> I have been reluctant to weigh on this for a while; but I can't take it any > more: ARE WE THAT NAÏVE to think that the NSA, CSIS, FSB, CSS, GDE, MOSSAD... even the Iranian Mukharabat did NOT spy on electronic > communications? Seriously, how delusional are we? These entity exists solely for that purpose. > > I personally do not mind, I have nothing to hide and if there is a chance > doing so can prevent the next catastrophe from happening, so be it.
This attitude leads to a very treacherous slope!!! It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - and I would add will ultimately achieve neither. Another quote from a great thinker, George Santayana, said, "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". We would do well to study the writings of Jefferson and Madison and the rest of the American "Founding Fathers". They have much to say about today's current events! Here's what I am alluding to: Something somewhat more serious than what Terrell brought up is this: what if the spying isn't meant for the average person - AT THIS POINT. What if the actual target is for anyone who mounts any opposition to the party in power (by party I mean the person or group in power not political parties as such)? Would the intent then be for the party in power to use this to identify the opposition and target them? The surveillance can be then used to look for something to compromise (black mail) and therefore silence the opposition. Tyranny is the result!!! _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list clug-talk@clug.ca http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
