Various Republican candidates build their campaigns around fear of government. But a new Pew Internet report on online security says we're more afraid of private profiteers and each other:
“Users clearly want the option of being anonymous online and increasingly worry that this is not possible,” said Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project and an author of a report on the survey findings. “Their concerns apply to an entire ecosystem of surveillance. In fact, they are more intent on trying to mask their personal information from hackers, advertisers, friends and family members than they are trying to avoid observation by the government” [Lee Rainie, Sara Kiesler, Ruogu Kang, and Mary Madden, "Anonymity, Privacy, and Security Online," Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2013.09.05].
I don't like the government reading my emails or sifting my Facebook messages, but think about this: what would cause you more trouble, the President Obama or the IRS Commissioner reading the texts you sent yesterday... or your boss, your banker, your brother, or your boyfriend?
Various Republican candidates build their campaigns around fear of government. PS: "People who watch FOX NEWS" are less informed than those who watch no news at all according to Fairleigh Dickinson University study." http://www.businessinsider.com/study-watching-fox-news-makes-you-less-informed-than-watching-no-news-at-all-2012-5
The GOP and Fox practice "Much ado about nothing" Shakespeare wrote some good stuff for them to act on. And, they have some pretty good actors even if Hollywood is more Democratic in its thinking.
Maybe we should be a little wary of an administration that promises greater transparency and then does the exact opposite.
Trust but verify should apply to all politicians and officials of whatever party or government level. Much of what we hear or read will not stand up to impartial informed evaluation and measurement. Couple that with corporate and government secrecy and we can all make some terrible decisions.
You make a very good point Cory. I do not fear my government at all and could give a care about they think about me and my ways. It is my fellows that I am concerned about. It is kind of spooky to think that just because I put my name on something, they can then track me down and do whatever they feel they must because of my beliefs and the fact that they are much different from theirs. I remember a lady from Rapid City that was very vocal on women's issues and spoke out clearly. The "patriots" of the right wing hate that and did all they could to picket her house and to cause her problems. Nope, I do not fear my government, it is the unstable wingnuts that cause me pause.
Our government commits excesses—after all, only the government can force me to surrender my electronic devices for warrantless searches at the border. We should be vigilant in detecting and fighting those excesses (and look for candidates who share that vigilance).
But then maybe the vast majority of Americans don't really value privacy, given our love of credit cards and iPhones.
What happens when "the unstable wingnuts that cause . . . pause" get the levers of governmental power?
Madison and the founders wrestled with the same sort of problem: "But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
I fear and distrust the fringes on both sides. I also fear concentrated government power because I have not been convinced voters have the wisdom to prevent those fringes from grabbing the levels of power. Government is the best reflection of human nature and we humans are an extremely flawed lot.
How do you feel about the government watching your children? http://bit.ly/16a7nFI
Oh, Taunia! Bad enough that the school is snooping on kids' out-of-school conversations. Even worse, they out-source it to a private company!
The government now tracks up to 80% of your credit card purchases. It monitors what you type into Google. It records the metadata and quite possibly each and every conversation, text and email you send for future analysis.
This doesn't scare anyone?
The state surveillance under Marty Jackley is far more officious and offensive than anything the feds can muster, MB.
Heck yeah it's scary. The NSA has admitted catching employees spying for their private relationships. That's just a personal level, but this branch of government can easily gather enough information to create secret files like J. Edgar Hoover. When I hear people say they don't care cause they have nothing to hide, that's really besides the point. What can and will they do totally off balance sheet? We're being naive if we think they will obey the law (they've already been caught!).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10263880/NSA-employees-spied-on-their-lovers-using-eavesdropping-programme.html
I get confused when some people against Obamacare say our government can't do anything right, they shouldn't be trusted with our personal information, and it's sweeping government intrusion so some GOP governors and administrators are blatantly obstructing its implementation, but on the other hand, it's ok to let the federal government screen and collect vast amounts of private information behind closed doors. They are here to protect us so we need to trust them. We have to give them the tools they need.
Hello.
Full disclosure, I am not a republican and I live in South Dakota. If some one wants to read my emails or comments when I am listed as "Jerry" that is no problem with me. When my name is fully disclosed for all to see, then that could present a problem when trying to do business and that is exactly what I meant. This eavesdropping by the government and google, has been going on since the Patriot Act was first dreamed up and it is legal. So all of your little secrets are just in your mind where they ought to be. As for me, my secrets are there as well, along with the knowledge that you don't know me.
Sound like freedom Jerry. At least you get to carry a gun and shoot some pheasants.
or whatever else the voices tell me to shoot...
Jerry, don't listen to the voices. Put down the shotgun, pick up a cookie (wait, I have cookies! Going to kitchen now...).
How many mass killers in the past year that had guns or access to guns heard voices?
