The Orwellian-sounding Violent Radicalisation and Home-Grown Terrorism Prevention Act, passed by an overwhelming 400-6 vote last month, will soon be considered by the Senate. Rather than seeking to criminalise "extremist" acts, it targets beliefs, or what many people are calling "thoughtcrimes".

"It proposes initiatives to intercede before radicalised individuals turn violent. It could herald far more intrusive surveillance techniques, without warrants, and has the potential to criminalise ideas and not actions. It could mean penalties for a stance rather than a criminal act," the American Civil Liberties Union and the Centre for Constitutional Rights have jointly said.

John Vidal (see link)

That is the USA, but are things any better here? Recently a young British woman was put on trial for possession of books our secret police didn't approve of. Fortunately others didn't accept that this was a crime, and she went free. Meanwhile Gordon Brown continues to push for an extension of the time suspects can be held without charge; retains the banning of free assembly within a mile of Westminster Palace; blunders on with the ID card farce.
At the same time Bush, Brown and their cronies get into a lather about human rights abuses in Tibet, China, Zimbabwe.
Pan - kettle - "grimy arse".
As for everyone's concern about democracy and fair elections in Zimbabwe, that's about Zimbabwe, not democracy. Local elections are soon to be held in Egypt, fiefdom of Bush puppet Mubarak. Over 100 opposition candidates have been rounded up and thrown in jail. Who cares? Not those guardians of democracy in the British media.