You might be interested in watching Channel 4’s Dispatches tonight, which is about the Government’s attempts at destroying British liberty.
Here’s the DigiGuide entry:
DOCUMENTARY: Dispatches
Channel: Channel 4
Date: Monday 27th February 2006
Time: 20:00 to 21:00
Duration: 1 hour.
Stealing Freedom.
Political commentator Peter Hitchens takes a look at how the recent avalanche of security legislation has affected the civil liberties of ordinary people in Britain. He argues that the government’s measures, designed to protect us from crime and terrorism, are in fact a menace to freedom and not a threat to criminals.
It should be interesting stuff and something to watch before the last episode of the series of Life on Mars over on BBC ONE. Can’t wait!
I saw it. I like Peter Hitchens but he would have helped his case if he’d spent a little time explaining why liberty was so important and the historical story behind its creation. For many people, liberty is seen as that weird thing that gets in the way of us catching terrorists.
Whereas, in fact, it is an idea which keeps government in its place and describes the relationship between the ruled and those we allow to rule us.
Comment by Gary Monro — 1 March 2006 / @ 22:24
I thought Peter Hitchens came across rather badly - pompous and a bit arrogant. I thought the programme highlighted the main issues well enough (suppressiqosn of dissent; excessive use of CCTV cameras; screw-ups with DNA; the turdbeast that is the ID Bill) but wasn’t very clear on what individual liberty was and is all about. Or why this move to an increasingly authoritarian and illiberal style of governance was such a bad thing.
I think the programme could have benefited by not being so polemical. A different presenter would probably have helped - Hitchens is OK in his Mail on Sunday column but his style doesn’t really work in documentaries.
Comment by Paul — 2 March 2006 / @ 00:23