voted for Brexit did exactly what the fascists wanted them to do.

      All from people abusing social media, fake news and stereotypical preconceptions instead of making a rational argument for leaving.

    16. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by benjfowler · · Score: 1

      You've been played -- big time.

      Have you thought about whose interests, empty slogans like "TAKE BACK CONTROL", and dog-whistle racism benefits?

      Yes, this country is overflowing with idiots, and the oligarchs (British, American AND Russian) are laughing all the way to the bank.

      These same idiots don't see that it was partially a Russian power-play to attack the EU, which it resents for what it sees as muscling in on its traditional "sphere of influence" (countries who got sick of being raped to death, figuratively and literally, by the Russians, and fled to the West at the first opportunity). Russia has a long memory and is out to get us. Why do you think they were cheering and toasting when the Brexit vote came through?? Because they are about what's good for Britain??

    17. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That Supreme Court in Brussels doesn't exist. What you probably mean is that court in Strasbourg, but that is not part of the EU but of the Council of Europe. This court is still available for all UK residents. Even 'the enemy' Russia is a member of this council.

    18. Re: Punishment for BREXIT. by UpnAtom · · Score: 1

      UK government isn't bound by any rights other than the toothless Human Rights Act. Though it can be embarrassing for them to be told they've breached the rights of their citizens.

    19. Re:Punishment for BREXIT. by Jahta · · Score: 1

      It's not punishment for Brexit. They've wanted to do this kind of stuff for years but needed to be out of the EU to do it. Once the UK is out of the EU the government will be free to trounce upon the rights of the people because citizens won't be able to go to the Supreme Court in Brussels.

      Exactly this. Theresa May wanted the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights even before the Brexit referendum took place. It isn't hard to work out why a politician would want to do away with human rights.

  14. In "eat my fucking shit and die" news... by eyenot · · Score: 0

    âStupid fucks couldn't make shit if it was clay.â

    âI sincerely hope each & every one of these goats gets a nice sharp knifepoint in bad places.â I don't have time to do it, but do it and I'll give you a high five and tell you you're a piece of worm detritus and that you owe me your mother and sister to fuck, and also the nation of Yemen -- if you don't own Yemen, don't bother murdering these dildo tweezers on my behalf, because I'd rather she you eat fried pigs hit from a flayed horse's burrowed out cock, you stupid fuck.

    --
    "Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
  15. And how will they covince the world? by Hentes · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And how do they plan to convince the rest of the world to give them control over the internet? Oh right, they aren't planning to control the internet, they are planning to cut England off of it. But that doesn't sound as catchy I guess.

    1. Re:And how will they covince the world? by dwywit · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I anticipate a BIG pushback from corporate interests. Imagine the court cases based on the govt snooping on "commercial in confidence" data being transmitted within the UK and across its borders. Oh, yeah, banks, etc are going to be *real* happy to have their communications monitored and shared.

      I'd like to institute a slight modification to our democratic practices: any living politician, in office or not, whose support for something that turns out to be a clusterfuck (like this) gets to face some consequences. Perhaps confiscation of assets. If you want the power to decide these things, you can damn' well face some serious consequences for poor judgement, and not enjoy a post-career joyride on speaking tours and company directorships. Might teach them to think beyond the next election cycle.

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
    2. Re:And how will they covince the world? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They don't have to convince the rest of the world. If they pass this then it's a test for the other governments if they can do the same. If it passes without significant protest, then they will enact and further extend their reach into our lives. You can be sure the 5 eyes will do everything they can to copy China, Iran, etc. to safeguard their political positions.

    3. Re:And how will they covince the world? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I anticipate a BIG pushback from corporate interests.

      What corporate interests? Many corporate interests have already said fuck this and and a moving to countries which will remain in the EU.

    4. Re:And how will they covince the world? by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Basically, they'd import the technology required from China. They'd create a 'Great Wall of the United Kingdom' and draconically enforce very strict controls over what is and is not published on the UK internet, and very strict controls over what can be accessed by the UK on the rest of the worlds' internet. In a country used to being a first-world, more-or-less democratic, non-communist country, it'll be a gigantic disaster. I doubt it'll ever get off the ground. As soon as people realize what it is they're planning, there'll be such an outcry that the Torries will have to back away from it.

