Re: PRISM/AP kerfluffle, etc

Posted by Steve Smith on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/The-AP-kerfuffle-tp7583146p7583475.html

Dooderson -

Not to veer off subject, but it is a bit creepy the way the government and telecom companies are colluding to monitor everybodys communications. Do you think they would still be doing this if we the people were permitted to wire-tap government and corporate offices? Especially government offices since they are suposed to be public servants in the first place. I meen look at all of those nasty emails that came out of new mexico governors office  during the email- gate scandal, and that was tiny, imagine if we were able to actually wiretap the pentagon or something.

Right on the mark.  It has been suggested that one's privacy might be made to be reciprocal to one's power... the more power you have, the less privacy, and vice-versa.

I think this was fairly natural at one time in history.  Peons had relatively private lives if for no other reason than nobody gave a flying flip about them. 

Technology seems to have helped in inverting that relationship.   Celebrities feel this somewhat.  When they speak, millions listen, and when they fart, or have a "wardrobe failure", we all hear about it within hours.

The bulk of the Manning/Assange disclosures (that I'm interested in) did just that, they exposed the "secret" communications to/from/between US Embassies which were more *embarassing* than actionable.   It was both highly responsible and disengenous at the same time to release *only* those which were primarily embarassing.

And yet we have candidates for the highest office in the land who avoid sharing their tax returns with us.  I can't refinance my house without sharing my tax returns!  

Yes, things are a bit askew.

 - Steve

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com