Big Brother -- Signs of the Times News

Please login to continue

Big Brother

« Previous 1 2 … 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 … 412 413 Next »

Henry Porter
The Guardian
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:35 EST

It is difficult to think of two more sinister New Labour figures than Phil Woolas, minister for immigration, and Lady Delyth Morgan, parliamentary under-secretary for children. They are joined in unholy alliance in the foreword to the new government guidelines on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

This baleful document is not of course about safeguarding children at all - it's about handling innocent kids over long periods of detention, which often exceed the 28-day maximum period a terror suspect can be held without charge.

Dripping with hypocrisy, the ministers' opener makes no mention of this. It's all about benevolence and care and agencies working together for the best outcomes. Armando Iannucci might have written it. "The UK Border Agency undertakes difficult and sensitive work on behalf of a society as a whole. Working with children presents particular challenges. To meet these challenges effectively the UK Border Agency needs the support of all those with an interest in children."

Privacylives.com
Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:33 EST

Last year, the Poole Borough Council in the UK targeted for surveillance a family suspected of living in the wrong school zone. The council used powers it had under the 2000 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), a law targeted toward terrorism and organized crime. I've written before about this disturbing trend of local councils in the United Kingdom using RIPA powers to track or prosecute minor offenses, such as littering.

Jenny Rizzo, Kyla Igoe, Susan James, Allen Leight, Jennifer Stanonis, Ginger Geoffery, John Borsa, and Sharon Osorio
MSNBC
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:13 EST

Tuesday's election marked a new era in Erie county. It was the first time new electronic voting equipment was used in a general election in the county. It's the first change in voting machines locally in nearly 100 years, but not everyone is a fan of the new technology. It did not lead to faster election results Tuesday night, and it created new privacy issues.

With the new system voters mark paper ballots and then the ballots are scanned electronically. Short three-sided cardboard partitions are the only protection voters have from prying eyes while they're marking their ballots. That left many voters with an uncomfortable feeling on Tuesday.

"We recognize that we have lots of work to do," says Erie County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Dennis Ward.

Computing.co.uk
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:23 EST

Suppliers will be forced to retain details of all electronic communications for use by law enforcement and security services

The government is proceeding with plans to compel communications service providers [CSPs] to retain electronic data beyond that required for commercial purposes, and make it available to the security services, police and other public authorities, despite substantial opposition.

The Home Office admitted a tiny majority - just 53 per cent - of those consulted back the approach and a large minority - 38 per cent - are opposed to any enhancement of surveillance powers. The plan will see CSPs retaining details of all emails, phone calls, texts and other electronic communications - but not their content.

The proposals are expected to cost £2bn to implement over 10 years, with no indication of any payments to CSPs to offset costs.

The Herald Scotland
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:25 EST

'Orwellian' moves aimed at reducing blackmail risk

Thousands of staff at UK nuclear power stations have been told to spy on the private lives of workmates and inform on colleagues who might be "vulnerable" to blackmail or bribery by terrorists intent on getting access to Britain's nuclear secrets and stocks of weapon-grade plutonium.

As part of the "security measures" nuclear power station staff are being asked to keep a watch on their colleagues' love lives. They are also being told to keep tabs on colleagues they think may be using illegal drugs and even those travelling abroad.

The moves by the government's nuclear security agency to step up the vetting of civilian nuclear workers have been condemned by trade unionists and critics as "Orwellian". But the agency insists the measures are justified by the threat of terrorism.

Flashback: Operation Mind Control 2007

Tenn Times
Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:07 EST

On August 19, 1975, an article I wrote was published in Modern People as part of a 26-part series, and soon became a ticking time bomb that would be translated into more than seven languages and would be quoted in several books on mind control, including the classic Operation Mind Control by Walter Bowart, founder of The East Village Other, a radical underground newspaper.

The story of Operation Mind Control and how it was immediately suppressed, bought up and destroyed by the CIA is an astounding story of its own. It disappeared from libraries, book stores and even the publisher's (Dell Publishing) warehouses. Bowart went into seclusion not too long after and would not discuss it. Had he been threatened, shut up? The world would never know.

Bowart called me 1975 or 1976 and I spoke with him at some length, then forgot the matter and went on with other things in my life until, in 1978 I saw the book in a Nashville bookstore and promptly snatched it up - not because I was interviewed for it, but because it was a topic I was intensely interested in for my own research.

