Making Bermuda Into A Panopticon Prison?
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Not too long ago the Premier was featured in a news story touring the CCTV monitoring centre up in Prospect.
Included in the story were pictures of a wall of monitors, displaying the clarity and scale of the images. These images were clearly impressive – well detailed and clear.
The Premier is quoted as saying ‘the value of this investment is already paying off’; and it’s clear that this sentiment, this valuing of CCTV as a crime-fighting technology, is shared by the Opposition, under whose watch Bermuda’s CCTV network boomed.
In light of the apparent universal support for CCTV, perhaps it’s time for a more critical look at the system…
The late French philosopher Michel Foucoult made the concept of the Panoptican prison a useful analogy for modern society. The Panopticon itself being created over 200 years ago by a utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Bentham.
The Panopticon [meaning all-seeing] has at the essence of its design that prison cells are arranged around a guard tower in such a way that the guard can view any of the prisoners at any time, while the prisoners cannot see if they are being watched.
The aim was to make prisoners regulate their own behaviour.
Because they do not know whether they are being watched, they do not know if they will be punished.
Eventually, in theory, there would be no need to have an actual guard in the tower at all times, as the prisoners would regulate their own behaviour.
In many ways the CCTV network in Bermuda is making the entire island into a 21st Century version of the Panopticon prison.
This is achieved not simply by the erecting of CCTV cameras throughout our island, but also by ‘advertising’ their presence and power, as with media articles like the one featuring the Premier.
Such articles serve multiple purposes.
For the current Premier, who seeks to manufacture an image of a ‘strong leader’ who’s ‘strong on crime’, it serves to reinforce his rather obvious attempts of image control. And this goes for the Government overall.
Beyond the rather obvious political image positioning, this also reinforces what I think can be called ‘fearism’.
‘Fearism’ is the use of ‘fear of crime’ for the sake of social control and political agendas, and how this ‘fear of crime’ is manufactured itself.
Fear, whether quelled or stimulated, provides the capacity to both control and manipulate a variety of social and political discourses.
Fearism may express itself in knee-jerk policies that sound good, but have no basis in policy evidence [and are often counter-productive], like the knife laws, pitbull bans, drug prohibition in general and the more recent focus on drug tests.
Ultimately, though, fearism is used [or, rather, abused] for the sake of reasserting elite control over society.
Going back to CCTV, advertising the capacity of CCTV in Bermuda has the aim also of ensuring that we, the public, are aware that we’re being watched.
Whether guilty or not, we’re all prisoners being watched from the guard tower of the Panopticon.
Whether we’re conscious of it or not, an objective here is to have society police itself out of fear.
To quote Foucalt:
“There is no need for arms, physical violence, material constraints. Just a gaze. An inspecting gaze, a gaze which each individual under its weight will end by interiorising to the point that he is his own overseer, each individual thus exercising this surveillance over, and against, himself. A superb formula: power exercised continuously and for what turns out to be a minimal cost.” The Eye of Power.
On the surface, some will say that sounds ideal.
To others though, it raises the question of creeping authorisation and social control to the benefit of elites. A superb formula of social control where the prisoners regulate themselves.
- Jonathan Starling
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- Opinion Part #2: Making A “Panopticon Prison” | Bernews.com | September 16, 2014
That is what religion has been terrorizing humans with since prehistory: the All-Seeing, All-Judging, All-Punishing, Eye. I am glad that you may be as concerned about the Labour Day threatened reanimation of Sauron and his unblinking Eye as the rest of us. The failed Communist totalitarian experiment, Mr. Starling, took the human and technological Eye to dystopic ranges unmatched even by fascists and only bested by religious fanatics and cautionary novelists such as Orwell and Tolkien. As you have alluded to, in the case of Bermuda it is unfortunately and ironically the PLP that seems to be most drawn to authoritarian strong man government (“I’m the man!” being a PLP leader’s rebuke to female politicians), confrontationally divisive class and race identity politics, and loyalty rather than policy-driven elections.
Mr. Starling…you clearly have a lot of time on your hands. The police have a mandate to monitor PUBLIC places. CCTV also helps the authorities when crimes are committed in PUBLIC places. When people are in the PUBLIC (and yes even in private, but that is another matter), they are expected to follow the laws of the land, passed by a democratic govt. If you cannot see this Mr. Starling, then I ask that you get help.
Even in low-res 2D, personality goes a long way. Any way you slice them, pigs are 10 times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres. Day and night they are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that they drink that milk and eat those apples.
I love the pen name and I love the brilliant comment!
