An excellent article from Peter Hitchens in the Mail.
There is no such organisation as ‘Al Qaeda’. The spooks know this, Cabinet Ministers know this and so do the ‘security correspondents’ who so readily trot out the spooks’ point of view on our broadcasting networks.
Of course, there are terrorists, and there are also fantasists, fanatics, low-lifes and camp followers who plot and attempt horrible things. Some of them even call themselves ‘Al Qaeda’ these days because they have learned that this is a good way to scare us.
But, while they are a menace, they are not as big or as organised a menace as the Government likes to make out.
The State and the vainglorious bureaucrats of the ‘security’ services need to pretend that the terrorists are a tightly organised and terrifying threat, to make themselves look big as well ?” and to help them get hold of new powers to snoop on us and push us around.
The most vital distinction in Western politics today is not between left and right, but between the authoritarians in office and libertarians who resist.
I agree Craig. This is the fundamental political, 'ideological' schism in Western politics, the battle between authoritarianism/totalitariansim and those who are attempting to defend and resist the systenatic undermining of Western 'bourgeois' demomcracy.
I think the distinction between left and right is largely irrelevant as the political 'centre' has balooned, swallowing traditional social democracy and conservatism, creating a new, overwhelming whole. In Westminster, for example, the 'left' hardly exists anymore, but that's another story.
What's happening is of historical significance. We are essentially fighting a rearguard action to defend what's left of our traditional democratic freedoms and liberties. The State is becoming increasingly powerful and is turning into an instrument of totalitarian rule in a society 'at war' with an invisible and almost non-existant enemy, the terrorists.
For me the worst and most worrying development is the gradual drift towards the establishment of the 'strong state' domestically, using the same attitudes and methods employed overseas in our battle against the terrorists. This process seems almost inexorable and inevitable. Soon we will be fighting the enemy within who resist the expansion of the state into every level and area of society.
If/when we enter a deep and prolonged economic 'depression' I expect that the social/political repercussions will erode our liberties even further and state control/repression will gather momentum. What's disturbing, is that compared to the 1930's, today there really is no political opposition to speak of.
"The most vital distinction in Western politics today is not between left and right, but between the authoritarians in office and libertarians who resist."
That is just so true Craig. The Blair-clone that is David Cameron is proof positive of the end of left/right politics. Liberty is the condition we must fight for.
It's incredible how we all lay down and agree to the total loss of all our civil liberties without even a whimper of complaint. Fear of the bogeyman through false and exaggerated propaganda spewed out by Government and weak public servants keep this play going. Don't you think that if a bunch of Irish terrorists in the seventies and eighties could get sophisticated sniper rifles and ground to air missiles as well as copious quantities of military explosives? Then a sophisticated group belonging to a global network supported by rogue states and 30% of this countries Muslim community (as reported by the powers that be) could do better than some hair bleach and pepper. And the last pathetic lot who bought some gas bottles from B&Q and some petrol. we need to keep real about the threat and not allow the people in government who when the IRA were doing there thing the to be ministers were getting bags of cash from Boris in Kensington Gardens whose day job was going to ballets for the Russian Embassy. Russia may have dismantled its walls and state security apparatus just to see this jolly gang building it up. Enough is enough we need to take our democracy back before its too late!!!!!