Complacency

[Jeff Bone]

Gordon Mohr wrote:

> Jeff Bone writes:
> > Sometimes the complacency of the average man scares the shit out of
> > me:
> >
> >     http://www.cnn.com/POLL/results/1586541.content.html
> >
>
> I think the use of cheap cameras and recognition technology to
> reduce crime in public places is a net positive, for safety and
> liberty.

Sure, sure, as are the blindingly bright halogen streetlights they've
installed in downtown Austin which definitely make it brighter, and
consequently kill the whole ambiance of our downtown scene.  I just can't
wait until they install cameras.  No more quickies in the bathroom at
the...  oh, I guess my inner dialogue is spilling over again. ;-)

Your argument is prima facie ludicrous --- it can't be a net positive for
liberty if it restricts legitimate activities, which it is sure to do, esp
if --- as is only fair --- the civic technology is made available to the
public.  Consider:  Joe's wife Jane has access to the public monitoring
system of the local police net.  Joe is seeing Jill on the side;  now this
may or may not be wrong, but it's certainly not illegal.  Simply by virtue
of Jane having access to intelligently-filtered vid of the downtown area,
Joe and Jill will have to conduct their rendezvous somewhere else.
Eventually, where?  Widespread public surveillance will lead to widespread
sneakiness and paranoia.

> What abuses do you fear?

All of them.

> Are you arguing for voluntarily relinquishment of technologies
> which might be used for illegimate purposes?

Not at all.  I'm for not endowing public "authority" with such
technologies --- which is completely within our right as citizens.
Similarly, I think that automatic devices should be unable to generate
speeding tickets.

> Do you really
> think bad people will choose not to use these technologies in
> secret?

I'm not worried about the "bad people," I'm worried about the
"authorities."

> I tend to agree with author David Brin on these issues. From a
> summary of his argument at...

I've never really liked Brin.  Similarly but more so with Brian Aldiss.
"Boomer sci-fi" with Boomer issues, namely a seething and supressed
leftist radicalism coupled uncomfortably with a growing authoritarian
mainstreamism as they've moved to the burbs and churned out rugrats IRL.
(I'm only speculating, here...)

> So perhaps you should try to chartiably view those poll numbers as
> the wisdom of the average man.

I'll take the admittedly perhaps antiquated wisdom of our forefathers
rather than this neuvo-geek-cool "it's not a bug, it's a feature"
bullshit.

jb