Slashdot Mirror
Don't Worry, We're Not From The Government
PolarBear3 writes "It seems that MSNBC.com is reporting that the government (U.S.) is looking to the private sector to data mine against it's [citizens|terrorists] since they are prevented by law from doing so themselves. Two quotes: 'People in the government, very much so in the Justice Department, have been playing out a lust for information that is not consistent with who we have been as a nation' & 'A range of laws limits how government can collect and use information on its citizens. The private sector, by contrast, operates under fewer restrictions.' Seems to show a nation fighting itself."
The US government has been doing this for decades. It may be illegal, but they've been bypassing the law. There is the UKUSA agreement: the US and the UK spy on each others' citizens then swap the information with each other. So yes, the NSA and M16 really does filter through your email and some phone calls to boot.
Its scary how accurate data mining can be. Taking a small scale example I have a loyalty card for my local supermarket. Every 3 months they send me some vouchers for money off on certain products. First time none of the vouchers really intrested me. However each time they have been getting more and more accurate until last time I actually used all of them on things I wanted.
Now if we scale this up I can almost see the US goverment getting more accurate but not without have a lot of false positivies. Scary prospect..
Rus
Cheap UK and US VPS
A security camera can help prevent crime...
I doubt it. They are security cameras at nearly every intersection, every corner of every building, yet crimes of person and property still go unsolved. What has increased are revenue generating infractions of "safety" laws, such as people who miscalculate the timing of yellow lights, not slowing down at stop signs, etc...
Looks like they want the general public to dance to marching orders more closely, since catching terrorists and criminals is a losing battle.
Maybe thought should be given to the question why a terrorist wants to strike...
I had this conversation with some Afghans just after the conflit there. It went like this:
Me: Why do you hate Americans?
Them: They invaded our country.
Me: But they kicked out the Taliban?
Them: Yes. It's much better now.
Me: So if they made it better, then why do you hate them?
Them: Because they invaded our country.
Of course it was more complicated than that, but the feeling I got (and my friend from the Ukraine tends to agree) was that they are just so used to hating us that they want to believe the worst, and it will take a long time to change that kind of impression.
I saw a similar report from deserting Iraqi soldiers.
Iraqis: I am glad that our country will be liberated, but it's too bad it has to be by those American devils.
Reporter: Would you rather they didn't come?
Iraqis: No, No, we want them, but they are still devils.
Hypocrits.
I think Bush is concentrating on this question as well. I think he really belives that a democratice Iraq will give America a good face in the Mid-East that will slowly change the impression after many years. He has been right so far that the area didn't erupt into Anti-American riots as many people predicted and no major terrorism has yet occured. Hopefully it will continue as such.