What a dismal chapter! You know, I do not, and have never, believed that we had to give away privacy or "freedom" in exchange for increased security. the recent attacks in Mumbai just remind me that the US isn't the only target of terrorism. Violence and terrorism is worldwide, and I do believe are not "trying to keep us safe" but are instead gleefully reaping profits by motivating us with fear. I felt sick when I read the quote, "We want you to recognize the economic opportunity that homeland security presents. It is important for all Americans to remember that when the terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, one of their goals was to cripple the U.S. economy. We must remember this and change our mindset to make protecting the homeland a mission that moves our economy forward."
First of all: the use of the word homeland. Only Native Americans can use this word correctly. Only they are indigenous. Next, when people invoke 9/11 to make a profit. This is just wrong.
TIA: ONly if these programs were run perfectly, they might work as intended. But, they are human-created and human-run. The humans who run it will make human decisions and human errors. We will compile huge archives of everyday comings and goings, and while pursuing information in the name of security, many things which are not the business of the government or contractors, and which are still technically protected, will be noted and recorded. In some grey area on some grey day, this information could be used against us, or to control us. At the very worst, we are manipulated and don't know it. At the best, it is creepy that one may someday find out it has been recorded, all the dumb things one did one random day.
Youtube video: has been removed due to copyright claim of Viacom.
2 comments:
"...all the dumb thing one did one random day."
My freaking nightmare. Seriously.
I have such problems with this kind of stuff. I really want bad people to be prevented from hurting others, but I really also do NOT want my government keeping my every little tiny detailed bit of life in a database.
Perhaps totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but native Americans emigrated to what is now the Americas via a landbridge that connected what is now Russia to what is now Alaska (I think they stopped for Nescafe at Sarah Palin's house first). Yes, this happened tens of thousands of years ago, before nations, states, and nation-states, but seeing as how home is where the heart is, I see nothing wrong with anyone calling a place of affinity their homeland.
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