This move is supposedly designed to protect us from those old chestnuts, ‘crime’ and ‘terrorism’ - everyone who’s used Facebook will, of course, be familiar with groups like “Plan Your Perfect Bank Job” and “Which is better? Semtex or TNT?”

As Jack Straw proved recently with his laughable ‘Bill of Rights’ the government doesn’t understand the nature of rights and liberties; they’re not granted to us by the ‘Ministry of Justice’, they are the inalienable birthright of ALL people, the most basic obligations owed to each and every human being which are universal and non-conditional. If governments have any real use (and the Barnsdale Brigade seriously doubt that they do) it is to ensure these rights. If humans are to live to their full potential then each of these basic rights must guaranteed - no single right can be abused even if it is supposedly to help another right - such as the abuse of the right to freedom to protect the right to life -which is the excuse the government using. Whoever infringes upon our rights and liberties - be they criminals, terrorists or governments - is, by default, an enemy of the people and therefore forego any right to govern over us.

{notes}

 http://barnsdale.wordpress.com/

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/25/social-networking-sites-monitored

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/now-big-brother-targets-facebook-1653407.html

 http://projectsheffield.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/parliamentary-scrutiny-of-political-policing/