    5. Re:And how will they covince the world? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although many corporate interests don't want it, some do - they like the idea of zero-hour contracts, no workers rights, low wages and a population living their lives in rented accomadation desperate for any work they're given is appealing.

      However.

      In the most part you are correct - neither the corporate interests nor those leaning towards socialist want this. So who does? The answer is certain parts of the old guard in the UK - the public school chinless and brainless toffs (the UK's "elites") who have never had to either work nor struggle a single day in their lives, and in their delusion still see Britain during the times of Empire and whose idea of a great victory is to send thousands of troops in bright red uniforms to march slowly to their own slaughter.

      This isn't about the wellbeing of the country, or of its citizens, or the corporations. It's entirely about keeping a fractured and schizophrenic Tory party from imploding at the expense of everything and everyone else.

  16. No big whoop, comrade by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We have a government-controlled internet in the US, too. It's just not controlled by our government.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:No big whoop, comrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's right, it's controlled by AT&T and Comcast. But they are the de facto government now, aren't they? And you can't really say they were entirely unelected either, can you? No, you cannot, since you know who sponsors the politicians you vote for...

      And Hillary, please, stop being such a sore loser. It's so unbecoming...

    2. Re:No big whoop, comrade by SubaruStarship · · Score: 1

      I don't what Internet you connect to, but I access mine via Trump WinSock. It must be under our control. ;)

    3. Re:No big whoop, comrade by sims+2 · · Score: 1

      The only other "internet" i'm aware of running in parallel with the internet is Internet2
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
      That organization that seems to think universities should have obnoxiously fast internetwork connections.
      Well I suppose it was obnoxious a few years ago I suppose a 100Gbps line isn't that great shared among a few thousand students anymore.

      Looking at the wiki page there is actually a few others listed in see also.

      --
      Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
    4. Re:No big whoop, comrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do the DNC and their globalist masters pay you for every post that parrots their russia narrative, or are you on salary? Or perhaps you are one of their sea-org bottom feeders who does it for free because you naively think that you're working for some greater cause and that they'll throw you some scraps some day?

      Inquiring minds want to know what drives a brainless simpleton such as yourself.

    5. Re:No big whoop, comrade by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      Inquiring minds want to know what drives a brainless simpleton such as yourself.

      Uber.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:No big whoop, comrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'Trump WinSock' - best joke I've heard all year :)

    7. Re:No big whoop, comrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dear Sir,

      You win the Internet.

      Signed,

      A Win95 User

  17. Series of tubes by somenickname · · Score: 1

    In further comments, the Prime Minister stated, "We've long known that the internet is just a series of tubes and so we've decided that we are just going to go around and turn off all those little valves that lead outside the country. Once we've determined that our internet tubes are not leaking, we are going to add more tubes and those tubes are going to route everything into a big tank of internets. We plan to make a tank big enough to hold ALL the internets. It will be a much better paradigm than, for example, big trucks dumping things onto the internet. Instead, all the tubes will lead to the tank and the government will make sure the tank is full of clean, healthy internets."

    1. Re:Series of tubes by matbury6017 · · Score: 1

      And there I was thinking they were pipes, not tubes. Damn you, Dubbya, you lovable ol' rascal you!

    2. Re:Series of tubes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, pipes are specified by internal diameter and tubes by outside diameter.
      Does that make fiber optics pipes or tubes?

    3. Re:Series of tubes by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
      Does that make fiber optics pipes or tubes?

      Yes, or then again, maybe ... no!

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  18. Everyone involved in this should be executed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or we should just nuke the UK.

  19. FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Will shitheads please stop conflating things that aren't related to each other? "Right wingers" often care about free speech, especially in regards to refuting government control! It's fuckers like you from both artificial "sides" of politics, that conflate shit to make politics into a fucking football match, that stop "Lefists" and "Right wingers" from banding together to stop this sort of dystopian, rights-squandering, stupid government overreach from happening. When it gets through, it will be because people like YOU won't agree on this issue because you are too busy pigeonholing people you disagree with on other issues as the dreaded Other!

