Surveillance - Should it be Illegal?
Balloon Juice has a piece on how you can get anyone's phone records for just over $100. And this evidently surprises not only him but the place he got it. Since the 1970s, the technology has existed to monitor every conversation in any room that has windows from basically any distance. The great defenses have been anonymity (why should anyone care about this), expense (it wasn't cheap) and processing power (somebody had to actually listen to all the garbage in order to extract any jewels). With modern programming, computers can take the place of human listeners at the first filtering, it's becoming cheap enough such that most folks can afford to plant bugs in dozens of locations if they want to, and with it so cheap, anybody is a potential target.
The same thing goes with cameras. If it's worth it to me, I can monitor anything you do from anywhere that is visible from public spaces, and most of the ones that aren't. Credit reports (the social is both login and password, and anyone can find it out if they're motivated enough). Any other information you'd care to name.
There is no defense. Not de facto, not really de jure. Outside of some pretty campy science fiction (the original Thunderbirds) I haven't seen anyone seriously propose any kind of detector for this. Failing that, the only way to stop it is nearly microscopic level sweeps of surrounding terrain on a continuing basis. And it's difficult to prove it belongs to anyone in particular.
Given this, there are essentially two options for individuals. Live in denial until you're caught, as happened to Congressman Cunningham. Or don't do anything such that you'd care if it was on page one of every newspaper and the lead of every newscast for a week.
Now, if there is one thing that everyone should have learned from recent celebrity trials, it's how difficult it is to convict anyone with resources (money) of anything substantial. Given this, making it illegal to spy means that the powerful and wealthy can spy on the less powerful and wealthy, but that the average person could not spy on the powerful and/or wealthy.
I find this idea intolerable.
So we arrive by process of elimination at the conclusion that we need to make all of this specifically legal.
What we gain from this step is also non-trivial. Identity thieves are nailed much sooner. Criminals of every real sort find it much more difficult to ply their trade when they can be captured on film at any moment. The powerful, who would be especially scrutinized, learn to live clean or live poor or live in prison. Yeah, there would be "Exclusive pictures of Congressional orgy!" in all the tabloids. We're all free not to purchase them, and the fact they undergo scrutiny of this sort constantly motivates them not to do anything they'd really care about being caught at. In fact, this kind of routine scrutiny would swiftly cause most sorts of victimless "crime" to be decriminalized, at the very least. There'd be some show trials, and after a very short period of time, it would become evident to even the most die-hard legislator of other people's morality that this nonsense just isn't viable any more.
I'm not exactly happy about the national security angles myself. But National Security is going to be the object of this sort of thing no matter how illegal it is. Treason and Espionage are two of the oldest and strongest death penalties on the books. The people who do these things know this, and do it anyway. On the other hand, legalizing scrutiny makes it much easier for those abiding by the law to find the real bad guys. And legalizing scrutiny means that we can watch our law enforcement, as well, and know if they are really staying within the limits that we have prescribed for them.
Categories
Transparency vs. PrivacyThe Book on Mortgages Everyone Should Have
What Consumers Need To Know About Mortgages
The Book on Buying Real Estate Everyone Should Have
What Consumers Need To Know About Buying Real Estate
Buy My Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels!
Dan Melson Amazon Author Page
Dan Melson Author Page Books2Read
Links to free samples here
The Man From Empire
Man From Empire Books2Read link
A Guardian From Earth
Guardian From Earth Books2Read link
Empire and Earth
Empire and Earth Books2Read link
Working The Trenches
Working the Trenches Books2Read link
Rediscovery 4 novel set
Rediscovery 4 novel set Books2Read link
Preparing The Ground
Preparing the Ground Books2Read link
Building the People
Building the People Books2Read link
Setting The Board
Setting The Board Books2Read link
Moving The Pieces
Moving The Pieces Books2Read link
The Invention of Motherhood
Invention of Motherhood Books2Read link
The Price of Power
Price of Power Books2Read link
The End Of Childhood
The End of Childhood Books2Read link
Measure Of Adulthood
Measure Of Adulthood Books2Read link
The Fountains of Aescalon
The Fountains of Aescalon Books2Read link
The Monad Trap
The Monad Trap Books2Read link
The Gates To Faerie
The Gates To Faerie Books2Read link
Gifts Of The Mother
Gifts Of The Mother Books2Read link
C'mon! I need to pay for this website! If you want to buy or sell Real Estate in San Diego County, or get a loan anywhere in California, contact me! I cover San Diego County in person and all of California via internet, phone, fax, and overnight mail. If you want a loan or need a real estate agent
Professional Contact Information
Questions regarding this website:
dm (at) searchlight crusade (dot) net
(Eliminate the spaces and change parentheticals to the symbols, of course)
Essay Requests
If you don't see an answer to your question, please consider asking me via email. I'll bet money you're not the only one who wants to know!
Requests for reprint rights, same email: dm (at) searchlight crusade (dot) net!
Add this site to Technorati Favorites
Subscribe to Searchlight Crusade
My Links
-
Heavy Lifters
- Instapundit
- Hot Air
- Wizbang
- Victor Davis Hanson
- Q and O L Places I get to as often as I can
- Soldier's Angels
- The Anchoress
- Argghhh!
- Armies of Liberation R
- Asymmetrical Information
- Belmont Club
- Tim Blair
- Eject! Eject! Eject!
- Jihad Watch
- Michelle Malkin
- Neo-neocon
- Powerline
- Protein Wisdom
- Real Clear Politics
- Mark Steyn
- Strategy Page
- Vodkapundit
- Volokh Conspiracy Personal Finance, Economics and Business Sites
- Bloodhound Blog
- Financial Rounds
- Free Money Financea> Other sites I've linked and visit
- Ace of Spades
- Ann Althouse
- The Anti Idiotarian Rottweiler
- Atlas Shrugs
- Professor Bainbridge
- Baldilocks
- Beldar
- Blackfive
- Classical Values
- Coyote Blog
- Daily Pundit
- Drudge Report
- IMAO
- The Jawa Report
- Just One Minute
- Libertarian Leanings
- Liberty Papers
- Normblog
- Patterico's Pontifications
- Right Wing Nut House
- Samizdata
- SCOTUS Blog
- Stop the ACLU
- Unalienable Right Consumer and Research Sites
- Better Business Bureau
- Consumer Reports
- NASD Home
- California Department of Real Estate
- California Licensee Lookup
- California Department of Insurance
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
- Do Not Call Homepage
- IRS Charities Search
- Internet Fraud Complaint Center
- SEC Home Page
- Stop Mortgage Fraud
- Report Mortgage Fraud Debunking Many so-called Real Estate Gurus
- John T. Reed Worthwhile Web Comics
- Sluggy Freelance
- Day by Day It is site policy to list the main page of every site I reference. Sometimes the real world intervenes and I haven't gotten to it yet, or one falls through the cracks on a long post with multiple references. It is also site policy to list the main page of every site that lists this one on their equivalent roll, as well as the main page of all sites that are members of any of the same groups this site is a member of. Please send me an email with a link to the main page of your site if I've overlooked you (dm at the domain name). For the clue-challenged, note that it is a requirement for your link to appear on every page of your site, just like mine does, and I will not link to spam sites.
Logical failures (straw man, ad hominem, red herring, etcetera) will be pointed out - and I hope you'll point out any such errors I make as well. If there's something you don't understand, ask.
Nonetheless, the idea of comments should be constructive. Aim them at the issue, not the individual. Consider it a challenge to make your criticism constructive. Try to be respectful. Those who make a habit of trollish behavior will be banned.
Leave a comment