Thought Crime

In its attempt to make 1984 look like a fucking instruction manual, the Labour government are now introducing a new piece of legislation which has been derided in Parliament for making thought illegal.

Lib Dem peer Baroness Miller said the evidence linking pornography with violence was weak and that the new rules would be out of kilter with the Obscene Publications Act. In her speech, the Baroness commented that "the Minister is in danger of leading his Government into becoming the thought police... we do not have any evidence to justify an intrusion in people's lives".

Further, "the Government's contention is that by viewing it [extreme porn] people are more likely to commit violent offences. Therefore, they justify walking into people's bedrooms and turning them into criminals simply for viewing something."

The legislation was also attacked by Labour peers. Lord McIntosh of Haringey added: "What does it matter to the Government whether what we have in our homes for our own purposes is for sexual arousal or not? What is wrong with sexual arousal anyway? That is not a matter for Parliament or government to be concerned about."

Here is the Register's take on it: "If you use the internet for any purpose that might be construed as other than respectable – be afraid. Be very afraid."

Even the normally American-focused Slashdot have been disturbed about this move: "Massive surveillance? Check. Building a DNA database? Check. Laws against thought crime? Not yet, but coming very soon."

The BBC - an erstwhile institution not normally likely to mention pornography, let alone on it's front news page - has this to say: "Many fear it has been rushed through and will criminalise innocent people with a harmless taste for unconventional sex."

I say only this: I am the revolution & I'd like my fucking country back.