To be fair, my point was that there has been much more freedom post-1945 than in other parts of the world. We don't appreciate this, hence we are becoming more susceptable to both publically elected governments and (far worse) unelected private sector organisations infringing on our liberties. Ironically, the likes of Snowden et al are actually patsys for private sector and certain non-Western regimes by worrying so much about what our governments ought to be doing and keeping a beady eye on 'nere do wells' of certain political/religious persuasions.
I agree with you in respect to the period 1945 through to the late 1970's, Andy, but the past 35 yrs. has witnessed the greatest erosion of civil liberties to the citizens of this country since the tyrannical reign of the Tudors. The draconian piecemeal erosion of civil liberties throughout the Thatcher, Major, Blair dictats have reduced this country to a virtual police state in all but name.
There are of course other regimes on this planet that are worse with their only saving grace being that they aren't purporting to be democracies. Any state that doesn't have a bill of rights is always going to be vulnerable to capricious politicos, the tabloid press et al and I fear that your prediction of 'things can only get worse' is well founded.
I can only be thankful that I have lived the best part of my life in a more liberal era where political correctness, draconian legislation and intolerance was confined to bureaucratic states such as Japan, Singapore, Burma, Soviet Russia etc. and standards of education weren't confined to tabloidspeak, celebrity deification etc, because I sure as hell wouldn't want to live too long in the Peoples' Republik of Britain of today, or in the future.
I suppose the only freedom left for the proletariat in this septic isle is that they don't require an exit visa to leave, although that privilige may not be available in the not so distant future.
