Big brother is watching us...
Since september 11th the world has changed in such a rapid speed. Since september 11th we all got the American attitude of believing in the existence of 'big evil' and the ability and necessity of destroying this evil to protect the bigger good: the western way of life, the so called democracy. We'll fight the terrorists, ow these bastards, and then there will be world peace forever.
Amen.
So since september 11th the world has changed. The world has changed into one big place where everyone is scared of each other, scared of something that we can only call by name as terrorism, while if we have to explain what exactly it is, we can't. We live in a time where there is mass fear for the unknown threat. And the governments know this and use this fear for changing systems 'in order to protect this crowd' but really hey, how much more secure are we? For example: This week we can read in the Dutch newspapers that the Dutch government started setting up a database of all different kinds of information about all Dutch citizens, in order to be able to check details of everyone at any time. This way the Dutch government will know everything about you, there will be no privacy left. Another example is the soon to be introduced public transport card, where the Dutch railways will be able to follow your complete route from day to day.
I hear people say: I don't mind if people know everything about me, because I have nothing to hide. But, shouldnt we be much more afraid of our governments controlling our lives than those terrorists who, if they wouldnt hypocrytical be treated as 'evil' but as 'citizens of this world', maybe wouldn't be so active in blowing up themselves. What is terrorism and who are terrorists? Maybe we need a new definition of these words, because this American imposed definition onto the rest of the world makes me sick. I don't believe in evil, I only believe that someone will fight when threatened in the way he is living and believing by someone who is forcing him to believe and live the same way he does. Democracy building is not done in some years with military pressure, but is a process of decades and even centuries...
Are we not naive believing that our government will only do good? It is nice to know we trust our government here in The Netherlands so much that we are willing to share all our secrets with it, but only a short look into this world makes us discover that our government might be one of the few left we can trust..but..for how long...The power of companies get stronger every day and these companies, aiming for profits, will only be very happy with our detailed personal information.
I don't want a database with all my information, a goverment that knows everything about me, at any time. This is my personal life and I don't believe this to be a good method, like the 'war on terrorism'. Apparently we have lots of money for all these kind of things. Shouldnt we start focussing us on the roots of the problem, by putting money in the milliniumgoals of the UN, spreading money equally in this world, so there is no reason to fight.
We will even protect our privacy this way.
posted by Sanne @ 2/25/2006 11:52:00 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
In countries like the US, the UK, and maybe the Netherlands, some future government will find it has all it needs already in place for a dictatorship. And not one element will have been installed for malevolent reasons. All will have been installed from the best of motives.
We have covered the streets with cameras, to defeat street crime. We will track all vehicle movements, to deny cars to criminals. Next we will film all faces on all streets, so that we can track down the wanted and the terrorists. We will also track all people that use public transport.
Foreigners can be subject to preventive detention without trial. To defeat terrorism.
We will record all details about an individual on an ID card and will make this card the access point for benefits and medical care. We have to do something about benefit fraud and illegal immigration. And having all medical records available instantly will dramatically improve emergency room care.
I am not being ironic. The intentions of current governments may really be good. But the effect is increasingly to make practical liberties dependent on the goodwill of either the government or officials.
“I have nothing to hide.” I like that one. How about a full cavity search and tissue sample then? “You should have nothing to hide if you have nothing to fear.” This fallacy assumes that the right to privacy is invoked only by the guilty, and that invoking that right is an act from which an evil inference should be drawn. Lack of privacy may restrict freedom and expression, for example people may be less willing to go to a political demonstration if they know that their movements through public transport can be tracked, and that their presence at the demonstration may be recorded that way.
All those examples above are partially a result of government mistakes, laziness, lack of foresight, and lack of imagination. If they were better at stopping crime, or better yet if they were better at eliminating the need for crime, there would not be any feeling that cameras are needed or that cars need to be tracked. If we had better intelligence and police services, or better yet if we did not create reasons for terrorism, people would not be convinced that there is a need to fight it through illegal detentions. Etc.
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