For Joe public life is full of events. From the time you wake in the morning to the time you rest your head again at night, we do stuff, lots of stuff.
We get the breakfast going, get the kids ready for school, listen to the news, go to the shops, buy food, clothes or just shop for nick nacks, visit the hospital or doctors or even take a neighbour, take the bus to see friends, meet in the local coffee shop, attend meetings, go to work, take a drive, sing or take photographs, eat out, an evening in the pub or just watching TV.
We all fill our days in different ways…but, virtually everything you do, touch, buy or imbibe is covered by a plethora of laws, rules or regulation. Totally.
In a post on 6th Feb (Britain at the Crossroads) I indicated that the UK is now a totalitarian state, governed by an unelected and totalitarian super-state. That does not mean that cops are running around waving guns at everyone to get them to do things they dont want to do, but it does mean that virtually everything you do, touch, buy or imbibe is covered by a plethora of laws, rules or regulations. Totally.
I ended that post by asking a simple question.
Quiz for today, totalitarian: If you don’t believe that Britain is governed totally by political rules, regulations, orders and diktats, please name me 6 everyday activities, yes, just six, that you undertake that does not require a. permission, b. licence, c. regulated action, d. regulated packaging, materials, ingredients, tools etc.
i.e. 6 activities that never touch the state or a regulator.
I recall reading somewhere that in the 1950’s it was claimed that the average member of the public only ever came into contact with the state on 3 occasions, school, the post office and paying tax. Not quite true but I think you get my drift.
I didn’t get any takers, so I am giving you the opportunity again. Has the UK become a totalitarian state or can you name just 6 activities that never touch the state or a regulator?
When you have decided that you cannot find 6 things, I will then ask which political party will have the guts to start repealing all these laws, rules and regulations, and take us back to being a free democratic society, a society where you decide, weigh up your own risks and take responsibility for your own actions and activities.
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IanPJ on Politics 
Ian,
Re the 50s and the 3 occasions – not strictly true as, for example, on birth and death, even then, you came into contact with the state, whether you liked it or not – or at least your parents and dependents did.
But I get your drift…………
Even you, Ian, must agree and accept that there are certain laws that are a necessity – driving licences, for example – we had them in the 50s? However I do agree that the majority of laws today could well be dispensed with, or at least ‘watered down’.
Just questioning……
WfW, Of course SOME common sense rules must exist, but that is not what we are talking of here, and your example of a driving licence is one of those regulations that could quite easily be disposed of.
A driving test, yes, but why the licence? The test would prove that you can drive, are capable and is one of those common sense rules. The licence however is the state giving you permission to do so, along with the power to remove that permission.
Anything that requires a license is no more than you asking permission like a child to perform a legal activity.
If it is not legal, then it cannot be licensed.