    1. Re:FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Except that time and time again, the right side of politics show that they don't give a shit about people and only care about business.

      So maybe your side should try and do something about that, or we will keep labelling you as arseholes.

    2. Re:FFS by Freischutz · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Will shitheads please stop conflating things that aren't related to each other? "Right wingers" often care about free speech, especially in regards to refuting government control! It's fuckers like you from both artificial "sides" of politics, that conflate shit to make politics into a fucking football match, that stop "Lefists" and "Right wingers" from banding together to stop this sort of dystopian, rights-squandering, stupid government overreach from happening. When it gets through, it will be because people like YOU won't agree on this issue because you are too busy pigeonholing people you disagree with on other issues as the dreaded Other!

      That is true, one should not pigeonhole people, but according to the polls millions of conservatives are going to go out and vote for this woman. So while these conservatives may care about freedom of speech and government control it would appear that they do not care about these things so much that voting for somebody who wants to gut freedom of speech and extend government control is a deal breaker for them. Now I'm not saying that they should go out and vote for Jeremy Corbyn but they could stay at home rather than vote for Margaret Thatcher Mk.II.

    3. Re:FFS by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 1

      There's the LibDems, too. From what I understand, Corbyn and Labour are something of a dumpster fire right now. I don't know that the LibDems are any better, but they're around. My understanding of UK politics is limited too, but I also want to say that either Labour or the LibDems have a problem in that Scotland will mostly vote SNP, meaning it's that much harder to beat the Tories to a majority.

      Point I wanted to make though is that there's other choices than the Tories or Labour.

    4. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ahh,you mean the same people who happily voted the Tories in on the basis of cutting benefits for millions of the poorest in the UK,while giving rich old Tory pensioners a triple locked guaranteed income above inflation,and more tax breaks for the middle class and wealthy..
      People,especially Tory voters are only interested in one thing,money for themselves and their friends,they have no conscience, a strange ethical and moral code.
      They all work on the basis of "do as I say,not do as I do"
      The poor and working class maybe under educated, but their not stupid,they remember what Blair/Brown did to them,they will not vote Labour,many will not vote at all..
      When you see the opposition parties in the UK,you can see why so many don't/won't vote..

    5. Re: FFS by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      The poor and working class maybe under educated, but their not stupid

      Well somebody certainly is.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      education level affects voting, the less education you have the more you are likely to believe tory lies and vote for them against your own interests, literally the more stupid you are the more likely you are conservative..

      Guess why the tories fucked the schools up...

    7. Re:FFS by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
      according to the polls millions of conservatives are going to go out and vote for this woman

      You are one of the "conflationistas".

      Some people probably are voting for May. Most are voting against the alternatives. In the UK, almost all votes are against something, rather than for someone.

      And the reason a lot of people vote right of Labour is that that the Labour has proved in the past, and continues to demonstrate, that it has not the slightest inkling that wealth is created, let alone how. It is the party of jealousy, and Corbyn is a leader of jealousy politics.

      "The economy is like a cake and we want the poor to get a bigger share" is the argument here. No - the economy is NOT like a cake - anyone who claims that needs to go out and get a ferret*. The economy is like a fire - if you take out the hot coals, it goes out, and everyone gets cold. The poison here is the measurement of poverty in relative terms. I am not arguing that people are not poor in the UK - I am arguing that far from helping the poor, the left wing makes them worse off. You might want to look at Gordon Brown's policy of taxing the "filthy rich" which included people on £3,000 PA in the categories he taxed. Taxing people on benefits is as terminally stupid as government policy can get.

      As for "fight for the right to be exploited" the Labour party knows full well that the more people are wage-slaves, the more people will vote Labour. Hence its vigorous commitment to employees at the expense of everyone else.

      * Allegedly: "everyone is a socialist, until they own a ferret" ((A ferret is a means of earning money by catching rabbits). - Once you realise wealth is created, you understand that wealth creation requires capital, and if you take the capital and share it out - pretty soon wealth stops being created, and there is nothing to share out. (obviously we don't all the wealth in the hands of one or two, but who owns all the equity? Its YOUR insurance company and pension fund. You should be fighting to have more say in what they do with it.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    8. Re: FFS by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 2
      People,especially Tory voters are only interested in one thing,money for themselves and their friends,they have no conscience, a strange ethical and moral code.

