So, what's your favorite country, Levi, and please go live there.
Tina
Levi Bard <taktaktaktaktaktaktaktaktaktak@gmail.com> wrote: > I think that we can all agree that there is some screwy stuff going
> on in our government and indeed, the other powers that be here.
> However, I think we can also agree that this is the best government that
> the world currently has to offer.
That's why the US has the second highest poverty rate in the developed
world, the highest private health expenditure in the developed world
(in fact, we're right up there with Uganda, Cambodia, Lebanon, Bosnia,
and other 'good governments'), the highest economic inequality in the
developed world (in the same area as Iran, Kenya, and Cambodia), a low
life expectancy index (with Cuba, Korea, and Kuwait - probably our
healthcare system is to blame for this one), etc. Your vote only
counts if you're in the majority for your state, the government has a
direct feed of all your phone and internet traffic (without due
process), and considers you a suspected terrorist.
> I don't like the idea of anyone
> poking into my privacy, but the fact of the matter is, I have nothing to
> hide.
This is one of the most stupid anti-privacy arguments ever. Rather
than retype or copy/paste the wheel, I'll link you to:
http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/14/if-you-have-nothing-to-hide-you-have-everything-to-fear/
http://www.wired.com/news/columns/1,70886-0.html
The Wired article has a paraphrasing of one of the things I often say:
"We do nothing wrong when we make love or go to the bathroom." I
don't want the government monitoring those activities (reminds me of
the Freedom Day episode of Futurama, "We have the freedom to choose
which hand our Sex Monitoring Chip is implanted in, ..."), just like I
don't want them listening to my phone calls and monitoring my network
traffic.
> If there is a terrorist on my block, blogging about it, I hope
> they get him. If this expedites apprehension of truly evil people, I
> might be able to compramise.
I'd like to take a moment here to paste in one of our fellow
SLUGgers's email signature. (Actually I'm pretty sure I've seen this
in both Steve's and Eben's.)
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin
You can't argue with a guy who's on money.
> The fact of the matter is, this does not
> necessarily mean anything. If you are taking a stroll in a park, and
> start talking a drug deal with someone, and an off-duty cop overhears,
> he will call backup. Moral of the story: Know where your privacy
> exists or keep your nose clean. It's that simple.
Conversation in a public park == no expectation of privacy.
Private communications that are protected by US law from being
monitored without a warrant == complete expectation of privacy.
-- Tcsh: Now with higher FPS! http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/shouldbefree.html----::::::-----------::::::---- T i n a . . G a s p e r s o n . f r e e l a n c e . w r i t e r http://www.gasperson.com ----::::::-----------::::::---- On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted. Ecclesiastes 7:14
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