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Cringely On Electronic Tapping

Posted by michael on from the we-love-you-too-george-dyson dept.

sckienle writes "Robert X. Cringely, the PBS one, has an editorial discussing electronic wire-tapping and the Big Brother concerns. There isn't any new information in the article, but he does a nice summation of the state of law enforcement today. This may be a good article to show your family, friends and congressmen."

7 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. Big Brother 1.0 by Foofoobar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yep, if Bush had his way, the law would assume that everyone is a suspect. Nostradamus has nothing on Orwell.

    --
    This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
    1. Re:Big Brother 1.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
      I know the parent is going to get modded as a troll, but it's unfortunately true.

      "Enemy combatants" who never fired a shot at the US get locked up without legal counsel, and without even knowing the charges against them, for over a year and counting.

      Immigrants who are muslim locked up for a year or more without access to legal counsel, and without knowing the charges against them and often there aren't any!

      TSA in airports assuming everyone and their grandma is carrying bombs and patting them down. TSA assuming that nail clippers are terrorist weapons and confiscating them (they've relented on this one).

      Bush saying to the world "either you're with us, or you're with the terrorists."

      Doesn't get much clearer than this.

  2. Well. by Jonsey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As long as the government can't control what we think...

    I find wire-tapping repulsive, but if it occurs more frequently (as the article sugguests it very may will, due to lax laws some places), people will start using phones like they do e-mail at work. People will just stop trusting in phones to quickly convey information privately.

    I know that I don't treat phones as perfectly secure, neither does the government.
    Stand by what you say! : )

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    I assert that my comment is only my opinion, not that of any employer, past, present or future.
    1. Re:Well. by Ptahian · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Controlling how we communicate is a first step in controlling what we think. If we have to use a specialized language on the phone, then what's to stop that requirement moving to other areas (think microphones in public spaces)?

      It's double-plus ungood. Give me Liberty or Give me Death.

      -ptah

  3. Waiting for the first comment... by Homology · · Score: 5, Insightful

    that says that unless you are a criminal, you have nothing to hide and thus nothing to fear from the goverment.

  4. Logical Absurd conclusions by coyote4til7 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just had this weird flashed and imagined "FBI Proposes putting Videocameras in every room in America to catch criminals" The inevitable first post might read something like this:

    I drew first post! I drew first post! And before any of you liberals spout off, unless you are a criminal you have nothing to fear from cameras everywhere you go. Well... unless you are a criminal or gay or really ugly in the nude or read socially unacceptable books or masturbate or pick your nose and scratch your butt. But, we don't like people like that anyway. This'll finally give us an excuse to get rid of all of THEM.

    --

    the clock on the wall says 4 til 7
  5. Friends and Family by MonolithicX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This may be a good article to show your family, friends and congressmen


    Its a good thought but my friends would reach "Siemens ESWD or a Lucent 5E or a Nortel DMS 500 runs on a Sun workstation" and that would essentially end the article for them. We need some articles with less Tech and essentialy the same meat.