      It is this belief that prevents you from seeing the truth. I do not deny that some Tory voters are like that. If you think like that, you sure-as-hell wont be voting for Corbyn.

      Your problem is that you believe that the way to help the poor is to take from the rich - and then end up defining "the rich" as people on more than £3,000 a year.

      You have to consider why they are rich - they are rich because they have something someone else wants

      . Yes - it is jealousy that is making them rich.

      The poor do not need more fish - they need a way to catch fish without a long line of middle men eating out of their fish. Labour are committed to keeping you under the middle men, because their existence depends on increasing the number of underlings and their jealousy. They do this by telling you "anyone better off than you is a greedy fuck", instead of admitting that there are other ways of life than being a wage-slave, and most of these need to be encouraged, because life as an assembly-line worker is going to the robots, and robots are piss-poor at jealousy.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    9. Re:FFS by polyp2000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This really depends on who's media you read. If you are basing those facts on British TV and Newspapers the chances are you wont have noticed that Theresa May's party could equally be branded with the "dumpster fire" slur. After all , her party was fighting over the manifesto and was the last to get it released. And my what a nightmarish proposition it is. But the BBC and even "reputable" newspapers are guilty of bias.

      I would remind voters that they are NOT voting for the leader of the party ,they are voting on their candidate. Read the manifesto's and decide which policies you think are beneficial. Try not to be selfish , think about how those policies will affect not you , but everyone else in the coutry. Try to think about how those policies will affect the environment and the planet. But do NOT vote because you have a thing against a certain person.

      Reading the Conservative manifesto is basically a death wish for millions of needy people and also for the environment. FFS do not endorse the Tory manifesto by voting for it.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    10. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Interestingly in this election cycle Labour *did* define the rich as those earning more than £80,000, which is the top 5%, and based tax policy on that, wanting to reintroduce a preexisting tax band removed by the conservatives, and will likewise lower it for those on low incomes. Median wage for those in work is £27,000 in the UK. For 95% of the population, voting conservative is genuinely voting against their own best interests, yet many are willing to do just that. I'm intrigued who you think these "middle men" are. Lets see where the money goes.... are they the NHS nurses that have to use food banks to survive? Are they the armed forces, or the police, who both also earn low wages and have been slashed under the current UK government? By "middlemen" I assume you mean "society and the services required to keep it operating". Perhaps society should go back to shitting in the street and wiping with our hand just so the elites can ignore their responsibilities like spoilt brats?

    11. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem with the Tories hiring cheap foreign shills is that they have no idea what UK wages look like. A whole £3000PA eh?

    12. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is a rehash of the theory of "trickle down economics", which past history has shown to actually work in reverse. I can guarentee I earn more than you, yet will be voting Labour. Apart from the horrific censorship and spying on everyone on the internet in the UK, the tories will be introducing a " death tax" and stealing my families property, are set to destroy my pension and have indicated they are about to raise taxes considerably for everyone. What the tories offer are an assault on freedom and stealing the wealth of the middle classes in the UK so the elites can continue to consume the country. I will vote in my own best interest.

    13. Re: FFS by Macthorpe · · Score: 1

      What are you talking about? The Labour manifesto specifically defines the rich as earning more than £80,000 per year which is only 5% of the population. Less than £10k and you don't pay any tax at all, even under the Tories.

      Where are you getting £3,000 from?

      --
      "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
    14. Re:FFS by tendrousbeastie · · Score: 1

      Voters are voting on whatever they choose to vote on. It is up to them.

      If they want to vote on manifestos then that is their choice. If they want vote on who is most telegenic then that is their choice. If they want vote on whichever leadership team seems the most competent then that is their choice.

      It is the job of the political parties to win the election. They can do this in many ways - by closely following public opinion so as never to upset anyone; by trying to change public opinion by being persuasive; ignoring public opinion and focusing only on their exist base.

      It is their job to win the election in whatever best way balances cynical electioneering against sincere policy positioning.

      But constantly moaning on about the media as the reason why a party will lose is childish and achieves nothing, and if your best election strategy is to blame the media then you are going to lose. You can complain that the game is rigged, fine, but it is your job to win the game.

