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It's a fair question. To me, it's a positive thing to criticize the decline of civil liberties in one country, but a negative thing to respond to that criticism with a "at least we're better than another country" flame.
The OP's comment was clearly a flame of precisely that sort. It wasn't making any constructive commentary on civil liberties issues, just asking a dumb and inflammatory rhetorical question.
I suggest that the only reason you find the OP less offensive than the reply is that you're American and not British. If our internet laws are fair game for criticism, I think your (crazy) alcohol laws and health system must be too :)
Also, what makes you so sure that civil liberties have been "declining" in the UK? There have been steps forward as well as steps back, I don't see any justification for overall pessimism.