So, just as the votes were being counted in the European elections, just hours before we were to learn that we were about to elect a Fascist to an MEP position here in Yorkshire, Sir David Pepper comes out with this little gem, worthy of Messrs Hitler and Göring themselves! Of course, this is perhaps only to be expected for the (only recently departed) ex head of GCHQ, but nonetheless, it is quite shocking to read such a statement.
Sir Pepper parallels logging our personal and private phone calls, text messages and emails to an arms race. Call me stupid, but I fail to see the similarities. An arms race is an imperialist show of strength against another nation or nations. This is an unacceptable invasion of our personal freedoms.
That is, of course, unless you take the rather more sinister interpretation - that Sir Pepper means for the government to use these data as weapons against it's own people - in a complete destruction of our civil liberties. That, I think, is a rather scary prospect indeed.
Sir Pepper parallels logging our personal and private phone calls, text messages and emails to an arms race. Call me stupid, but I fail to see the similarities. An arms race is an imperialist show of strength against another nation or nations. This is an unacceptable invasion of our personal freedoms.
That is, of course, unless you take the rather more sinister interpretation - that Sir Pepper means for the government to use these data as weapons against it's own people - in a complete destruction of our civil liberties. That, I think, is a rather scary prospect indeed.