    15. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do you propose social care be paid for?

    16. Re:FFS by polyp2000 · · Score: 1

      I agree with everything you say.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    17. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The same way as usual, only with a lot fewer parasites who can afford their own accountants and tax havens and multinational tax dodgers at the top. The scaremongers of the elite would like to make it sound like a slight rebalancing is the equivalent of the sky falling, big surprise, those corpulent leeches have been sucking the country dry for long enough.

    18. Re: FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the problem when the Tories hire foreign shills to hide their illegal campaign overspending. They probably told the poor third world shmuck that £3000PA was a good salary.

    19. Re:FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Says the guy who's food/transportation/clothes/electronics/etc. are made by businesses. Most people are taken care of by businesses. Not politicians.

      So maybe you should shut your fucking mouth or open a soup kitchen.

    20. Re:FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There are alternatives to "only caring about businesses" besides "hating all businesses"

      Some examples:

      * "caring about businesses a lot but not exclusively"
      * "caring about businesses proportionately to other interests"
      * "not caring about businesses very much"
      * "hating all businesses" (you went here)

      The criticism was that the right "ONLY cares about business".. So you replying that "the left uses business products too!" falls under the category of "so..?" The left can care about valid business needs-- just not to the exclusion and with consideration of non-business interests.

      In other words, you are an arsehole after all.

    21. Re:FFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, I was once a raging/raving leftie, but over 50 years switched sides as I saw mostly the left-wing pols become exactly what you describe as the "right side of politics". I see the Dem "giving a shit about people" as the biggest ruse in history, as their "caring" looks a lot more like Stalin and Pol-Pot and less like our Nation's founders and the model of freedom and democracy is still represents to all those fleeing the world outside.

  20. Theresa May, by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and if it moves her nation towards totalitarianism, she probably Will.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  21. Congratulations.. by Z80a · · Score: 1

    You just handed the election to anyone that says "we're doing the brexit thing, but not cutting the internet off".

    1. Re:Congratulations.. by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      The Liberal Democrats?

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    2. Re: Congratulations.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Liberal Democats have said they want a second referendum on Brexit, and are fully against internet censorship and spying. The Labour Party want a soft Brexit, retaining access to the EU common market and rights, but seem ok with existing internet spying and censorship. The Tories want Hard Brexit, all bridges burnt with the EU, and Full Fat Fascism on the internet. I hope this helps clear things up.

  22. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They will do what China is doing?

  23. UK Conservative is a US Leftist. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Conservative Party of the United Kingdom has hired an unexpected-but-certainly-qualified person to advise its general election team: Jim Messina, architect of the Barack Obama re-election and former Deputy White House Chief of Staff. What gives? How could a self-described lifelong Democrat go work for the Conservatives?

    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/how-conservative-would-uk-conservatives-be-us/312573/

    1. Re:UK Conservative is a US Leftist. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You think the democrats are 'leftist'? They are the same fucking party they have been for years. They just say whatever BS whatever special interest group they are pandering to this week to get votes. Then turn around and vote for them to get all the power and money. The biggest lie they tell? The republicans did it. No, the republicans are complicit. They pick wedge issues to flip voters and pretend they are saving the world when all they know how to do is gaslight and bully.

    2. Re:UK Conservative is a US Leftist. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This was My point...

      a UK Conservative is NOT a Republican.....

      Which means that those people here Crying FOUL but voted Hillary just do not comprehend where it will end up.

  24. Following great examples by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    China, North Korea, Iran...

  25. Look no further than by dschiptsov · · Score: 4, Insightful

    China, Iran, Russia and Turkey for this kind of innovations. It would be sad and ironic if UK will join this elite club.

    1. Re:Look no further than by benjfowler · · Score: 1

      Because _they_ understand what information warfare is, and have done so for years?

      The West is only now starting to wake up -- because the _Russians_ have just taught us how devastatingly effective a tool it is for convincing populations to act against their own interests. The Russians had a BIG hand in Brexit.. tools of mass propaganda and influence are devastating in the wrong hands.

