The Antiwar Comic: The Future of Journalism
Jun10
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I’m sure everything will be splendid for people in the future. It just looks bad from here because we are used to something different. You can’t stop technology, whether it be pirating or surveillance. And I don’t remember things being better when I was young.
– The Devil’s Advocate 😉
Well, “better” is a relative term. In terms of civil liberties in the US, things were much better. You could live off the grid pretty easily and there were still large swaths of land to hide in. These days, that would require sophisticated anti-surveillance technology.
Yeah, that’s not going to change. Can’t stop technology. Not unless you’re Snake Plissken and punch in the ‘world code’. People are just going to have to get used to omnipresent surveillance, much like media companies are going to have to get used to pirating. Only one of these has the support of the government, but both have the tacit support of the people. Heck, I’ve read that they’ll be able to put sensors into building materials in the future. Surveillance everywhere.
Surveillance is a tool. It can be used for good or bad. Don’t blame the tool for the crimes of the wielder.
The problem in the US isn’t caused by excess wire-tapping and the like. No, the problem is a culture of “might makes right” that must be broken.
For example, the Norwegian IRS-equivalent has much wider and far reaching
powers than the US IRS. (Most people don’t have to file tax forms because the tax people knows everything anyway)
But there is very little abuse and they are generally liked in the population. Why, because Norwegian culture doesn’t tolerate abuse and the abusers would be fired.
Not that everything is perfect here, but it is far better than the US. (Most notably, police brutality is not taken seriously by the police)
As Gillsing says, total surveillance is coming whether we want it or not. The thing is make sure it works both ways. Bug the police and the politicians.
It’s about a balance of powers. Information is power and if the government has it all, forget it. Game over.
But the test of government doesn’t come when everything is fine, your population educated, well-rested and generally well-fed. The test comes when the money runs out and people stop having enough of it to get necessities. That’s what’s slowly happening in the U.S.
No one is going to think about bugging the cops and politicians when they can’t even make their rent. The backlash against U.S. government overreach is slowly happening. The Amash amendment was narrowly defeated and this would’ve gutted the NSA. The ball is now rolling on the second attempt. Once passed, a whole lot of people are going to be out of work and this will be a major issue in the upcoming elections.
It’s not that Americans have the attitude of “might makes right”, powerful elites do. Perhaps the elites in your country are still tethered and grounded. Or perhaps you just haven’t had an ambitious one take the controls. If the food and money runs out in Norway, those elites may turn on you.
Total surveillance can never work because the human brain can’t process everything. It’s not a help to law enforcement, it’s a hindrance. There’s too much information to sift through and you’re really only locking up the dumb, stupid and lazy. Just a matter of time before the technology catches up, blacking out cameras, digitally disguising criminals or that “certain” people in “certain” neighborhoods, don’t get cameras in embarrassing places.