Monday, November 9, 2015

Neil Clark: Privatisation and Big Brother go hand-in-glove

The CPO's Neil Clark's new Morning Star column on the link between neoliberalism/neoconservatism  and the surveillance state.

The combination of privatisation, increased state surveillance and greater police powers suits the neoliberals and neocons who rule over us perfectly, argues NEIL CLARK

On October 13 the government sold off the last publicly owned stake in Royal Mail, which had been in state hands since its inception in 1516.
On November 4 Theresa May announced a new Investigatory Powers Bill, which would enable mass state surveillance of everyone in Britain.
In the words of the US investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald: “The UK is about to become the only democracy in the world to force internet companies to store people’s browsing history.”
At first it might seem strange that a government that is so keen on privatising and reducing state involvement in the economy is also keen on increasing the state’s snooping powers. But there really is no contradiction.

The whole article can be read here.