Once the Communications Data Bill has been inflicted upon Britain and Europe, the rest of the world will copy it, make it worse, find new ways to make it more oppressive and pool their resources to ensure that people across the world are too scared to even think that they were once free.

You will soon have the jackals, jackasses, jackbooters and jobsworths of the state poring and drooling over every email you send, every text you write, every phone call you make and every website you visit.

Keep screaming from the crowd how wonderful our governments are at protecting us from the perpetual, but forever unseen 1984 wars and keep cheerleading for the two minutes’ hate and maybe you will be safe.

Just make sure you are never the first one to stop applauding.

Alternatively, stand up and be counted and keep rubbing the faces of politicians in this abomination and keep people informed about what they are trying to do to you.

Kill it with a thousand acts of daily sabotage by doing the one thing which governments fear most: talking to and associating with other people.

http://communicationsdatabill.info/blogs/

On this occasion, I have done something about it, in my own small way. I have written an article outlining what the government is seeking to do and my views. But, I have also produced a ‘draft’ letter that can be personalised and sent to local MP’s. I am urging other likeminded people to reproduce the article, to include their own comments, after all, not everyone will agree with all my comments and then publicise it. Maybe we can start a programme where people start to bombard their MP’s with a demand that they do not support the latest data communication bill. The link is here if you would are to take a look.
http://www.power-to-the-people.co.uk/2008/10/public-call-time-big-brother-britain/

That said, I think it is a bit harsh to call Allbran a hypocrite.

Its been seven years but I still remember that my favourite track was M1A1. One day I’ll hear it again, maybe….

Anyhow, I dont think, particularly with the Olympics, you can divorce the politics from the sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established as a means of promoting peace and international co-operation through sport. The IOC charter contains a number of clauses which jarr with China’s status as host for 2008.

It states that:

“Olympism seeks to create…respect for universal fundamental ethical principles,” (IOC charter, p.11).

“The goal of olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity,” (IOC charter, p.11).

In this sense, the Olympic movement apears to be inextricably linked with harmonious international relations and therefore politics. Furthermore, the charter also raises the issue of Human rights itself:

“The practice of sport is a human right.” (IOC charter, p.11).

It seems odd that the IOC will celebrate Human rights in sport but ignore abuses in host countries.

Boycotting the games won’t alter China’s policy, but i don’t think the protests are designed or intended to bring about such rapid change. China’s hosting of the games has provided the Free Tibet movement with an excellent stage on which to voice their protest but change takes time.

It’d be wrong to say for instance that the boycotting of South African sport bought about the end of apartheid, but in a small way it did help to bring about change. Similarly, you can’t say that Rosa Parks bought victory for the American Civil Rights movement though her actions made an obvious contribution.

However, repeatedly raising the issues, particularly during periods of intense media scrutiny, may well eventually influence international opinion and hopefully bring about change.

(btw, I still have your Gorillaz cd. That’s seven years and counting now!)

Many Free Tibet protesters are not happy that China is hosting this years Olympics but I think that China’s politics and the Olympic games are mutually exclusive. I don’t see why it isn’t possible to support the games and the Free Tibet movement. Moreover, I don’t see how boycotting the games would lead to a change in policies in China. Would a boycott of the 1936 Olympics have resulted in WWII or the holocaust no happening??