Slashdot Mirror
Pay To Have Your Phone Tapped
An anonymous reader writes "The Globe and Mail is running an interesting story over who should carry the cost of wiretapping (registration may be required): 'Canada's police chiefs propose a surcharge of about 25 cents on monthly telephone and Internet bills to cover the cost of tapping into the communications of terrorists and other criminals.'"
Thank you Pringles can + 802.11g + VoIP + IPSec.
Wiretap? Have fun.
Tax? Try me.
My other car is first.
If it's not funded enough, fine; we the voters will think about giving you more money.
The common response to this is that it's way too expensive to take this route, because building all of the wiretapping infrastructure will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. We'd have to double the law enforcement budgets if they had to pay to build this infrastructure themselves.
However, that just raises the question of whether or not wiretapping infrastructure is a good way to spend our law enforcement dollars. All privacy, etc., issues aside, wouldn't we be better off taking the same amount of money and using it to hire more/better cops?
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
Your powerful message shook the cynicism from my eyes. (cue patriotic music...)
No longer will I assume that lobbiests funnel money to our representatives to buy influence. I now realize that they simply want to be friendly.
No longer shall I think negative thoughts when Dick C. invites energy companies into private meetings to write energy bills. They were probably just playing Risk or Dungeons & Dragons.
No longer will I assume that George was skipping National Guard duty in Texas rather than slogging through the jungles of Vietnam because of his family connections. It was probably just the luck of the draw.
I will recognize that the DMCA was for the benefit of all citizens of our great country and not a cynical manuever to extend Mickey Mouse's value. I feel better knowing that my copyrights are now protected for decades after I die.
I will rejoice that the grassroots efforts of the voters of California managed to unseat a lawfully elected govenor without the influence of outside money. Jeb next, anyone?
From now on the great words of the commie freak Arlo will echo in my ears: "This Land is YOUR Land; This Land if MY Land!" Assuming, of course, that this is considered "fair use" under the current law.
Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.