From: Charlie Stross (charlie@antipope.org)
Date: Tue Apr 04 2000 - 05:29:00 MDT
On Mon, Apr 03, 2000 at 08:10:42PM -0700, Spike Jones wrote:
>
> Charlie please excuse my ignorance. Ive never been to the UK,
> but how does it work? Suppose the local proletariate gets damn
> tired of being watched? Can you guys rise up in rebellion or something?
It's been known to happen. (Remember, what country chopped it's King's
head off and declared a [sort-of] Republic first -- England or France?)
However, most people here _like_ being watched. The level of paranoia
about property crime is scary, fostered by a media who like shock tactics
because they sell newspapers/TV ratings. Surveilance is sold as the
panacea that will fix all sorts of crime. And to some extent, it works.
In general, people caught doing something naughty on videotape are easier
to catch and more likely to plead guilty in court.
> All I know is this country, which came into being as a direct result
> of rebellion, proletariate revolt by some accounts, so this sorta thing
> is not looked down upon so much here.
I think you'll find the idea of revolt _is_ looked down upon in the USA,
by the majority of the population who don't really agree with Thomas
Jefferson's dictum. Don't believe me? Ask yourself why there haven't been
any criminal prosecutions over the conduct of the Waco siege.
> Someone mentioned the Seattle traffic ticket rebellion. I was part
> of that. Got two parking tickets there in 1983, didnt pay em. Can
> the Brits do civil disobedience? spike
Look into the Poll Tax riot. (If you can call three quarters of a million
people marching on parliament a "riot".) Brought down Thatcher.
-- Charlie
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