And so it begins

The government are clamping down on "extremist" websites and on views that are considered "extremist". However in doing this, they are considering revising the definition of "extremist" to be set at a lower threshold than it currently is.

Which means that – in the future, other governments will have the same right and the same power, and they can lower the threshold further and further until, one day, just speaking out against government policy could be considered extremist.

They are  also going to all but ensure that the "snooper’s charter" is passed into law, because they claim it will prevent future attacks like the one we saw last week.

This isn’t true, but when has any government ever let the truth get in the way of what they wanted to do?

And, of course, every single member of the government has made speeches about how "EXTREMISM WILL NOT WIN" and how "WE WILL FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES". because nothing goes down better with the public than sabre rattling, flag waving and patriotic jingoism.

Meanwhile, a Mosque in East Lincolnshire was fire-bombed. And the government has said nothing. It was fire-bombed despite an increased police presence because of another attack three days before. And the government has said nothing.

Attacks against Muslims – or people who look like Muslims – have increased dramatically over the last few days. And the government has said nothing.

Why are they so quiet? Why are they not commenting on attacks against Muslims when a single attack against a single man has provoked a massive response – new laws, new rights, speeches up the ying-yang?

Why are they allowing what can only be described as a right-wing, if not a far-right-wing, agenda to dominate their policy making in the last week or so?

UKIP surge in the polls and the entire government swings to the right, jumping on any excuse to take the country further and further towards a situation where only those who have the government’s favour will be free to say what they want, and anyone who makes any suggestion that this might be a bad idea is labelled as being "sympathetic to terrorists" or to be acting in an "un-British way"

I know I am painting a bleak picture, but given what Labour did in their endeavour to "make us safer", and given the way the Tories behaved at the height of the IRA campaigns, does anyone really think that they won’t use the same tactics now? That they won’t go ludicrously overboard in an attempt to pander to their own base? That they won’t turn this country in to a parody of what it once was in order to pick up one or two more votes?

I’d like to think the Lib Dems would stand up to them, but since their party is already a parody of what it was before the last election, I am not entirely convinced they will do anything, let alone actually mount a rebellion that will ensure we keep our right to privacy.

I don’t condone one person killing another, whatever deranged reason they might have for it. The death of the soldier was unconscionable and can not be defended.

But the attack and fire-bombing of a Mosque is equally unconscionable. An attack on an innocent group is always wrong, no matter the group.

And I feel the need to say this because – as I indicated above – in this day and age, if you DARE to speak up in defence of innocent Muslims, you are automatically suspect as – if not a terrorist, then at least a sympathiser. And that is if you are white. If you are actually a Muslim then you pretty much sign your own death warrant. 

The government are taking us down the start of a very dark path, and the decisions they make now are not just for now, but for now and ever more. 

They won’t be in power forever – they might not even be in power in two years time. And imagine if UKIP or even the BNP had the powers the government are about to grant themselves. Would anyone be safe if the BNP could ban any group they found "extremist"? 

If you think they are right – if you think that the way to defeat terrorism is to ban anyone who expresses a view you don’t agree with – then support the government and embrace their crusade.

But if you don’t – if you think that free speech is more important than a false sense of security, that targeting one group of "extremists" while letting others have free reign to attack anyone they like, that freedom applies to all men (and not just those who agree with you) – then speak up and say something before you can’t speak up any more,