animist wrote:Dave B wrote:
Even the regime of "1984" could not legislate against opinion
that is just what they did do, as did the Chinese Communists of Orwell's time (brainwashing). Sadly, a lot of Islamist brainwashing seems to be going on these days, and for non-totalitarian governments to simply try countering brainwashing by legislation is not going to work
I suppose you are right, though - provided you make no action to indicate it - it is hard to define an unexpressed opinion. Any words or actions that may indicate such exists, hiwever . . .
The Chinese practiced class actions against any group that might possibly be a problem, slightly different, it was pre-emptive and made vast assumptions. The equivalent here wouod be the interment of all those with Islamic sympathies, whether Muslins or not. Just in case. McCarthyism had a point, the Commies were certainly out to disrupt and conquer, but the paranoia spread too wide and was used against any group the McCarthyites disliked.
So far we seem to have kept the actions quite specific, allowing that any situation like this is going to reap more potential suspects than actually exist. That allows a certain amount of shouting about intelligence/police incompetence and human rights, an inevitable side effect.
But, so far, we are allowed to do that shouting without fear of arrest providing we do not get violent, or threaten violence, over it.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015