Alex Cox (the director) - "Why I Oppose Freedom"

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

(...)

We're told repeatedly, by Bush, Blair and similar creeps, that our adversaries in the War on Terror "hate our freedoms." What freedoms are these? The freedom of the accused to have a jury trial? Gone, thanks to Blair, always a mediocre law student. Freedom of communication, by phone or e-mail? Gone, thanks to Clinton as much as Bush. Freedom to have dissenting or anti-war voices heard, on the public airwaves? Gone, ages back. Freedom in the sense of a free university education? Gone, in England, thanks to New Labour. Freedom as in the right to join a union, or the right to speak out against religious bullshit? Gone, buddy. Freedom to stroll out to the pub without an ID Card? Wave bye-bye to that one.

So what freedoms are left?

We have the right to vote, of course. But not to have our vote counted. Shall we list the places where the vote was recently stolen? Peru. Mexico. The United States. Birmingham, England. Hull. Leeds. Bradford. What about the places where the vote was stolen a few years back? Russia, where the West applauded as Yeltsin shelled his own democratically-elected parliament. Mexico, again. The United States, again. Algeria, where the election was cancelled when it the Islamist 'Justice' Party won it: 100,000 have died there, since the army cracked down on the democratic victors, while the EU, satisfied with the bloody outcome, looks the other way. May I return to the Irish referendum on EU expansion? The Irish voted against expansion. But, since this wasn't what their masters wanted, they were forced to have the vote again! And EU expansion passed, by the narrowest of majorities.

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Bush, Blair, and the rest of these anti-democratic rascals would like to keep us in a permanent frenzy of fear, punctuated by shopping. Freedom to shop, freedom to fear. I don't like those freedoms. I don't support, and don't want to live in, a society which the rest of the world hates, not for its freedoms, but because of its selfishness and its bullying cowardice.

These little politicians with their security guards and their private jet aircraft offer the rest of us a choice no thinking peron wants: freedom versus security. As one of the Founding Fathers (probably Benjamin Franklin) said, anyone stupid enough to think there can be a choice between freedom and security ends up with neither.

(...)

http://alexcox.com/blog.htm

[ixion]

1. this is an excellent op/ed... here's a great quote, one of many...

"But, as a business traveller, I now think twice, and shall hence think thrice, before calling the airline. If there is any way I can do business via phone, or the internet (surveilled or not),I will. I'm not afraid of flying, nor particularly of dying. But I have certain freedoms of my own. They are important to me. If I can't get on a plane with my computer and a book to read, most likely I won't go at all."

As someone who has to travel (now less and less) for business, I really relate to this statement. I can't FATHOM not bringing a book to read on the plane.

Really, a must read. Why every person who doesn't cherish REAL Freedom and Liberty is not up in arms that this is occuring WORLD WIDE is beyond me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. There's the freedom to own an identity card

Which Blair's pollster and Labour lord tried to persuade us was something special:

Lord Gould of Brookwood: Both the previous speakers—the latter with great emotion—were arguing for freedom. We have to ask what greater freedom is there than the freedom to place a vote for a political party in a ballot box upon the basis of a mandate and a manifesto. That is the crux of it: the people have supported this measure. That is what the noble Earl's father fought for. But that is too trivial an answer. I know that. The fundamental argument is that the truth is that people believe that these identity cards will affirm their identity. The noble Lord opposite said that he likes to be in this House and how he is recognised in this House because it is a community that recognises him. That is how the people of this nation feel. They feel that they are part of communities, and they want recognition. For them, recognition comes in the form of this identity card. Noble Lords may think that that is strange, but it is what they feel. This is their kind of freedom. They want their good, hard work and determination to be recognised, rewarded and respected. That is what this does.

Of course it is right and honourable for noble Lords to have their views, but I say there is another view, and it is the view of the majority of this country. They want to have the respect, recognition and freedom that this card will give them. Times have changed. Politics have changed. What would not work 50 years ago, works now. It is not just me. I have the words of the leader of your party:

"I have listened to the police and security service chiefs. They have told me that ID cards can and will help their efforts to protect the lives of British citizens against terrorist acts. How can I disregard that?".

This is not some silly idea of the phoney left. It is a mainstream idea of modern times. It is a new kind of identity and a new kind of freedom. I respect the noble Lords' views, but it would help if they respected the fact that the Bill and the identity cards represent the future: a new kind of freedom and a new kind of identity.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/51115-19.htm

Maybe Alex Cox hasn't heard that Freedom is Slavery. He must not have the latest Newspeak Dictionary.