The Surveilance Cart and the Policing Horse

People who know me will know I'm reasonably relaxed about my personal info... I'm happy for all sorts of companies and organisations to have my details, and to keep information about me. I tend to be pretty trusting about the way such organisations will treat my data - relying, it must be said, on the proper implantation of the Data Protection Act. Like many people, I'll opt out of spam and "third party" offers but that's pretty much it.

Like many people, too, I live much of my life online. Facebook, Twitter, Google all have large amounts of information about me. You only need to Google my username to find my electronic fingerprints all over it!

I take, I think, sensible precautions when purchasing things on the Internet, seeking to deal with reputable sites and using secure payment methods but other than that, my approach is basically a pragmatic one.

Indeed, pragmatism and a desire to explore both sides of any given issue so often stymies my blogging on big topics. So often an issue arises about which I will chew the cud before getting to a point of even considering a blog - by which point the moment will have passed. Not so this time.

You may wonder where this is going. Am I about to declare myself in favour of the State being able to track email and social media usage? Do I believe that such a step is vital for the Nation's security? Does Theresa May really need to be able to see who I've been e-mailing?

No, No and, unsurprisingly, No.

Whilst I don't believe I have anything to hide or anyone to hide it from, that doesn't mean to say I don't want privacy... Whilst I want security and protection from terrorists and organised crime, I want security and protection for all in their everyday online lives.

This means that there needs to be checks and balances in place before this sort of information is obtained and accessed. Warrants should be sought - and granted - before Police or the Security Services can carry out such surveillance. If there is the routine availability of detailed information, Terrorists and Criminals will find ways to circumvent the system - if there isn't, they may trust to other means to avoid coming to the attention of the authorities. 

Detection should come first. Due process should then be followed. Surveillance should be subject to the authority of the courts. The routine obtaining and storage of detailed records on the off-chance they may be required - or, worse, mined for information - is putting the surveillance cart before the policing horse.

The issue, which has come to the fore today due to intended (but unpublished) legislation, has caused much furore amongst fellow Lib Dems. Rightly so, given that Civil Liberties are central to our ideology. Here are  a couple of excerpts from the Preamble:

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community...

We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals...

Recognising that the quest for freedom and justice can never end, we promote human rights and open government...

Lynne Featherstone sent an e-mail to party members today on the subject of the proposed legislation - and cited some of the Liberal achievements of this government:

We’ve scrapped ID cards, ended child detention for immigration purposes, stopped indefinite retention of innocent peoples’ DNA, restored the right to protest in Parliament Square, scrapped control orders and ended 28-day detention without charge – to name but a few!

Security is a big issue, and important. But in a democracy the wishes of those who seek to guarantee those securities must be tempered by the rights of the masses. Liberal Democrat MPs and Ministers must ensure that these measures do not turn the exceptional into the normal. An internal briefing document - widely leaked today - seeks to contrast this government with some of the measures promoted by the previous Labour government. It is right to do so, but care needs to be taken to avoid falling into the same traps.

Andrew

Fellow Lib Dem bloggers, Alex and Caron, have also contributed on this topic - reinforcing the Liberal Democrat policy on the matter in a measured and calm approach to the topic. Lib Dem policy on the matter - made at Conference just a few weeks ago - can be found in section 5 of this document.

Pearls of Wisdom

A long time ago there was, you may recall, a craze for little books of inspiration sayings and a host of parodies too. One such was Rohan Candappa's Little Book of Wrong Shui which promises to tell you "How to drastically improve your life by basically moving stuff around. Honest."

Here are some pearls from that book:

Beams are Bad: 

Beams are exceedingly bad Wrong Shui. Steer clear of anyone who beams at you. They are invariably untrustworthy. Or come from California.

Nipping the Problem in the Bud: 

If you are having trouble with your neighbours, try to heal the rift by planting a soothing hedge of Leylandii between your properties.

Eggsistentialism: 

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Use an egg box like everyone else and stop being such a poser.

Interior Design:

Always try to keep your lungs positioned above your kidneys.

On Rocks and Hard Places:

Never position a rock near a hard place.

Andrew

The Hobbit - Book Review

I'm not terribly sure how to review The Hobbit. It's a book to which I return again and again and know so well, it's hard to read it with a critic's eye - or to want to do so. It's also a book that's so well known (even ahead of the new films) that providing a synopsis seems to be of limited value.

This time through I was struck by two things, though. First I was reminded how much of a book for children it is: something I tend to forget. As narrator, Tolkien makes a number of asides to reader over and above the expository sections. The second thing that struck me this time is where the story hints at it's darker edge.

The first of these things has long been considered a problem in the filming of The Hobbit, particularly in light of the Middle Earth created by Peter Jackson in the Lord of the Rings films. Indeed, the lighter tone of The Hobbit itself is the reason why Jackson decided to make two films and to bring in material from other Tolkien sources.

The second, of course, offers the film-maker the opportunity to mine the story further - and to create a world more in keeping with that of Tolkien's later books. There were a number of occasions where I thought "oh, that could be exploited more in the film" and I look forward to seeing that realised.

Andrew

The Muppets - Film Review

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a confession to make. 

For all my professed love of The Muppets, the truth is I've never seen much of them. I know I loved them as a child but can't truly remember them. Added to that, I've never seen a Muppet film (the cinema didn't feature in my childhood).

So, much as I wanted to see the latest Muppet film, I was also a bit worried it would disappoint. There were three main causes for concern. 1) I have a general dislike of "family films" - particularly American family films; and 2) I was worried about the mix of animation and actors, even if this is a long-standing Muppet technique; and 3) I am sceptical about film musicals.

Reader, I shouldn't have worried. Yes, the story was schmaltzy family fare. Yes, it had live action with comic actors. Yes it was an unashamed musical. But above all, it knew it was all these things. It knew it had to not take itself too seriously and it did this with aplomb.

The tone was set early when Gary (Jason Segal) and his Muppet brother Walter complete the first song and dance number (Life's a Happy Song). At the end, Segal presents his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) with a bunch of flowers pulled from his suit with words to the effect of "Sorry they're a bit crushed, that will be the number I've just done."

And so Gary, Mary and Walter head off to Los Angeles where Walter is keen to visit The Muppet Studios and see the place where his heroes trod the boards. The studios, though, have gone to rack and ruin and - even worse - the new owner plans not to turn them into a Muppet Museum but to drill for oil. Cue much maniacal laughter. Cue, also, an attempt to get The Muppets back together to raise $10m to buy back the studios.

The film has a lightness of touch and sense of humour which transcends the more sentimental moments. You'll come out singing "Life's a Happy Song" but here's the Oscar Winning "Man or Muppet":

Andrew

Sunday Sounds 40: The April Fools Day Edition

It's April Fools Day and, as I can't beat The Observer's story about Shaun Ryder being invited to advise Cameron and Co on how to present their policies to the Working Classes, I've opted for a particularly apt song from 1956 - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers.

I must confess that, although I obviously knew the song, I didn't know who sang it or anything about him. The track was released when Frankie Lymon was just 13 and appears to have been the highlight in his career: he broke from The Teenagers just over a year later, his solo career did not reach the same heights of success.

But it was his personal life which was really tragic: he was addicted to heroin at age 15, dishonourably discharged from the Army at 24, and married 3 times (although he disputed the legitimacy on one of those marriages). He died of a heroin overdose at just 25 despite having been "clean" for some years. Ironically, he was celebrating a new record deal.

You can read more about him here, meanwhile here he is with Why Do Fools Fall In Love?:

Enjoy, 

Andrew