      We need to defend ourselves. We cannot let our open societies by attacked and subverted by corrupt dictators like Putin's Russia. It's increasingly clear that we need to defend ourselves in the information realm.

    2. Re: Look no further than by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The good old boogie man argument: I thought you it was the muslims that were the problem. I guess that was last weeks problems. Now we gotta fight another fake battle.

  26. God Save The Queen by jamander4 · · Score: 0

    and her fascist regime. Sex Pistols

  27. It's a JOB stupid! by bussdriver · · Score: 1

    Marketing and Propaganda are JOBS just like being a lawyer. Some people are free to choose for whom they work and apply whatever morality they have.... this guy clearly does not care or he hates freedom or he doesn't care what other countries do to themselves.

    1. Re:It's a JOB stupid! by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      The last time I looked the Democrats were still some way to the right of the Conservative party (who still say they support single payer healthcare). Bernie Sanders is where our old neo-liberal Labour party used to be under Tony Blair. Trump is a far right demagogue who threatens concentration camps for minorities, unregulated environmental disaster and tax cuts for the super rich.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
  28. Unexpected! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have a government-controlled internet in the US, too. It's just not controlled by our government.

    PopeRatzo naming the (((Jew)))? I knew you wouldn't be a worthless cuck forevermore.

  29. The independent is bollocks by 91degrees · · Score: 2

    I remember when the Independent was a politically neutral dull and worthy newspaper. Now it has become an anti-government clickbait site.

    While it's true that the Tories have a lot of stupid ideas about regulating the internet,the idea that they'll create a "government controlled internet" is ridiculous, except insofar as it's already government controlled. I.e. do something illegal online, and you'll be arrested.

    90% of the article is wild speculation, trying to make concrete conclusions from vague manifesto promises.

    There's a lot to criticise in the manifesto. Please don't use the Independent as a source if you do so. It has no credibility and you lose credibility by referencing it.

    1. Re:The independent is bollocks by Dupple · · Score: 1

      What do you suggest as a credible source then?

      You loose your credibility by not stating one.

      --
      Watch those corners
    2. Re:The independent is bollocks by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      The Independent is doing it's job well. I often read two adjacent articles from both sides of the political spectrum which strongly disagree with each other. The fault I am afraid is in your psychology, you are a fanatic - just like ISIS or any other crackpot you cannot allow anyone to have a different viewpoint from you. So make your point that you think this is a trivial item in the manifesto but don't be an idiot and claim that an alternative view is fake news. That just makes you look stupid.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
    3. Re:The independent is bollocks by serviscope_minor · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I remember when the Independent was a politically neutral dull and worthy newspaper. Now it has become an anti-government clickbait site.

      No, you're falling into the same trap that much of the media has fallen into. If one side is worthy of more criticism, then it is neutral to do so.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    4. Re:The independent is bollocks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me rephrase and simplify that.

      Independent used to publish things I mostly agreed with, therefore it was a worthy newspaper.

      Now Independent publishes something I don't agree with, therefore it is an anti-government rag with no credibility.

      Stop trying to pass as an objective, rational person. You're only kidding yourself. You're just an irrational, biased, tribal animal just like the rest of us,

    5. Re:The independent is bollocks by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      Well, you could read the manifesto. See if it actually agrees with what the article says without some pretty crazy interpretation. Specifically, where in the manifesto does it say "We will create a government controlled internet"?

      I can't for the life of me work out why people are reading this article and agree that the interpretation of the statements are anything but batshit crazy.

    6. Re:The independent is bollocks by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      In what way am I a fanatic? Because I think an article is clickbait?

      It isn't a view. It isn't a trivial item in the manifesto. I never said it was fake news. I said it was bollocks! It is! It's an item that is literally not in the manifesto! The manifesto says one thing, the article says it says something completely different.

      Read the Guardian. Read Another Angry Voice. Hell, even the sodding Mirror has better journalism than the Indpendent these days if it's publishing this sort of rubbish!

    7. Re:The independent is bollocks by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      The Conservative party is worthy of a lot of criticism. But I think it makes more sense to be critical of the things that they're doing, or plan to do than to take some random lines from their manifesto and try to imply that the government wants to create a new "government controlled internet".