Roger, let's not set off any more red flags for the NSA, o.k.? ;-)
Speaking of voices in the head, Larry Summers has been listening to his. Yep, he pulled the plug on himself and that is a huge relief to America. What a knucklehead, so we got that going for us, which is a good thing.
It's naive to trust the government or the corporations as they have little to no interest in your liberty, only their power, profit, or both. Senator Frank Church (1975) was soooo prophetic:
"The National Security Agency's capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn't matter. There would be no place to hide. If a dictator ever took over, the N.S.A. could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back."
Hiring hackers to run government spying is like hiring Walter White to run the DEA. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-15/guest-post-hackers-government-hire-growing-and-deeply-disturbing-industry
They also have records of your electronic banking; and you thought the banksters were bad. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-15/swift-takeover-follow-money-nsa-knows-all-about-your-spending-habits
It is hard not to fear for our republic, even with Larry Summers as a has been.
Glance at the photos of what your security dweebs do with your money as they miss the terrorists - they use your money building temples to their fantasies, and what's worse, congress is impressed instead of outraged.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-15/man-charge-nsa-modeled-his-office-bridge-starship-enterprise
Call me naive, but transparent then John. I happen to remember the Church hearings very well and was astounded at what I heard. Of course, I was even more astounded when I heard worse during the run up to the Patriot Act and what that all entailed. It was passed by a landslide of support without much debate, if any as I recall. There is an old saying that kind of goes like this "you reap what you sow", so here we are more than 10 years after (RIP Alvin Lee), with fake outrage. Why doesn't the tea party get after this if this is so outrageous? Where are the Libertarians, paging Rand Paul, Teddy Cruz and Mike Lee? Seems like there are just a few that have complained about the temples. So maybe we should just make lemons from the lemonade and actually carry on correspondence the old fashioned way, in person or by snail mail. If you have secrets, use the postal system, just don't go postal.
Cory
Sorry for raising the NSA alert.
Oh well, some little NSA imp listening somewhere may have assumed the same thing.
Just learned that a huge number (maybe most) credit card transactions will soon be monitored by the government.
More and more loss of privacy ... we must be vigilant no matter what entity is involved, public or private.
Who knows what might happen to our information once it is out there on the loose?
Who might use it, and for what purpose?
Who might alter it, and to what end?
That said, I consider everything I do on the Internet to be in the public domain. Just like ham radio.
So if I want it private, I keep it off the Net.
But when will privacy be completely gone?
Meters on our toilet paper dispensers and all that?
Just some idle musings from an old fuddy duddy who is in fact more worried about criminals and hackers than about the government.
Like there is a difference there, eh?
When privacy is gone, you will find me somewhere in the remotest reaches of Wyoming or Montana or Alaska, just me and my dog and a few acres of woods.
And no "devices."
What will happen as their tracking systems becomes more sophisticated and electronic storage more efficient? Does this thing keep growing?
Public opinion is swinging: Close to 60 percent of Americans oppose the NSA's collection of data on telephone and Internet usage. A similar majority opposes the legal process supervised by a secret federal court that oversees the government's classified surveillance.
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_24062216/public-doubts-post-sept-11-rise-surveillance-poll?source=rss
Stan, I hate to break it to you but it would seem some of the most closely monitored areas are Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and Alaska because of their energy importance. Here in South Dakota, there is now surveillance of the proposed XL line with reports of private security doing the flying and listening.
As this was all done politically, maybe the best thing would be to get Ms. NOem to introduce a bill to put it to an end by running the dirty rascal through the House. You could then get John Thune to do the same in the Senate. I am sure that both of these two would jump at the chance to show their chops and impress you with their leadership abilities.
Privacy has always been a figment of everyone's imagination. The assumption of innocence until proven guilty is also just a part of the dark secret of government workings. Fourth amendment, what the hell is that anyway.
Just words I guess.
Jerry thanks for making me listen to some Alvin Lee its been a couple of months and that's to long for that kind of guitar work.
http://grooveshark.com/s/I+d+Love+To+Change+The+World/4zRtWI?src=5
The Blindman
Well, there's always New York City.
That boy could play Blindman, thanks for the tune.
Good call Stan, you could get in that incognito mode and vanish like Anthony Weiner.
Love that old hippie music! Yeah. Thanks Blindman.
Google might have access to WiFi passwords used by every single Android user, a new report suggests. That is a whole lot of WiFi passwords -- maybe most of them in the world.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/17/google-wifi-passwords-android_n_3936809.html
Perhaps the WiFi passwords need changing day after day. Get where I am going? Sometimes repetition is a good thing and of no use to follow.
Traitor or Hero?: Fugitive Snowden in Running for European Rights Prize
"Snowden, who is in hiding in Russia, is one of seven nominations made by members of the European Parliament for the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, a move likely to upset Washington which wants to try him on espionage charges."
http://news.yahoo.com/fugitive-snowden-running-european-rights-prize-101626064.html