UK Gvt To Install Surveillance Cams In Private Homes

Originally posted by Retseh
As for having a camera in every home, it seems ridiculous now, but then so did the idea of every town center having CCTV back in 1970,

I'm sure the idea of playing computer games on your own TV, driving electric cars, the fall of the Soviet Union and the idea of extra-terrestrial life were ridiculous back in 1970...

Get my point?

Originally posted by Retseh
During my trips to the UK I have noticed a near national obsession with fly on the wall style programs like Big Brother,

Really? No one watches Big Brother, everyone thinks it's a pile o'crap and it's viewing figures have been poor since the first season. What other fly-on-the-wall programmes do you refer to? It seems to me that the vast majority of crap "reality" TV on the box comes from the states, such drivvle as Little People, Big World, or Miami Ink.

Originally posted by Retseh
I thought the US was bad enough. Maybe voyeurism is part of the national mindset, you seem to want to put cameras everywhere, it was quite oppressive being watched wherever you went.

Oh really? You were watched everywhere where you? You were actually aware of it and oppressed by it? I guess you're not aware that CCTV is (and has been) in the US for years as well?

Oh, but of course, how silly of me, in the US it's just CCTV in shops and it isn't spying on people, but here in the UK, you have cameras on every street corner, in every home, in every tree and even the squirrels have them sticking out of their arses, don't they?

Of course you were oppressed, of course you were......

It gets tiresome reading your anti-UK rants, retseh, it really does. I am actually glad you didn't want to stay here, you're as bad as the Muslims who protest about how evil the UK is on the streets of London while at the same time enjoying it's benefits.

[edit on 6/8/09 by stumason]

reply to post by CRB86


There is no point resorting to personal attacks, if you have a different opinion express it but at least show other posters respect.

There are issues with CCTV cameras that make us all feel uncomfortable. However, there is also a case to be made for having them such as helping to reduce crime. It's a fine line though, but at the moment the people in charge of the systems seem to be mindful of this as the operators can only observe a person in detail for a few seconds max when zoomed in.

I personally don't like CCTV cameras at all and it seems the government sees it as a cheap alternative to having policemen on the beat.