donathos said:
Government shouldn't be "trusted." I'm not saying that we should all hole ourselves up in a bunker in northern Idaho, either; there's no need for anti-government paranoia. However, government is an incredibly powerful entity--it holds the monopoly on the legitimate use of force. It has the unique power to lawfully strip a person of life, liberty and property. Government, therefore, should be strictly and scrupulously controlled, like a powerful attack dog. You don't let such a dog run free in the neighborhood, "trusting" it to be good. You "trust" it when you know that your fence is high and your chain is strong. |
Erm, no it doesn't, not in this country, any way. In the UK, the police is seperate, above, and equal to the Government in power and authority. Hell, there isn't even a UK-wide high-level police force (like the FBI). The control of the military is a power of the Queen, which she exclusively uses only when told - so the PM does have an air of power, here. But both Labour and Conservative (so no matter who wins the next election) are going to be changing this in the next few years, and soon, the power of the military will be at Parliaments control, removing more power from the Government.
In the UK, the Government cannot legally do those things, either. Death sentences are abolished, and this cannot be undone (due to EU legislation). Both the executive and the legislature are subject to the judiciary, so, if you feel that your rights are being infringed on, set fourth in the Human Rights Act, you can go to court and get something done about it. The Government can take away your land - but they have to pay for it, any other form of property is (I think) protected by the HRA.
