UK Proposes to Monitor All Communications

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... ies.labour

lol ... Big Mother is watching you ...

Did you say Big Mother since it is England and the Queen? Big Brother was the term coined in George Orwell's book 1984, and yes this is pretty much that there. There is this paranoid dude at work that refuses to get a new digital hi-def tv because of that book, he thinks that since it is digital they can watch him through it.

Three things occur to me about this...
1. Governments and the people they govern worry too much.
2. Honest people shouldn't have to worry anyway.
3. Many people are delusional in thinking they're important enough to be spied upon.

If you've got nothing to hide, then you've got nothing to be worried about is what you're saying basically, right?

In a very simplified form, maybe. If I take that statement at face value, I'd have to qualify it with "assuming the people with access to this information are using it responsibly, for the intended purpose."

I think there's an inherent trade off between freedom and security. You've got to give a little to get a little, in a sense.

However, like I said, I think today's governments and their constituents are both overly worried. Paranoid even, on both sides of the coin. I think the ability to move and exchange information, and it's radical evolution have been overwhelming to to the world.

I think the tendency to relate security with liberty is way off base.

Being monitored in itself is not oppressive or something that denies someone their freedom.
If someone feels oppressed in a situation where they're being watched, it's because of their own conscience & set of morals.


Theoretically, one persons "right to privacy" could be considered oppressing another persons freedom to be aware of what's going on around them.

While those are fanciful words on Ben's part, I think the premise of this quote is incorrect. I'd argue there is a balance, inherently. Even if we don't like it.

The choice isn't, "Whether, or not...".

It's, "How much?"

The idea that a government, of any kind, doesn't already do these things is kind of...

joe, I'm not sure we're disagreeing...

Alls I know is that if NASA really is watching me with infrared satellite cameras while I'm in the shower, hopefully they've learned a thing or two. Like how to clean between their toes.

My take is that if you are really that paranoid about being spied on, or if you are that fussy about your privacy, then you must be doing something you are feeling guilty for. Example, lets say I walk into a liquor store and buy a 6'er of labatt's, show my ID and pay cash, then walk out, knowing all along that I am on camera the entire time. But a few minutes after I leave a person in a ski mask with a sawed off shot gun comes in a robs the place. Of course the criminal is doing something wrong, so if he is smart enough he will probably be reclusive and try to avoid being seen or watched. Whereas I am John Q Citizen, just minding my own business.

But on the other hand, there are legitimate situations where I would like to be assured that I'm not being watched. But really, they probably aren't watching one person more than another in the UK (maybe they should), they're likely going to pretty much put a big blanket over everybody and then pick out the suspicious stuff.

Living in a cave would be fun, but I think I'm an internet addict.

I was going to do that a few years ago. A few friends were going to Georgia to pickup a friend of theirs and bring her back to Florida. I rode with them and picked up a bunch of camping gear and supplies because I was going to live off the land in the Georgia mountains.

Once we got out there & I saw the vast emptiness of the mountains, in terms of there not being anything but trees for as far as the eye could see, I suddenly realized I'd lost my freakin mind.

We took all of my supplies back to the store & I told my buddy to slap me upside the head next time I had another bright idea like that.