Commenting on
http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html?hpid=z1
I wrote
Why do we, as Americans - no, we as
distinct human beings, invite "Big Brother" to watch each of us to the
extent they are now doing? Surveillance cameras are ubiquitous, all
associates, friends, businesses are identified in telephone records, all
investigations, studies, inquiries, curiosities, interests, concerns
are revealed in computer data. And all are retained and undoubtedly
catalogued for whatever use this or another Big Brother (person or
ideology) may deem "necessary for state security."
How
indifferent, stupid, fearful or calculating have we become to allow this
to happen and continue. The government claims that such data helped
thwart a terrorist effort. They do not say the data was critical, nor
decisive nor anything more than one element relevant to a success. What
price did we pay for that one element to keep three, twenty, or
five-hundred citizens alive? In my days as a federal prosecutor I
sought as much information about a suspect as permitted by law. There
was always the desire for more evidence though the case sufficient.
One
politician argues the value "as it allows counterterrorism personnel to discover whether
known or suspected terrorists have been in contact with other persons
who may be engaged in terrorist activities, particularly people located
inside the United States.” Yet, if they are dealing with the "known or
suspected" the search must be limited to less than millions. If they are
"just looking" then there is no reason not to suspect each citizen will have a dossier. Information feeds
power. Feel the safety of Big Brother's arms.
