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Comment by tingle | Hacker News Reader

The behavior of the United Kingdom looks incoherent: it wants to become a surveillance state [1], but without using cameras manufactured in China, on the grounds that China is a surveillance state.

[1] <https://www.cctv.co.uk/how-many-cctv-cameras-are-there-in-th...>

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1) there is nothing incoherent in theoretical "we want obedient citizens under our full control, not controlled by Chinese government"

2) from your own link "But are we really a Big Brother state? You may think that the government is behind this high level of surveillance, but the BSIA found that only around 1 in 70 cameras are owned by local authorities"

And 99% of them go to the same cloud crap where a single entity can gain control of them all at once (I don't know if this is the current state, but you get the point, it's the inevitable state, be it one with 99% or maybe 5 groups with equal share. In the past all that was needed to take control of a security camera product was ../).

CCTV is incredibly useful, we need far more cameras not less.

I guess you've never been burgled or mugged?

I got mugged in the bathroom, so I’m putting cameras up all in there. Guy attacked me from the stall so make sure to install them in there.

Just a few more cameras and not a single uncleaned dog turd will escape her majesties security services!

https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/u-k-turns-cctv-terrorism-l...

CCTV doesn't prevent crime. It might sometimes help find and punish the offenders later.

If you can catch offenders everything else is just a matter of adjusting punishments to sufficient severity that offenders are removed from the system faster than they manifest.

So we just make the punishment for all crimes the death penalty?

Offenders don't do punishment calculus. They assume they won't be caught.

I have been, and I agree that a few cameras pointed at your house would make me feel safer.

Imagine living in a village in the far past. Your neighbors with whom you will live with for 50 years form close relationships with you. They constantly judge you. They believe in nonsense superstitions, and further judge you by that. If you ever do or convey one thing that goes against their beliefs, they will kill or exile you. You do not sound like any more of a reasonable person. Contrary to popular belief, we do not live in an enlightened time. People still have the same mundane superstitions and morals and actively seek to punish people for violating them. I do not want a village future with you. CCTV is a means of enforcing the will of the people, and only the most opinionated people. It's not worth it for whatever small benefit like a few crimes being solved or punished.

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