M.I'5-Perse cution . co st of t he op eration

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-= MI5: cost. of the operation -=
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Here's what. a couple of other people on Usenet (uk.misc) had to say
regarding. the cost of running such an operation...

PO: >Have some. sense, grow up and smell reality. What you are talking about
PO: >would take loads of planning, tens of thousands of pounds. and lots of
PO: >people involved. in the planning, execution and maintenance of it. You
PO: >must have a very high opinion of yourself to think you are. worth it.

PM: >But why?. And why you? Do you realize how much it would cost to keep
PM: >one person under continuous surveillance for five years?. Think about
PM: >all the man/hours. Say they _just_ allocated a two man team. and a
PM:. >supervisor. OK., Supervisor's salary, say, #30,000 a year. Two men,
PM: >#20,000 a year each. But they'd need to work in shifts. -- so it would
PM: >be six men at #20,000 (which with on-costs would work. out at more like
PM: >#30,000 to. the employer.)
PM:. >
PM: >So, we're talking #30,000 x. 6. #180,000. plus say, #40,000 for the
PM: >supervisor. #220,000. Then you've got the. hardware involved. And
PM: >any transcription that needs doing. You. don't think the 'Big Boss'
PM: >would listen to hours and hours of tapes,. do you.
PM:. >
PM: >So, all. in all, you couldn't actually do the job for much less than
PM: >a quarter million a year. Over five. years. What are you doing that makes
PM:. >it worth the while of the state to spend over one and a quarter million
PM: >on. you?

Those are pretty much the. sort of calculations that went through my head
once I stopped to consider what it must. be costing them to run this
operation.. The partial answer is, there have been periods when the
intensity has been greater, and times when little has happened.. In fact,
for much of 1993 and the first half. of 1994, very little happened. Although
I don't. think that was for reasons of money - if they can tap into the
taxpayer they're not going to be short of resources,. are they?

The more complete answer is in the enormity of what they're doing.. Relative
to the cost to British. pride of seeing their country humiliated for the
persecution of their own citizens, isn't is worth the cost. of four or five
people to try to bring things to a close in the manner they would. wish? To
the government a million or two is quite honestly nothing. - if they can
convince themselves of the necessity of what. they're doing, resources will
not be. the limiting factor.

8619

what He grants others from a
compassion which is not due to them. If He had willed to overcome the
obstinacy of the most hardened, He could have done so by revealing Himself
so manifestly to them that they could not have doubted of the truth of His
essence; as it will appear at the last day, with such thunders and such a
convulsion of nature that the dead will rise again, and the blindest will
see Him.

"It is not in this manner that He has willed to appear in His advent of
mercy, because, as so many make themselves unworthy of His mercy, He has
willed to leave them in the loss of the good which they do not want. It was
not, then, right that He should appear in a manner manifestly divine, and
completely capable of convincing all men; but it was also not right that He
should come in so hidden a manner that He could not be known by those who
should sincerely seek Him. He has willed to make himself quite recognisable
by those; and thus, willing to appear openly to those who seek Him with all
their heart, and to be hidden from those who flee from Him with all their
heart, He so regulates the knowledge of Himself that He has given signs of
Himself, visible to those who seek Him, and not to those who seek Him not.
There is enough light for those who only desire to see, and enough obscurity
for those who have a contrary disposition."

431. No other religion has recognised that man is the most excellent
creature. Some, which have quite recognised the reality of his excellence,
have considered as mean and ungrateful the low opinions which men naturally
have of themselves; and others, which have thoroughly recognised how