As the hours pass, the lengths governments will go to protect their lies is further exposed. I wrote in my book about the steady erosion of civil liberties in the UK over the last 20 or so years, but over the last few months the crisis of democracy deepens.
The events of the last few days; the partner of a Guardian journalist detained under terror legislation; the disclosure that GCHQ spooks oversaw the destruction of hard drives that contained material from whistle blower Edward Snowden, feels more like a Ken Loach movie from the late 80's, than what we thought was the real world.
David Miranda was detained and had his laptop and other electronic devices taken away, before being released without charge. To hear the justification given by Teresa May, the Home Secretary, you would suppose that he posed a major threat to the British people. In fact, the real danger is that we have a government in power that would so easily sanction the silencing of the media.
Snowden has merely made public something that activists have known for a long time - governments spy systematically on their own people, particularly if you happen to be anti-war or of a left wing persuasion. Its not just Islamic terrorists who come under scrutiny, its anti-fracking campaigners and peaceniks.
Glenn Greenwald, the reporter who has told the story of the leaks from Snowden has done the world a huge service, he and all the people who have made this possible are heroes. The fact that Cameron himself knew of these abuses to our basic civil liberties and freedoms of the press, makes it questionable if he is fit to govern a living, thinking democracy.
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