The Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS / Ministry for State
Security), commonly known as the Stasi (from Staatssicherheit), was the
main security (secret police) and intelligence organization of the
German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

The Stasi was headquartered in East Berlin, with an extensive complex in
Lichtenberg and several smaller complexes throughout the city.

Widely regarded as one of the most effective intelligence agencies in
the world, the Stasi's motto was "Schild und Schwert der Partei" (Shield
and Sword of the Party), showing its connections to the Socialist Unity
Party of Germany, the equivalent to the CPSU of the Soviet Union.

Another term used in earlier years to refer to the Stasi was
Staatssicherheitsdienst (State Security Service).

The Stasi influenced almost every aspect of life in the GDR. During the
mid-1980s, a civilian network of informants known as the Inoffizielle
Mitarbeiter (IMs, Unofficial Collaborators) began to grow within both
parts of Germany, East and West.
By the time East Germany collapsed in 1989, it was estimated that 91,000
full-time employees and 300,000 informants were employed by the Stasi.

In other words, about one in fifty East Germans collaborated with the
Stasi—one of the highest penetrations of any civilian society by an
intelligence-gathering organization

----------------

Proposed new anti-terror laws could give police greater powers to stop
and question anyone in the UK.

The proposal, allowing police to ask people about their identity and
movement, is among measures being considered by Home Secretary John
Reid.

The new legislation would be similar to that already used in Northern
Ireland.

Police are still likely to need a "reasonable suspicion" a crime may be
committed. Anyone refusing to co-operate could be fined up to £5,000.

At present, under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, officers already
have the power to stop and search people or vehicles in an area seen as
being at risk from terrorism even if they are not suspected of any
breach of the law

At present, someone can be held under anti-terrorism laws for up to 28
days without charge, although this depends on the approval of the
courts.

Neighbours could receive huge cash rewards for trapping VAT or customs
cheats living next door.

In return for evidence which could be used to seize the assets of a
local fraudster, the informant would be granted a share of the
ill-gotten gains.

The payout could be as high as 30 per cent of the total amount seized –
potentially running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Ministers have also not ruled out allowing informants to take over a
neighbour’s possessions, such as luxury cars or plasma TVs, if they had
been bought with the proceeds of crime.

-----------

Is anyone but me seeing a nasty parallel forming here.

1) Stop and search
2) Detention without trial
3) Reward for shoping your neighbours
4) ... there are others (LOTS)

Duncan...this seems two-fold...

On the one hand, giving police more power to stop and search, and
detain, under the anti-terrorism laws..

On the other hand, a 'snitch' reward...feeding greed by encouraging
people to 'shop' the neighbours...and morally, it seems offensive to
'split the loot'...


I feel very uneasy with this...tied in with more 'Big Brother' cameras
on every corner...is this feeding fear and paranoia, or giving the
people a sense of safety, I wonder?

The people with half a brain cell are putting this together.

But the problem is that we (as a nation) are not used to complaining
about it, unless it affects us directly.

If I got arrested under these laws, I would be outraged and so would my
friends and family, there would be huge amounts of noise on a biblical
scale!!!

But my outrage to this parallel is muted because it is in my psyche not
to rage against the machine.

.