    8. Re:The independent is bollocks by 91degrees · · Score: 1
      No. What I mean is that the Independent went form being a quality newspaper to a stupid clickbait site. And it is an antigovernment rag with no credibility because it posts articles like this one. I mean come on - this is what they consider "breaking news"

      Stop trying to pass as an objective, rational person. You're only kidding yourself. You're just an irrational, biased, tribal animal just like the rest of us

      Well, obviously! But we're all capable of some rationality, so I ask you this;

      Is creating a new, government controlled internet something that a political party would be bragging about in a document that is trying to get them elected?

  30. Nah there's more than that by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 1

    Anything that is larger than an intranet, that connects intranets is, well, an internet. Not the capital I Internet, but a small i internet. The US government has several, for different levels of classification and different agencies. NIPRnet is their unclassified network and can be argued to be part of the Internet, but in kind of the same way I2 is in that while it connects to it at points it has its own infrastructure. SIPRnet is for stuff classified at Secret and is a separate internet, that you can't get to (or at least hopefully you can't) from the public Internet.

  31. "Free" world is messed up by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    We got the stupid president, you got the stupid laws. If this keeps up, we'll both have both.

  32. 1984 by globaljustin · · Score: 2

    Nice work Airstrip One.

    --
    Thank you Dave Raggett
    1. Re:1984 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, from May's address: "And henceforth Britain shall be known by it's new name, Airstrip One! War is peace!"

  33. Sounds like death of privacy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Slashdot text here points out "personal data" however "privacy" is not mentioned. Presumably UK government doesn't care about people's privacy needs.

    Being a European citizen, I consider UK government to be a terrorist organization so I couldn't trust they anyway.

  34. Britain was aligned with Oceania by skandalfo · · Score: 1

    Orwell was prophesizing when he adscribed Britain to the Oceania block (including the American territories) rather than the Eurasia one.

  35. Dear Mrs. May by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I usually sell good advice. Actually, that's my job. This one is just for you, and it's free: Don't even try.

    In the end, what you will get if you actually go through with your plan is heaps of cost, very little gain and lots and lots of pissed off people who break any law you try to make in this area with impunity. And, to make matters worse, you create a society that doesn't take you or your state serious anymore when it comes to its ability to pass sensible laws.

    What you're heading for is essentially what fell the East Bloc: That the people you are trying to govern do not believe in your ability to govern anymore. Now, in a truly democratic society, this problem can be solved: You'll be voted out and someone who the people believe in gets voted in. Sadly, this option is not really a viable one anymore since whoever would get voted in would only continue to abuse the system you are trying to create just as much as you do.

    What people do in such a case is to simply create a society outside yours. A parallel society that lives with your laws, but basically ignore them. And such societies rarely stop at ignoring those laws that they (rightfully) identified as evil, useless and detrimental. The problem with such parallel societies is that once they start breaking laws, they cannot rely on your legal system and executive anymore to protect them against breaking other laws.

    Mrs. May, don't make the same mistake the East Bloc made. You still have a working country, despite your government, don't squander that.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  36. Previously ... by Martin+S. · · Score: 2

    Theresa May was previously the Minister for the Home Office and therefore responsible for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the failure of IT governance in that made the NHS vulnerable to attack last week.

    The conservatives also passed the Digital Economy Act 2017 Described as 'unacceptable', 'unaffordable', and 'infeasible' by the UK Open Right Group which an erosion of consumer Digital Rights and considered by many to be quid pro quo to old media barons for their support.

  37. Meanwhile in America by mi · · Score: 1

    "Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet... We disagree."

    Sounds like something, fans of "Net Neutrality" would say...

    At least, UK may create a new "government controlled Internet" (or so the write-up says). America's Progressives wish to take over the existing network, impose "Title II" on the ISPs, ban the sites they don't like and otherwise sensor "haters".

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re: Meanwhile in America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOLOLOLOLOL nice links. Those are totally reputable.

  38. We're gonna have our own internet! by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

    With hookers and blackjack!

  39. First surveillance, now media and communication by biggaijin · · Score: 1

    She's right: the UK will be the world leader not only in the surveillance of their subjects, but also in repressive control of the information they are allowed to see and their communications with others. It's another sad step toward the Brave New World.