In fact, it didn't even dawn on me that this was the book until I was skimming through it on the way back to the car and ran across my own name in the index.

Robert Fredricks
Health Insurance News
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:39 EST

Understanding Health Reform

The Government's proposed mandatory health insurance has been the headline of most news media and on most American's minds these past months. But, there have been many reports, studies and surveys that show Americans will most likely "not comply" with the mandate of health insurance as reported by the Insurance Research Council.

Most Americans are concerned about how the government office will enforce such a mandate as "regulation is only as good as enforcement." Also reported in the recent studies of the Insurance Research Council is that some people are "simply irresponsible and look to others to buy their insurance."

With the government proposed order of making it mandatory for all Americans to have health insurance, many wonder about the affordability for the insurance. As the nation's unemployment rate rises, more and more people will drop those expenses necessary to "make ends meet."

Michael Geist
MichaelGeist.ca
Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:09 EST

Crown copyright concerns were raised repeatedly during this summer's copyright consultation as many groups expressed the view that government works should be treated as public domain. The issue generated some surprise from Industry Minister Tony Clement, who asked for examples about why crown copyright was a problem. This morning, the Auditor General provided a helpful example as her office has sent takedown demands to the Globe and Mail and Scribd for posting one chapter from her report (Globe article, Scribd post). The office argues that crown copyright applies and that a written request for permission on a case-by-case basis is required. Leaving aside the fact that this is arguably fair dealing - it is news reporting and consists of one chapter from a much larger report - the very notion that Canadians need advance permission to post a portion of government report runs counter to the Auditor General's own efforts at government transparency and efficiency. The Auditor General should be encouraging broad dissemination of her work, not sending legal demand letters to shut down Internet postings.

Tom Whitehead
The Telegraph
Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:14 EST

Parents have been banned from supervising their children in public playgrounds, because they have not undergone criminal record checks.

Only council-vetted "play rangers" are now allowed to monitor youngsters in two adventure areas in Watford while parents must watch from outside a perimeter fence.

The Watford Borough Council policy has been attacked as insulting and a disgrace by furious relatives who say they are being labelled as potential paedophiles.

It will further fuel concerns over a growing nanny state amid the deepening row over the Government's new national anti-paedophile database.

That will see at least 11 million adults have to be vetted to work with children or vulnerable adults, including parents who give officials lifts to and from social or sports clubs.

Iran Arabic channel taken off air

BBC News
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:36 EST

Iran's Arabic language satellite television channel, al-Alam, has been taken off air by two Arab-controlled satellite companies.

The operators of Nilesat and Arabsat cited a breach of contract according to Egypt's MENA news agency, but al-Alam said they had not been given a reason.

Analysts say some Arab governments are worried about the channel's popularity and Iran's growing regional influence.

Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of Arab information ministers on Tuesday.

« Previous 1 2 … 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 … 412 413 Next »

154,960 people have viewed this page since Wed, 13 Dec 2006

Donate once - or every month! Click here to learn how you can help!

Emails sent to Signs of the Times, Ark, Laura, or Cassiopaea become the property of Quantum Future Group, Inc and may be republished without notice.

Some icons appearing on this site were taken from KDE-look.org, Afterglow, Mayosoft, Everaldo, IconDrawer, VisualPharm, IconFactory, Klukeart, Icons-land, TpdkDesign.net, and IconShock.com.

Remember, we need your help to collect information on what is going on in your part of the world!
Send your article suggestions to: email

Original content © 2009 by SOTT.net/Signs of the Times.
See: Fair Use Policy (http://www.sott.net/signs/signs-fair-use.htm)

NEW! Available now!

Featured Book:

NEW! Available Now!

Over 1 BILLION Served!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Donate once - or every month!
Click here to learn how you can help!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The free press is the mother of all our liberties and of our progress under liberty" Adlai E. Stevenson

"There is no more important struggle for American democracy than ensuring a diverse, independent and free media. Free Press is at the heart of that struggle." Bill Moyers

"This is, in theory, still a free country, but our politically correct, censorious times are such that many of us tremble to give vent to perfectly acceptable views for fear of condemnation. Freedom of speech is thereby imperiled, big questions go undebated, and great lies become accepted, unequivocally as great truths." Simon Heffer in The Daily Mail, 7 June 2000

"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure." Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823

"A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press, must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the right of the people to know.": Murray I. Gurfein

One of the shrewdest ways for human predators to conquer their stronger victims is to steadily convince them with propaganda that they're still free. N.A. Scott