Welp, this is gonna be a privacy clusterfuck.

    • abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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      2 days ago

      If I were to describe the UK, it would be as three and a bit countries in a trench coat and the country in control of the legs are constantly trying to run onto a busy motorway no matter what.

      The UK has always been Orwellian, it’s just the way they justify their Orwellian shit that changes. This is the third government I’ve lived under that has advocated for ID Cards and the next government (Reform) is going to use this and the OSA to absolutely fuck people over.

        • abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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          1 day ago

          They’re currently leading the Polls right now, so if an election is held right now they’re likely going to be the next government. If fortunes change for them that might not be the case but shit looks grim.

          • Flamekebab@piefed.social
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            1 day ago

            Okay, but the next general election is literal years away. Treating them as an inevitability feels short-sighted.

              • Flamekebab@piefed.social
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                22 hours ago

                Is there something you know that you’d like to share with the class? I’m phrasing it snarkily because you’re being dismissive, however the question is genuine. What is it that you know that I don’t?

                I’m reminded of an old joke about the Conservatives:
                “But what are our actual policies?”
                “The last thing we’re going to do when ahead in the polls is talk about policies!”

                My point being that Reform seem to be polling well but unless all the other parties decide to do literally nothing, so what? The polling at the time of an election is what matters.

                Are the other parties just going to give up and go home? They’re far too power hungry and self serving for that…

        • Tundra@sh.itjust.works
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          2 days ago

          Unfortunately I have to agree, they are incredibly popular with most people outside of cities. Best case it will be a coalition, and not pure reform.

          I witnessed a reform voter driving past with a megaphone the other day, screaming about stopping the boats/sending them back etc, this was the middle of nowhere aswell.

          Between this and the privacy worries, the UK is spiralling.

    • mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      I have to wonder if this a large portion of this is due to the monarchy being a significant part of theur national identity. While monarchies aren’t necessarily authoritarian, the two concepts are frequent bedfellows

      • Droolio@feddit.uk
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        2 days ago

        Nah. The monarchy absolutely is not part of our identity. More importantly, they don’t have any part in making decisions - parliament and the current govt. do.

        We have some croaky institutions (the Lords) and a stupid voting system (first past the post - just like the U.S) but the monarchy is just a figurehead with some unfair land ownership laws - but the monarchy itself has no authority on this. Today’s bs comes down to heir Starmer’s cluelessness/arrogance.

        • aprehendedmerlin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          2 days ago

          I don’t think this Starmer guy is clueless at all. one of the most successful lies that we were told and believe in modern society is that politicians are stupid or they don’t have much power and other people in background control them so we don’t expect much from them when they screw us constantly. The way I see it this Starmer guy is following his authoritarian regime plan flawlessly. devide and conquer

          • Droolio@feddit.uk
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            2 days ago

            You maybe right about the authoritarian part, but I guarantee you they don’t know a thing about technology - evidenced by their unwillingness to listen to experts on matters like the Online Safety Act or on trying to outlaw e2ee. Starmer made Peter Kyle Secretary of State for Science, who said “For everyone thinking of using a VPN, verifying your age keeps a child safe … so let’s not try find a way around, just prove your age, make the internet safer for children.” Authoritarian certainly is an adjective to describe these people, but so also is clueless.