SNEAKY

Way back in the year nineteen hundred and frozen to death Robert Redford starred in a film with the late lamented River Phoenix,that film was called “Sneakers”

We enjoyed the film so much we must have watched the video at least fifty times, really exiting and very entertaining it whiled away many a winters evening,watching with my son,then a small child.

The plot centred around the fact that the NSA has created a little black box which enabled them to spy on American systems,yes American,not Russia or China but there own people!

After many exciting chases,and potentially deadly confrontations the villain was outed and you probably know the rest.

Today I discovered, along with the rest of the world that the NSA really have been spying on American citizens,to what end we can but guess. I am certain that it will be explained away as a necessary counter terrorist measure, of course it was, and there goes that purple flying pig again.

Counter terrorism my Aunt Fanny!

In this country the same thing happens, while we are being encouraged to hound the British Press,one of the few reliable sources of information world wide, our sneaky government are busy tapping the phones and reading the private emails of ordinary Joes in the street, little old ladies,such as myself,in fact anyone who disagrees even slightly with their view of things.

How the British Government can keep it's collective face straight while holding these inquires in to the behaviour of the press I cannot imagine.

Now before the bleeding hearts begin to yelp that I condone intrusive behaviour by the Press ,or indeed any agency,in to the private lives of private individuals let me say this.

Either we have freedom of the press or we do not.

We cannot say that the press will be free except for this or that, any infringement of the freedom of the press is an infringement upon the freedom of speech on which we pride ourselves,and think of this. While certain members of our benighted society clap their hands like seals at feeding time over the Governments crack pot proposal to allow only those with a government license to disseminate items of news,where does that leave me,and you,and anyone else who broadcasts their oppinions on line. What happens to us if we write an article,like this one say.Ten years in the salt mines perhaps.

Any small annoyance, and in the great subject of freedom of speech these infringments are small is the price we muse expect to pay for the freedom we are so proud of.

As for the NSA, shame on them for what they have done, In times like these goverments cannot afford to alienate their own countrymen,they are a disgrace in a country such as the USA just as they are in the UK. We have have been taught to pity the Russian peoples who have bee,n and for all I know still are spied upon by the KGB,the east Germans at the mercy of the Stasi which promoted a climate of grassing up thy neighbour. They were and are better off than we ,they knew about the secret police who spied upon their every move, until today we did not.

To those persons who may be reading my blog or listening to my telephone conversations I have only this to say,Avies Countdown to Christmas will be starting soon so note books at the ready chaps you won't want to miss that,will you?