Proliferation of electronic surveillance put UK at Number 5 in global list of most repressive regimes. US at Number 8

Now we have empiric proof of sinister intent. A new report, from the Internet security company, Cryptohippie, puts the UK at Number Five in the list of the world's most repressive regimes in terms of the electronic surveillance of its citizens.

The country that successfully fought-off totalitarianism in World War Two now finds itself lumped-in with the likes of China, North Korea, Belarus and Russia. We have collectively stood by in unthinking, uncritical acquiescence as the state has systematically dismantled and destroyed many of the liberties our fathers and grandfather's fought for and made untold sacrifices to secure and maintain. Haven't we done well?

Indeed things are now so bad that even a former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, the man who headed the UK's Secret Intelligence Service between 1999 and 2004, has been doing the media rounds to warn everyone that the now routine and all-pervasive surveillance to which we are all subject is "striking, disturbing" and "an abuse of human rights and the law". When that happens you know we are on the slippery slope to the "Big Brother" state.

Meanwhile, another pillar of the establishment, Lord Carlisle, has gone on the record to say that Home Office plans to impose a massive and pervasive Internet surveillance database that will monitor and maintain records of every Internet site visited, emails sent and received and phone calls made by every UK citizen is "a step too far for the British way of life".

The Cryptohippie survey, "The Electronic Police State 2008" is the first in a projected and ongoing series of annual reports analysing "the state use of electronic technologies to record, organise, search and distribute forensic evidence against its citizens".

In listing those countries in order of their repressive tendencies, Cryptohippe uses a 17-point scale ranging from the routine requirement for citizens to carry ID and produce it for inspection on demand all the way through to those regimes that compel ISPs and telcos to collect and store data and make it available for search and manipulation by various state agencies.

A five-point scoring system is used for each of the 17 factors and the most repressive states  are listed in order of their paranoia. At Number One is China, followed by North Korea, Belarus and Russia. As previously mentioned, the UK sits at Number Five, lumped in with the world's most totalitarian and repressive regimes. We are followed by France, Germany and - ominously - the US.