Based on the fact that despite the presence of CCTV throughout the city, we still have incidents of bike theft, car break-ins and bus terminal scuffles, I suspect that much of society is either unaware or just doesn’t care… which kind of blows the above theory out of the water.
so why didn’t the insurance company ask for the footage of my accident that was NOT my fault?? Also if the images are so clear, why are there still idiots out there breaking the law on their bikes and in their cars, passing anyone anywhere and nothing is happening to them? Surely you can see the plate numbers.
MAIL THEM A TICKET.
I draw comfort from it, knowing that there is a realistic deterant to criminal activity.
“Fearism”, oh please. I feel comfort. I actually had forgotten about this system, because I don’t fear it, but have now drawn a new wave of comfort from your reminder of it.
There is no fear, I am doing no wrong. Perhaps it is you that fears?
JS: “To others though, it raises the question of creeping authorisation and social control to the benefit of elites. A superb formula of social control where the prisoners regulate themselves”
Your talking about your favoured fear driven communist models again. We all know how they work.
You will understand some day, however by that time, all your freedoms and privacy will have been taken away from you, and you will be saying “How did this happen”
Paranoid much?
Call it what you sir/madam. I just encourage you to look beyond the loads of information that you are fed in this world everyday, and I am not talking about black or white, OBA or PLP, I am talking about humanity.. Mock me, laugh at me, but if you have a spare hour or two read the books that they don’t advise you to read,, bless
Don’t bother explaining it to the slaves Impressive…they have no idea. they have fully accepted and indeed embrace their matrix programming…
cells of the batteries of the system they are…
What system are you a part of and how is it working out for you. What are the advantages you have over me? Financially, socially, life experience wise.
So you saw the Trilogy. Great movies great concepts. Some debate over who came up with the original concept. What makes you different? What do you do that is different?
Do you buy goods in a grocery store, do you use the internet, do you have a phone, do you drink, do you see movies. Are you married, do you date people? If you do any of that, then you are part of the system.
Let us all hear about your alternative existence.
What, books by Mark Dice, Jim Redden and David Icke?
Yes we have to work to survive. Yes we have to work to fee the govt institution (the PLP) behemoth. We are not totally free agreed, but we do have choice where to work and what to do, we do have choice to attain greater qualification and greater opportunity. With that comes greater burdens of responsibility but also greater opportunities to experience the bigger world. We are also bound by a moral and ethical code fromed from religious and social concerns. Anarchy is not encouraged and most people can say they are content not to have chaos happening ane uncertainy on a daily basis.
What books and thought process are you on about?
The top right screen is where my bike got taken in broad day light I alerted the policy and they did nothing said no cammera faces that area. There it is a cam does face the area whats going on?
LOL police owe me answers.
Maybe they were on a break, or donut time the entire system (just like the previous one) is only as good as the people charged with its effective and constant operations and if history is anything to go by………….
It’s simple the criminal element just doesn’t care.
People complained that the CCTV network wasn’t up and working on the deadline stated.
Then people complained that the cameras weren’t in the right areas to catch the perpetrators of certain crims in certain neighborhoods.
Now they are complaining that is working and doing what it was designed to do.
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Is it me or does it seem like people that write these opinion articles are mostly written by people that really don’t offer much in the way of positive thinking and solutions, but instead, just like to be heard.
JS, you seem like a bright guy, just like CF and many others that write these opinion pieces. Do something positive or at least offer solutions when writing pieces like this. I wish you and CF would tell us what you think a better solution would be instead of just talking? Offer something when writing. Until you do, you guys shall be looked upon as another guys that want to be known or recognized, and not as someone that is respected and sought after for their thoughts.
Just opinion.lol
I dunno – usually in his pieces he offers suggestions or proposals, but unfortunately they’re still met by silly comments like “he’s a Communist” or “stay in Scotland” or the like, instead of addressing the topic at hand.
This particular column reads more like an observation/warning without an alternative idea to consider, but I think it’s the exception not the rule. Your mileage may vary.
I work with a young guy who had his bike stolen in Hamilton. He went to the police to ask them to review the video to identify the thief… they said they couldn’t… nice system !
You must work with me then cause thats excatly what happened to me.
LOL it was like 1 year ago exactly in June 2013.
They weren’t up and working then. Perhaps that is why.
I personally don’t have a problem with cameras.
If people knew how to conduct themselves there wouldn’t be a need for them in the first place!
This makes it sound as if it’s just Bermuda where this is happening. It’s not.
Everything we do these days is being watched. Every time you travel, every time you use a credit card, every time you park, a lot of places where you work, any time you go on the internet or use a cell phone. People would probably be surprised how much they are watched in the US or in the UK, places where they actually use facial recognition.
