To Americans Who Think The U.K Is A Nanny State

I'm not anti-American and this is not an anti-American thread, I actually like a lot about your Country and it's people but I'm getting sick of the American people's misconception that the U.K is a nanny state to the degree that they do, based on comments I see on this site.

The reason why I'm aiming the thread at Americans is because I only ever see comments about this actually from Americans. I've seen all sorts of comments about people thinking there are cameras on every street corner e.c.t

Okay, cameras, yes there is a high proportion but the statistics you see include cctv from the likes of supermarkets and small shops of which there are thousands, heavy traffic areas and city centres. In general you hardly ever see them anywhere else. I can go out right now and walk miles without a camera seeing me and I live in a town populated by 100 thousand people.

There are the odd cases of civil liberties being taken the piss out of but that kind of case is in the minority which is why it makes headline news when it does happen, otherwise it wouldn't be interesting enough to expose if it happened all the time.

So, to summarise, we do have a slight case of nannyness but no where to the degree that people in the U.S think.

reply to post by 0rbital


Don't worry my friend! Soon you will be able to call America a nanny state!!! Well hell, you might as well call us that now! I mean we rely on our government to protect us, feed us, give us health care etc etc......We are all in the same boat, don't let those who don't realize it yet bother you!

reply to post by 0rbital


If anything US is a nanny state. Every time I fly through that country I get treated like a terrorist. They are very over protective. That's what happens I guess when a whole country lives in fear.

I think it's because when people think of the UK, they think of London, which isn't supprising as all the UK governmnt care about is London, and London does have a CCTV problem, thats certain. The rest of the UK they couldn't give a crap about, thus less protection/investment needed in CCTV camera's. In a way, im glad,lol. London is overwhelmed by security, the rest of the UK is pretty adverage.

We don't really think about the UK.....at all.

reply to post by 0rbital


I live in the uk and I'd say your just not looking in the right places.

CCTV is all around us, its even on our roads and motorways. I live near a small town with a population of just 4k and EVERY single road leading in or out has cctv cameras mounted on low poles that look directly INTO vehicles as they pass. Bus and train stations have dozens of cctv cams, most of which look out of the stations. Every major road junction has cctv, IT'S EVERYWHERE!!!

You must be walking about with your eyes closed!

Originally posted by Fitch303
We don't really think about the UK.....at all.

Yet I still see the comments so there's a contradiction.

reply to post by VoidHawk




Nope, I walk with my eyes open but your eyes must have been closed reading my opening post as I already acknowledged that they are used in heavy traffic areas.

how ironic. yes there are a lot of camera's in every town center but its ironic as most cctv's are of such low quality they cannot be used in a court of law.

so what purpose do they actually serve ?

I just had to comment on the fact you think you could walk miles without being seen by a camera somewhere. Cameras aren't just on corners, or stores, they are in our pockets (Smartphones), in the hands of people around you (Smartphones, digital cameras), in peoples cars (dashcams), in our living rooms (game consoles), laptops, on our desktops (webcams), don't forget satellite systems. Now this doesn't apply if you're stranded in the middle of the desert with population 0, and no phone on your person, but in a country like the U.K. it does, just as it does in all 1st World nations.

Originally posted by 0rbital
reply to post by VoidHawk

 

Nope, I walk with my eyes open but your eyes must have been closed reading my opening post as I already acknowledged that they are used in heavy traffic areas.

From your OP

Okay, cameras, yes there is a high proportion but the statistics you see include cctv from the likes of supermarkets and small shops of which there are thousands, heavy traffic areas and city centres. In general you hardly ever see them anywhere else

Originally posted by diddy1234
how ironic. yes there are a lot of camera's in every town center but its ironic as most cctv's are of such low quality they cannot be used in a court of law.

so what purpose do they actually serve ?

Most are now very high quality with facial recognition software attached. Purpose - To monitor the movements of the individual.

reply to post by 0rbital


The reason only American's say that is because the vast majority of other Countries are nanny states. I'm sorry to say, but the UK is indeed a nanny state, but so is America. Any American that still thinks we are free and that we are not a nanny state is either very ignorant, or they are being intellectually dishonest.

Originally posted by VoidHawk
[From your OP

Okay, cameras, yes there is a high proportion but the statistics you see include cctv from the likes of supermarkets and small shops of which there are thousands, heavy traffic areas and city centres. In general you hardly ever see them anywhere else

And again the places you've listed are all covered by my ''heavy traffic areas'' comment, everything you listed was traffic related. You do hardly see them anywhere but the places I listed.

Sorry mate, i'm from the uk and theres one right outside my house in a car park, due to cars being vandalised.

Originally posted by DBCooper71
Sorry mate, i'm from the uk and theres one right outside my house in a car park, due to cars being vandalised.

Fair enough but most residential car parks don't have them but I can understand a car park that is constantly a target for vandles being covered by cctv.

Originally posted by 0rbital

Originally posted by VoidHawk
[From your OP

Okay, cameras, yes there is a high proportion but the statistics you see include cctv from the likes of supermarkets and small shops of which there are thousands, heavy traffic areas and city centres. In general you hardly ever see them anywhere else

And again the places you've listed are all covered by my ''heavy traffic areas'' comment, everything you listed was traffic related. You do hardly see them anywhere but the places I listed.

Everywhere is a "Heavy traffic area". Every town/city/village has heavy traffic at some point. I live in a rural area and there ARE camera's everywhere. It would be impossible for me to travel even to the shops without being observed by cctv.
I dont know where you are but can you travel to the next town without being observed by cctv? I bet you cant.

i love the nanny state cant get enough of it & some places in england even have cameras in wheelie bins

Originally posted by VoidHawk

Everywhere is a "Heavy traffic area". Every town/city/village has heavy traffic at some point. I live in a rural area and there ARE camera's everywhere. It would be impossible for me to travel even to the shops without being observed by cctv.
I dont know where you are but can you travel to the next town without being observed by cctv? I bet you cant.

lol, Voidhawk, no I couldn't drive to another town without being on cctv and haven't even insinuated that. I'm saying that there aren't cameras in general on our residential streets e.c.t and we can still walk about freely without being flimed except on busy main roads e.c.t

But apparently there are over two million CCTV cameras in the UK.

So how can you not call that a nanny state?