Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

I feel safe now, the sweet old lady said,
Now that I often see them in the street,
No longer must I thugs and con men dread,
Not with these brawny fellows on the beat,
They put to flight both violence and deceit.
An excellent idea! The businessman
Said theft had dropped by well over a third;
The new ID cards thwarted many a plan
Of criminals, and many more deterred.

Crime’s down all round, the Secretary smiled,
Now the police have the powers they need,
Two more years, the whole nation will be filed,
Serious crime will gradually recede;
Red tape will no more Nemesis impede.
We’ll all of us be far happier soon,
(Except the con-man, burglar, ruffian, thief),
Protected by the caring state’s cocoon
From fraud and violence we’ll all have relief.

Of course, we all of us must sacrifice,
Give up a bit of freedom, but so what?
That really is a piddling, little price
To pay for the protection we’ll have got,
It’s not all part of some Masonic plot,
No one in government wants to dictate,
We don’t want to control your every move,
Trust us, trust in the caring (total) state,
You’ve everything to gain and naught to lose.

Habeas corpus out the window next,
The individual takes second place,
No right of silence, not in this context,
The velvet glove is off, out comes the mace,
You’re in your friendly constable’s embrace.
No need to worry if you’re innocent,
Our guardians are all trustworthy men,
They watch over us, ever vigilant,
But who in turn is watching over them?

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