All seeing eye
Is there any doubt domestically, we're becoming the United States of Surveillance, though cloaked in the guise of protecting the people? Examples proliferate.
Of course that is readily apparent at the nation's airports with the TSA screening all passengers. But surveillance cameras are popping up everywhere often hidden as an easy means to nab offending motorists and one supposes to free up police for other law enforcement duties.
Sure a case can be made for cameras at school crossings and road construction sites to protect kids and construction workers. EZ passes are supposed to ease travel at toll booth interchanges and new toll roads have no toll booths but just take a picture of a vehicles license plate and then commuters are billed using motor vehicle registration records.
But all these "conveniences" are also a means of monitoring people's movement.
Cell phone use is easily monitored. The internet has opened up new vistas of learning but also easy access to governmental snooping. It's well known the communications industry has provided the government access to cell phone records. Is there anyone out there still believing their cell phone calls aren't monitored or the online connection to the internet isn't being data mined by NSA type snooping?
All credit card transactions are tracked by the merchandisers for their benign purposes but also for the government to potentially keep tabs on our movement.
GPS devices may provide the correct route and keep people from getting lost but (you get the idea?) also a means of tracking and monitoring our movement.
If FICA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) rules of warrantless wiretapping are easily evaded and we've learned the NSA during the Bush years monitored American citizens calls, do we believe this monitoring has ended?
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