Is it right? I don’t know. I don’t suppose it matters because it’s there, and it’s not going anywhere. We’d have to haul down worldwide systems to stop it and that is highly unlikely.
as usual, nothing of value from this ‘writer’. ‘fearism’ – good heavens – try REALism. the camera’s film reality – not some constructed plot-line.
Great opinion piece Jonathan; although I for one think it’s more fact than opinion. To control every aspect of our lives and create an environment where people do not trust each other is a part of their endgame. Glad to see someone is paying attention and has the gull to “call a spade a spade”.
it IS fact but most people suffer from Stockholm’s…they love the system that enslaves them…not wanting and probably unable to look beyond the illusory veil that the “thinkers” the, “holographic projectionists” has created for them.
the slaves call us paranoid or conspiracy theorists because they are deathly afraid of the truth -ignoring their intuition – to their own demise… (probably due to an under-active pineal gland bombarded and calcified by today’s processed/poisoned “foods”!!)
WTF is this man uttering…
I dont know.. I read past the second picture and was lost. Premier D was right earlier in the year.. what a waste of F….
The city cameras should be like webcams that anyone can log into and view. That way there are potentially hundreds of eyes watching at any given time. If a bike is stolen then the owner can request a cut of the surveillance footage to do their own viewing if the police aren’t readily available to check.
Can it be abused? Yes and no…people will naturally be on it to be pokey but every one knows when they are in the city that they are on camera at any given time. I’m not bothered by being on cam in a public place.
”Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little Temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety” – Franklin.
we are to be free in our movements – and that is also including free from peering eyes – especially government ones…
“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny” – Jefferson
It is really that simple.
While I agree with some of the statements here regarding Government and “1984″, if anyone has a Facebook, email, mobile or computer they can and are being watched and listened to. Anytime you visit say London, you are tracked all the time. US cities are similar. How did they find the Boston bombers? They reviewed CCTV. Is it bad? Too late, it is here.
What is interesting is how Jonathan has not written an opinion piece on the hot topic of PRCs. Remember he had a sit in over term limits, so why not PRC?
Fearism? I’m not afraid. If you’re afraid then you have good reason to be.
correct me if I am wrong but isn’t this system the one that the PLP put into place all those years ago. so for all these years when JS was looking to run for the PLP it wasn’t a problem. But I suspect that JS didn’t have any concerns with it then because it wasn’t an OBA plot
I found myself with a knife to my throat whilst being swiftly relieved of my belongings in Oct (’10 or ’11) on that road that runs up off Pitts Bay opposite BF&M. Ran down to Esso, got the time, then headed over to the Police Station to report the incident. I was called a few days later to give a written account of what had happened, and I did.
I notified them that it was right outside of Ace and that I was almost certain there were an abundance of cameras – one of which HAD to have caught the incident. A few days later I managed to get in touch with the people who had access to those cameras – I asked if the police had requested the tape (they hadn’t) and, assuming nothing more was going to become of it.. I asked if I could see it myself.
It took but a few minutes to find the incident. Right between two lights. Smack bang center of the frame. Whilst those responsible couldn’t really be identified from the tape, the fact that I had informed the police of the cameras presence, given them the time within a few minutes of the incident, and – with a brief email exchange – been able to view the footage myself, I can’t help but feel that JS is way off the mark.
“Whether we’re conscious of it or not, an objective here is to have society police itself out of fear.”
For people to feel threatened by CCTV, they would have to be aware that there are consequences. Police inaction renders monitoring – even on “Person of Interest” levels – irrelevant in its entirety.
I find comfort in being monitored. But, then again, I’m not doing anything wrong.
What are you so worried about, JS?
Starling your spot on ! But do me a big favor . Ride around or drive around Bermuda on Oct.31st , go into the neighborhoods less travelled . They are dark , no street lamps . Why ? Because the residents refuse to allow Belco to put them there . I bet some of those same people who champion the idea of the surveillance cameras everywhere else will not allow state controlled cameras in their own neighborhood , especially if they don’t/can’t have total control of the footage .
Fearism goes two ways.
Y’ur Bedroom Next.
i wonder if i start broadcasting the suppressed information, which is readily available, but not broadcast on mainstream media for all to see, would the people that use the words “conspiracy theory”,actually come out to look listen and learn for themselves..? You see…everything that you base your argument on WE the Truthers already know this because yes, we all have been taught the same ideologies, but WE Truthers have gone a step further than most and have educated ourselves on the other side as well…most information i could provide will scare the living daylights out of you therefore i can understand your fast n firm denial of said subjects…i once stated that we were in the end times, but was chastised by people who dont believe in a creator or religion, although i was not referring to biblical quotes…i could go on forever but im not too interested in trying to convince the people whose minds have already been captured without them knowing…