We hear a lot about freedom, and threats to our freedom. We heard about it, for example, when the government asked the Guardian to stop publishing the Snowden files because of the risk to national security. We heard about it last year, when David Cameron announced he was bringing back plans to allow the security agencies to monitor, and retain data on, our electronic communications – the so-called “snooper’s charter”. We heard about it in the wake of the Lee Rigby killing, where we told the state would use the murder as an excuse for a further erosion of our liberties.