From: michael.bast@convergys.com
Date: Tue May 09 2000 - 11:10:35 MDT
Normally I don't respond to things here, I just lurk. But this may be the single
biggest load of crap I've ever seen on this list.
The idea that ONLY criminals have anything to fear from surveillance may be the
most subtly authoritarian thing I've ever read.
Do you really want someone watching what you do in private? Or, even everything
you do in a public place, taped and available
for public scrutiny? Well I, for one, couldn't care less that you want to live
that way, I don't and I don't think many people really
would. And, before this argument comes up, I do NOT believe that there wouldn't
be someone in the government looking at
tapes/videos, etc. just for one. A few years ago I.R.S. workers were caught
looking through celebrity's files just to see what they
saw. If I commit a crime (leaving aside the debate over what ought to be
criminal) and get caught, then I get punished. If I just
want to use the public space I'm paying for anyway without draconian regulations
forcing me to submit to surveillance that's my
business.
People who think as you seem to (that anyone who isn't a criminal ought to
have no problems with being watched
everytime they leave their house, and that if you do you MUST be a criminal) are
part of the reason for this country's problems.
Tell me that you really believe the government won't search the tapes later
for activities they deem 'harmful' and won't
then target people doing that for further invasions of privacy. If you honestly
believe that, you know nothing about history and the
way people with power operate. The entire 'war on drugs' can be seen largely as
a way for government to expand power
while ignoring constitutional limitations on their actions. Property
seizures/asset forfeitures aren't constitutional, and yet they exist
because people can be scared into allowing it to happen. Giving people who've
shown a fairly consistent record of being
untrustworthy more power is insane.
From: "Zero Powers" <zero_powers@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: law enforcement for profit
>From: Eugene Leitl <eugene.leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de>
>
>Zero Powers writes:
>
>Do you want to make many people miserable, you included? Then, vote
>for transparent society.
I, like most law-abiding citizens, have absolutely nothing to fear from a
transparent society. If your deeds are good, you have no interest in
keeping them secret. If you are willing to fight tooth and nail to keep
your deeds hidden..., well do the math.
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