CCTV Camera nominated as an "Icon of England"
Thanks are due to Perry de Havilland at Samizdata, [UPDATE: and other people like John Lilburne] for nominating the CCTV camera as one of the "Icons" on the Government's controversial million pound Icons of England propaganda website.
The CCTV camera is the perfect icon for Britain today, summing up the nature of the changing relationship between civil society and political state. They are an innovation in which Britain leads the world both technologically and in usage and are the visible manifestation of so many things which happen out of sight. It is almost impossible to avoid their gaze for an entire day and sitting like steel crows on their perches above us, truly they are emblematic of modern Britain.
Please vote for this "icon", and perhaps the "CCTV camera" will take its place alongside "fox hunting" as icons chosen by the people, rather than one of those foisted on us by the Government.
Comments
One obvious icon of england is the humble traffic cone. They're omnipresent on all the major UK roads - far more so that you see driving on the continent.
Posted by: Bob Mottram | February 9, 2006 9:34 PM
De Havilland wasn't the first or only nominator for CCTV. I nominated them last year and I'd guess I'm not the only one either.
Posted by: John Lilburne | February 10, 2006 1:18 AM
@ John - fair enough - thanks to to you and everyone else who nominated CCTV.
It is still very unclear what exactly the "Icons for England" website will achieve, apart from spending its million pounds of public money.
Posted by: wtwu | February 10, 2006 4:39 AM
There also now seems to be a 1984 by George Orwell icon nimunation which is also worthy of voting for.
It is not clear what, uf any, security measures there are on this "Icons of England" website to prevent multiple or automated script based voting.
Posted by: wtwu | February 10, 2006 7:23 AM
I just popped in a nomination for CCTV as well, and they sent me an email saying that a lot of people had done it and that it is now a "joint nomination". My potted reason for the nomination got onto the CCTV page too!
Posted by: Michael Harrington | February 13, 2006 10:02 AM