Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Curse of the Party System
When the People were focused on the European Soccer tournament – in fact, right in the middle of Sweden-Russia match – the Party whip had finally succeeded. The Riksdag voted for the most elaborate surveillance bill in Sweden’s history. The FRA was given the right to scan and read all electronic communications passing the borders of Sweden. FRA was also given the task of developing effective search tools to find perilous elements “posing a threat to the State”.
Some of the parliamentarians, opposing the bill earlier, had to taste the party whip and close ranks with their party members. It was nothing short of pathetic to see them on TV opposing their previous stance and defend the party line.
Sweden has now joined the ranks of “China and Saudi Arabia”, to quote a high ranking Google official. “Sweden will become the most extreme in the world”, says Dan O'Brien at Electronic Frontier Foundation according to one article in the papers.
Sweden lost against Russia. The people lost against the state. The state may now, through maybe 900 staff at FRA, poke its nose into the citizens’ private business.
Those of us who are involved with regionalism in Europe or human rights on the global arena have to think twice before putting friends abroad in jeopardy by sending them emails.
Some of the parliamentarians, opposing the bill earlier, had to taste the party whip and close ranks with their party members. It was nothing short of pathetic to see them on TV opposing their previous stance and defend the party line.
Sweden has now joined the ranks of “China and Saudi Arabia”, to quote a high ranking Google official. “Sweden will become the most extreme in the world”, says Dan O'Brien at Electronic Frontier Foundation according to one article in the papers.
Sweden lost against Russia. The people lost against the state. The state may now, through maybe 900 staff at FRA, poke its nose into the citizens’ private business.
Those of us who are involved with regionalism in Europe or human rights on the global arena have to think twice before putting friends abroad in jeopardy by sending them emails.
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Hi - Google's Blog alert sent me to this post because of your reference to regionalism. Please visit Regional Community Development News. http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/ check the tools and consider a link. I'll include a link to this post in the June 25 issue. Tom
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