I was surfing another (read: NOT this one) forum populated by a group generally known to be highly intelligent, and was extremely irked by the rather snobbish, arrogant attitude some posters took when discussing certain issues. To zero in a little more, the discussion was about various steps the government may or may not take in curtailing civil liberties in the name of stopping terrorism (which I will say right now is a bad thing, IMO). That infamous Benjamin Franklin quote about liberty and security was quoted ad infinitum (almost as annoying as the Canadian editorial in its sheer repetiveness), a survey was quoted that said that 70% of respondents would be willing to trade freedoms for security, and there was basically a LOT of sneering of contempt at the population at large, about how they are brainless sheep who’re willing to blindly follow the government’s, and big business’s, lead on what’s good and bad, offering no resistance when they come to take away guns and online encryption, turn a blind eye when arrest foreign nationals for copyright violations at the behest of Big Business <tm>, etc. etc.
So I’d like to ask you: are we (or they, depending on where you count yourself) really brainless sheep? If Congress does start passing laws to make online, or RL, communication easier to listen in on, will it really pass completely without resistance by the majority of Americans? Will we, as a general population, idly stand by as we’re turned into a police state, as some fear? We like to look down at the stupid, for very obvious (and often correct) reasons, but just how stupid and uncaring and lazy ARE our fellow citizens, really?
Sadly, it appears as though last Tuesday will serve as the final straw in persuading governments to retain cypher keys to all encryption devices.
Our rights will most likely be eroded by the atrocity in New York. It is merely one more good reason to crush the terrorists once and for all. They must die and die soon.
Americans are sheep–until the Gummint tries to take their guns, and cars, away. Then listen to 'em howl like mad dogs.
And bite, too.
Seriously. I can see Americans putting up with ID checks, I can see them putting up with the Feds listening in on phone calls, I can see Americans having bar codes embedded in their foreheads.
What I cannot see are Americans giving up their right to get in a car, of some kind (fuel cell, battery-power, whatever), and go, whenever they want.
And I cannot see Americans EVER meekly going down to a collection point and dropping all their weapons into a barrel. Never hoppen.
But really, it’s all a matter of perspective. With the life style I lead, I would take freedom over security because freedom is my security. If I didn’t have all the freedoms I have now (but which I might not have for long!) then a lot of the things that I do would most certainly land me in jail.
But some people don’t need internet encryption or guns or civil liberties to live their lives the way they like too. And if they were to scrutinize me and the way I live, they would probably conclude that I am the sheep rather than them.
But as far as I’m concerned, yeah, a LOT of people do whatever the government tells them is in their best interest without a thought and it’s quite discouraging to those of us who like to perserve our illimitable freedom!
One could argue just as easily that security is your freedom. The first amendment won’t do you much good if any thug who disagrees with what you say can beat you to death…