  40. Mrs May and the Snoppers Charter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mrs May is just a mathematically challenged technologically illiterate over promoted geography teacher who retrained as a lawyer. As a lawyer she has little respect
    for what is right or wrong.

    If any one wanted to screw up the operation of their security services via information overload while wasting two billion pounds of tax payers money I cannot think of anything better than the Snoopers Charter.

    As a former life long conservative voter no longer will I vote Conservative as Mrs May has crossed my red line with the Snooper's Charter.

    The silly trollop ignored the advice given by the Danes and the Americans about their experiences about monitoring Web access and email messages.

  41. Come the fuck on, please! by benjfowler · · Score: 0

    I know this site strongly leans libertarian, but you've got to realize the scale of the threat from our enemies, how slick their propaganda and subversion is, and how unrealistic it is to expect the majority of our citizens to get media-literate in a timely way before the Russians cause our society to implode.

    The West is under massive assault by people who want to see us gone. Russia is out for revenge for the 1990s, and they WILL NOT STOP until we stop them, or our cities are ablaze. We've already our out equivalent of Yeltsin in the White House, and we've already seen a litany of political attacks on the European Union from the Russian side.

    The Russians engineered Brexit with the help of traitors like Aaron Banks and Nigel Farage. You can bet the British government knows this, and understand the scale and seriousness of the Russian threat.

    Those of you whining about British 'fascism' had better get a reality check. A completely unfettered Internet lets our adversaries pump all sorts of propaganda and astroturf into our discourse, and it's so bad, it's threatening the value of objective news itself. Putin loathes us, and is out to destroy us, and yet his useful-idiots and thralls here want to keep the doors open to Russian information war on the West.

    Get a reality check. The word is a hostile place and getting worse. We must give ourselves to tools to defend ourselves against those who would wish us harm.

    1. Re:Come the fuck on, please! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Much as I despise Banks and Farage the idea that Brexit it was Russian engineered is delusional.

  42. Lord Buckethead Intergalalctic Space Lord FTW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you want to stop May getting in, then it is Maidenhead in Berkshire, it is a little churlish but she will still be in government, how about:

    http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/general-election-2017/115345/general-election-2017-meet-the-maidenhead-candidates.html

    Lord Buckethead, Independent describes himself as an 'intergalactic space lord' .

    That would send a message, if the net got him in, and it was over not having this controlled net.

  43. Lord Buckethead Intergalactic Space Lord FTW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    he may be the only one who can save us.

  44. Rationale for BREXIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Theresa May tried for this type of laws time and time again, and was shot down by the EU every time. Hence, the exit.
    Or did you *really* believe she and her party were "against" the very thing they're so happily abusing now?

    But yeah, this *is* a punishment for BREXIT for the gullible voters. And for everyone else who have the misfortune to live in the same country. :(

  45. Grammar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Known as #Mayhem in some circles, but seemingly able to command significant support from new and old media." and "Also, applying new social media analytics." are not full sentences. This is slap dash, not slash dot.

  46. Global Leader? by Bert64 · · Score: 1

    North Korea already have their own government controlled and regulated internet...

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  47. These are Not Conservatives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Conservatives stand for smaller government and less government intrusion into our lives. I don't know what's going on with the British government, and the American government while I'm at it, or their candidates, but this is NOT conservatism.

  48. False title and article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The post points to an article in the Independent that shows a video. But in the video, although Theresa May is speaking, we do not get to hear what she is saying. Instead we get loud music designed to stop us concentrating or focussing our thoughts. The body of the article contains very few direct quotes. And it is clear that this is the leftist Independent trying to sabotage a Conservative candidate.

  49. Syncronicity - government control of the Internet by eric_harris_76 · · Score: 1

    Amusing pair of Slashdot stories today.

    • Aftermath From The Net Neutrality Vote: A Mass Movement To Protect The Open Internet?
    • UK Conservatives Pledge To Create Government-Controlled Internet

    Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.

    --
    There's no time like the present. Well, the past used to be.
  50. One could expect this attempted runaway idea from by ControversyDaily · · Score: 1

    Seriously people, if one is trying to "civilize" the world, shouldn't one be civilized first?