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Author
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Topic: changes in privacy & gov't power
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Mute
Sarge
Member # 3119
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posted 01-25-2005 06:52 PM
    
With the continuing advancement and convergence of technologies such as GPS, RFID, and Biometrics and the increasing trend of governments towards(now legally)tracking, watching, listening, documenting, and profiling everything you do or purchase wherever you are, does it in the least make anyone uneasy or worried about the massive differential of knowledge/power that exists between you and your government? Would you trust any gov't with the enormous consolidation of personal knowledge and power the US gov't has? Does the increasing domestic display of military-like police force make anyone feel like a criminal or like you are in some kind of prison or at least an oppressive environment where you don't feel like your freedom is as secure as it was a few years before? To me it feels like something ominous is moving closer. Anyone else?I was reading a news article the other day that stated that a court has found it legal for law enforcement (or anyone) to covertly place tracking devices on cars without a warrant or notification to the owner. The familiar phrase 'reasonable expectation of privacy' came up. Apparently, drivers can't expect privacy, so it is legal to tag and track them. That got me thinking that it must then be legal to tag and track non-drivers as well. In fact, anyone can be tagged and tracked without warrant or notification outside of their own home. A cam/mic/tracker can be placed on your person or car and used when you're not inside of your home. That's a lot of latitude we give law enforcement vis-a-vis our government. The government has always incrementally justified and given itself more power, but after 9/11 the comfort zone or buffer between our democratic government and the idea of a more fascist type government has rapidly become more narrow. Will this type of progression stop, and if so, what's to stop it? The good will of rich and powerful men? This is aimed more at Americans, but I know things are the same way in the Europe if not worse. Anyhow, I was curious if anyone felt as I did, or had concerns or thoughts. There are much worse, more Orwellian things going on in this country, but the privacy & surveillance issues always comes to mind first when thinking about how things have changed lately. [ 01-28-2005: Message edited by: Mute ] -------------------- Ford!...there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out!
Posts: 146 | From: Mid West | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged
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FS
Sarge
Member # 3053
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posted 01-26-2005 05:48 AM
Actually things are a lot better here.Our police is VERY limited. -------------------- quote:
Originally posted by FS:
Wow, I can't believe I'm agreeing with FS on this one
Posts: 649 | From: Finland | Registered: Jan 2004 | IP: Logged
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Cacophonous
Sarge
Member # 19
Member Rated:
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posted 01-26-2005 03:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by doublefresh:
yah, it bothers me but what can I do about it? As long as we obey all the laws what have we got to fear..... What is it you have to hide?
What if you accidently hit a kiddie porn website? What if you make a wrong turn and are tracked leaving a known drug dealer's house? What if your lawn service guy is a terrorist and is storing WMD in your lawn shed? -------------------- ...
Posts: 5571 | From: Yes | Registered: Jun 1999 | IP: Logged
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Mute
Sarge
Member # 3119
Rate Member
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posted 01-26-2005 04:51 PM
Unquestionably obeying all the laws would be great assuming the government is always going to be benevolent and never abusive or dictatorial. That will never happen. It's a stupid dream. Historically when governments obtain the kind of power our government currently seeks, it isn't long before they are doing just that, abusing the power, and intruding on the lives of its citizens by tracking and dictating their every action always claiming to be looking out for their best interests. Even in this country today there is such government abuse of power taking place against US citizens.The IRS has harassed and destroyed peoples' professional and private lives with false accusations and charges that were later found to be false. People have been accused of child abuse and running child abuse rings by city and state government, later those accusations were found to be false. An article was recently posted about a woman who was hauled off to a mental hospital and drugged by the state for simply being dissident. I believe she is sueing her city for that right now. The DEA has harassed and falsely accused citizens of drug dealing. Those citizens were later found to be innocent. When wrong doing is found in the government, there is rarely the smallest apology, and no-one ever gets fired. There is almost no accountability for government. It does what it wants. This kind of abuse is growing and continues to go unchecked. We continue to allow the government to give itself more power over us even though it has proven itself untrustworthy with the power it already has. It's monumentally stupid to allow government to have the total information awareness they want to have. I believe the fact that they don't have the power they seek right now is the only reason we aren't aready a totally fascist country. -------------------- Ford!...there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out!
Posts: 146 | From: Mid West | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged
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FS
Sarge
Member # 3053
Rate Member
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posted 01-27-2005 05:02 AM
For the record, I agree with Mute, though without actually having first hand experience.What he failed to list is that people have been executed and later found to be innocent. Tough luck, eh? -------------------- quote:
Originally posted by FS:
Wow, I can't believe I'm agreeing with FS on this one
Posts: 649 | From: Finland | Registered: Jan 2004 | IP: Logged
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