Well, of course, that's how you get people used to tyranny. You don't make it happen overnight.
Ask yourself what would happen if 19-th century Americans were told that there are cameras and microphones recording their every movement and utterance for the government to store in a massive database and use as evidence against its citizens at its convenience. Or that to be able to travel they need to agree to being groped, and let their children be groped, by government officials. Now these things are normal and nobody seems to be too concerned. People just slowly got used to them.
No, the TSA isn't normal. Remember, they've never intercepted one bomb nor ever caught one terrorist. There's no reason at all we have to tell our children to accept being molested for the sake of security theater. One day the TSA will be considered a stain on our history, one that was dismantled in disgust at what we had become. As the cost of sensors and storage approaches nothing, on the other hand, total surveillance looks to be inescapable.
Well, of course, that's how you get people used to tyranny. You don't make it happen overnight.
Ask yourself what would happen if 19-th century Americans were told that there are cameras and microphones recording their every movement and utterance for the government to store in a massive database and use as evidence against its citizens at its convenience. Or that to be able to travel they need to agree to being groped, and let their children be groped, by government officials. Now these things are normal and nobody seems to be too concerned. People just slowly got used to them.
This is true. I'm old enough to remember before this mess escalated,so I'll never get used to it.
No, the TSA isn't normal. Remember, they've never intercepted one bomb nor ever caught one terrorist. There's no reason at all we have to tell our children to accept being molested for the sake of security theater. One day the TSA will be considered a stain on our history, one that was dismantled in disgust at what we had become. As the cost of sensors and storage approaches nothing, on the other hand, total surveillance looks to be inescapable.
I wish I could be as optimistic.
I've given up. The wealthy always get what they want and screw everyone else.
Little Winnie Churchill would say "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they've tried everything else."