1984...in 2009?

[Tonberry]

I know that Orwell's work is thrown around a lot but this I think could really take the cake.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/115736/Sin-bins-for-worst-families

Now I'm really torn on this issue. On one hand I certainly don't approve of the behaviors being committed by these people nor do I think that there way of raising the children will lead to anything other than a continuation of what they do currently.
However on the other hand this screams invasion of privacy and does any government really have a right to come into our with CCTV and cronies? What is to stop them from furthering this until it's every household required to 'protect the children' (a common catch phrase when taking away personal freedoms). I know it doesn't necessarily follow but it still worries me.
I thought that this opens up a whole can of worms on how much surveillance is too much surveillance so I'd post it and ask what you all think (on the article and the underlying issue)
(Apologies to mods if this was fit for another forum/needed more depth. You're welcome to delete it if it's in the wrong)

 

[Karaten]

Privacy is an abstract concept, like freedom. Ideally, pure freedom is anarchy, and would then cause people to abuse their freedom. As such, privacy can be raised and lowered to allow people to claim privacy and commit illegal acts. I think these people have shown they cannot be trusted with privacy, particularly in raising children.

 

[Flagg]

Democracy is failing in my opinion and it's a combination of Government and lazy people.

We live in times now where most people have learned to manipulate democracy, crying wolf at first sign of injustice while abusing another part for their own ends.

People are also apathetic. How many people actually bother to vote? Isn't it just some 30% in America? And what are the choices, Democrat or Republican. Its the same in England, Labour or Conservative and when you strip it down there is no difference between the two leading parties. You might as well ask someone what they prefer, Pepsi or Coke. People will scream about lying politicians but if the masses actually bothered to vote then the same lying politicians wouldn't be consistantly voted back in all the time. A lot of the time people wont vote for the party they like more but vote against the party the least like. It's appalling ignorance and I think it's a deliberately encouraged by the Government and Media. Ignorance destroys democracy, and from a look at history this is usually the result of a democracy: people don't bother to govern themselves, and would much rather have someone else do it for them.

How do you solve such a stagnant state of affairs? By utterly changing the Media structure in the West and actually allowing the masses to be told THE TRUTH! We are fed so much BS in the news that it makes us lazy and ignorant, and people are more concerned with whats happening on Pop Idol or Big Brother rather than how their countries economies are dissapearing.

Here is something for some of you Americans to consider:

When they took the 4th Amendment, I was quiet because I didn't deal drugs. When they took the 6th Amendment, I was quiet because I am innocent. When they took the 2nd Amendment, I was quiet because I don't own a gun. Now they have taken the 1st Amendment, and I can only be quiet.

This is the reality we live in today. People dont give a shit until its too late. As long as you can turn on the TV and go to a Supermarket then nothing else matters.

One more thing to add. The second a person says "If you have nothing to hide then why should it matter if you are on file" that's the moment you have sold your soul.

 

[Midnight Memoire]

I'd like to open by stating that I love the book 1984. Fantastically written. Horribly scary.

I've been living with this fear that eventually our society would turn into that book. This news article furthers my fears. Sure, the families were in a bit of a ruckus but is it really anyone's business to deal with it as such? I agree that the families within the article were doing wrong and should have been handled but the way it is being handled is... Well, to put it blatantly... Creepy.

With the way our societies are developing it seems as though the Governments are taking a bit too much control in some instances. Schools and their uniforms are a great example of this. I understand WHY some schools have uniforms but is it really RIGHT? Is expressing individuality wrong? During Highschool I had an Assistant Principal who attempted to ban the color pink, claiming it was a gang color. WHAT?!

Something isn't right. I'm fearful of what may come for the future generations. :wtf: