Tag Archives: Bad Government

Vote For Change Or Vote For Gordongrad

March 1, 2010 6:44 pm \

With rumours abounding of when a General Election might be called it seems a good time to present a few salient facts about this “government”.  Regular readers will already know the kind of things I’m going to say.

The current “government” is unacceptable.  A Prime Minister the people did not vote for, seemingly given the position on the basis of some Hansie Cronje-like match fixing agreement.  Utterly distasteful and disrespectful.  It has its fair share of ministers and MPs who completely lack Clue.  Stephen Pound, Jack Straw, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Hazel Blears being examples of this stupidity.  Jacqui Smith’s replacement, Alan Johnson, isn’t much better either. Trying to spin the party line he ducks the facts about Gordongrad, formerly known as Broken Britain.

Then there’s Mandelson.  It’s quite ironic that Mandelson is an Anglicisation of the Mendelssohn family name (a large number of whom fled the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany) when he is helping to impose a totalitarian state in this country.  Not only did the “government” refuse to enforce the law over BT’s use of Phorm’s illegal surveillance technology, Mandelson is now driving the Digital Economy Bill through the Commons which will allow sanctions against people purely on the basis of allegations rather than evidence.  That is the act of a totalitarian state.  Quite why any internet user would vote Labour after its complicity in the Phorm case I don’t know.

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Posted in: campaigning, ethics, government, lack of Clue, Politics, surveillance state \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

2009: A Year Of Lack Of Clue, Lack Of Balls & Lack Of Ethics

December 31, 2009 11:22 am \

2009 nears its end and I for one won’t be sorry to see the back of it. There have been some very enjoyable high points including the Ashes win, the test win this morning, a wedding in my family and Phorm being all but forced out of the UK but overall 2009 will be a year I remember as a year in which far too many people lacked Clue, balls and ethics.

Some might accuse me of being a Grumpy Old Man.  According to the series I am now in the age bracket for being a Grumpy so there may be some truth to the suggestion.  My response to that is that I’m not grumpy, I’m a realist and some of what I see is less than pleasing, often lacking in Clue, ethics, common sense and the other attributes I used to expect from those in positions of power and influence.  Now I just expect self centredness, obsession with protecting the vested interests and the status quo and control freakery trying to interfere in areas where the state has no right to.

I’m not the only one.  Guy Aitchison has written his review of the year.  It’s well worth reading; it highlights other areas where government and authorities have failed or fell victim to control freakery or halfwittedness.

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Posted in: bad management, blog, CCTV, education, ethics, Internet, lack of Clue, Management, Policing, privacy, surveillance state, Techie \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Party Politics & Phorm

September 27, 2009 2:50 pm \

Gordon Brown’s performance in this morning’s interview with Andrew Marr was pathetic beyond description.  It shows a man losing his grip on power and trying to convince himself, his cabinet, his party and everyone else that things aren’t as bad as they seem to be.  When he started to talk about fairness and responsibility I nearly choked on my tea.

His is the “government” which has done nothing to prevent the illegal interception – without the customer’s knowledge and without due judicial process – of thousands of peoples’ internet communications data by BT and Phorm.  Some would say his government is complicit.  Others might say they are collaborators.  Either way it is his government, civil service, watchdogs, Police and CPS that offered no obstacle to BT and Phorm and refused to enforce the law.

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Posted in: campaigning, ethics, Freedom Of Information, government, Internet, parliamentary, Policing, privacy, Techie \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Alan Johnson: This Is Broken Britain

August 18, 2009 12:02 pm \

My writings might not have appeared on your radar.  Perhaps this one will.  Since you have decided to spout “New Labour” dogma in a newspaper article I must respond directly to you and put you right on Broken Britain.  Home Secretaries often get a lot of flak, much of it justified in the case of your various predecessors who seemed obsessed with making the Orwellian nightmare a reality in this country.

This broken country.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government was complicit in trying to allow the illegal interception of peoples’ internet activity for advertising purposes.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has refused to answer questions about YOUR government’s complicity in the Phorm scheme to the people YOUR government is supposed to serve.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government’s staff, departments and contractors routinely lose personal information thus compromising the security of thousands of people. Here’s one example for you.

Broken Britain is the country where teachers now go in to work in fear for their safety and knowing that the education system with which YOUR government has interfered and which Ed Balls now wants complete control over offers them precious little support.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government’s Police harass photographers, making up the law as they go along.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government considers making the mere sight of certain things illegal.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has tried to spread fear of people who prefer to keep themselves to themselves, accusing them of being terrorists.

Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has overseen the explosion of the Surveillance Society.  174 CCTV cameras recorded me on a recent trip just up the road.  I counted them.

Broken Britain is where YOUR government is failing the test of civilisation.

And Broken Britain is where YOUR government now screens outgoing mail to citizens.

One Conservative MEP may speak for himself about the NHS but does he speak for the rest of his party?  Does he speak for his leader and his shadow cabinet?  Does he speak for me or my family?  Does Dennis Skinner MP speak for you on anything?  Does he speak for the Cabinet on any matters?

Mr Johnson, the barbarians of whom you speak aren’t the Conservative party.  The barbarians are already in government and ruining this country.

I challenge you, Mr Johnson, just as I have challenged Jack Straw and Stephen Pound.  Neither gentleman had the desire to try and prove me wrong.  Read my response to some of Mr Straw’s bleatings and respond substantively to it.

Prove me wrong if you can.  While I’m here prove me wrong on this one too.

Posted in: bad government ideas, censorship, Freedom Of Information, lack of Clue, Policing, surveillance state \ Tagged: , , , , ,

EU Commission’s View On Phorm-related Matters

June 2, 2009 12:17 pm \

Just in case anyone had hoped that Phorm, illegal use of DPI and privacy issues had dropped off my radar (*waves at all those pro-Phormers out there*), think again.  You’re still on my radar and will be for a long time to come.

Recently members of NoDPI, Privacy International and the Open Rights Group went to Brussels for a meeting with the EU Commission, including Commissioner Vivian Reding.  Remember that it was Commissioner Reding who announced the legal action against the UK “government” for its failure to act properly in enforcing EU directives against BT and Phorm.

The notes from the meeting are posted at NoDPI but some very relevant facts emerged that deserve to be highlighted.

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Posted in: campaigning, computers, Internet, privacy \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,