Just like Europe

In my SD-Union/Tribune this morning I found the headline "FBI admits 4th year of privacy abuses" (it's an AP story so I'm sure you can find it online somewheres). I didn't finish the whole article but it got me to thinking about another article I read online somewhere where different EU specialists were arguing about which of the EU countries had the most spied-on populace.

Over the years I've come to realize how truly big Big Brother has become in many of the economically powerful EU nations. By comparison, here in America our privacy is much less invaded. And when the FBI has to 'admit' that "oops, we spied on you more than usual again last year.... our bad!" you know things are changing.

I haven't read this anywhere, and I'm sure that no one with authority would admit that it's true, but I have a feeling that our government agency, and the White House probably are looking to Europe as an example of how spying on your populace works, how the citizens of those countries haven't yet revolted and how it has led to more controlled borders, etc. So having evidence that it works, they feel it's time to implement it here at home.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. But I am afraid that having that kind of power consolidated, that is to control the information of a citizenry, could more easily fall into the hands of a bad leader elected by that apathetic citizenry. It's a scary thought and is not beyond the realm of possibility even for a country like the US. Maybe the benefits outweigh the potential risks, I'm willing to accept that possibility, but I'd like to see the data from those EU countries who've implemented state-wide RFID, or who've got face detecting cameras on every major street corner, etc.

But that's a digression. What I meant to write was: Why are government sectors looking to Europe for techniques to establish surveillance but ignoring the slew of other good ideas that we might borrow?

Not at all how I remember it

The big city near the small suburb I grew up in has been having a little trouble figuring out what to do with a lot of trash. Rioters, as they often do, responded by setting things on fire.

I remember Naples as being a very stinky city and I think burning refuse is not going to make it smell prettier.

Global, human-induced climate change

Of course, the main problem with his argument is that we can choose column A, but we might already be too late, in which case we'll still get the horrible outcome of row2colB. But if we add column C, which is a contingency plan for when the earth turns to shit (such as building hydroponic food towers, elimination of all WMDs, cure for AIDS, increase to stem cell research funding) then we can get benefits either way while diminishing the negative outcomes of the worst case scenario.


Interesting Argument About Global Warming - Watch more free videos

My vote matters... but I don't know about yours

These days everyone has a story about how horrible life is in a post 9/11 world. Whether it's tightened security at the airport, or overzealous citizenry targeting the "brown" people. I just read an article written by a guy who took some photos of french fries on a New York ferry and was accosted by the ferry staff and treated rudely. The author of the article had to really reach to make this link between rude ferry staff to accusations of terrorism, but he went for it anyway.

Is life harder in a post 9/11 world? Well, it's definitely less convenient for me as it is for a lot of other people who are currently living in the US or trying to come live in the US. But I think it's a lot harder for Iraqis. And what about the Sudanese? Well, I bet life in a post 9/11 world is just as shitty for them as it was in a pre 9/11 world. The same probably goes for folks in Myanmar and Venezuela.

The thing that really gets me the most is that there is a huge overlap between the people who are complaining about the inconveniences of living in post 9/11 america, and the people who don't even bother to learn what the patriot act is, people who vote for the straight republican ticket because they believe that A) their vote doesn't count, B) all the candidates are assholes anyway, and C) gots to gets me my taxes lowered!

Not that I have a leg to stand on. I didn't participate in any protests. I'm not writing letters to my congressman or senator. I'm just sitting at home making sure my internet works so I can get a daily dose of the lolcatz.

Have you thought about who you're going to vote for?