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Out In Reality

Submitted by sneakin on Sun, 2004/10/31 - 09:48.

I think I got to this interview with Natalie Jeremijenko from Slashdot.org. Who knows, but it was good and has some quotable quotes and is worth reading. Here are the quotes:

Talking about protests:

I wouldn't take my kids to these marches. They're not safe. That's only happened in the last couple of years, under the Bush administration. That's a real tragedy-this militarization of civil society, of our political processes.

An anti-terror line that she helped setup:

A lot of what's on the anti-terrorism database is how this excuse of terrorism is being used people to tear at the very fundamental social fabric of trust, and report "suspicious acts," but not be accountable.

This use of power is a pervasive systemic issue-it's about requiring each one of us to be not trusting, not to live in an open society, to be suspicious.

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I'd make the argument that a

Submitted by halr9000 on Sun, 2004/10/31 - 23:54.

I'd make the argument that a protest isn't the place for a child anyway. (What, take 'em out of school for one?) Aside from that, I think that a mob of a lot of people who violently disagree (not necessarily violently act, I didn't say that) with another set of people--it's a tinderbox. The social dynamics that determine this have not changed in a thousand years.

Second part...Yeah, spying on your neighbor, that's not gonna work. In fact, didn't somebody in the gov't try that just last year or three and the backlash was immediate and unforgiving? I don't think we have to worry (I hope not anyway) that this is a trend that will continue.

But on the other hand...can't have it both ways. Open borders, free society...the good come in with the bad. There's a happy medium that we have to find.

Disclaimer: I have no clue who that lady is and I didn't RTFA.

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The Neighbors & Open borders

Submitted by sneakin on Mon, 2004/11/01 - 16:33.

I almost want to say that I'd be fine with my neighbors spying on me. The only problem with today's systems is that a neighbor spying on you reports to some central, faceless authority which then continues to spy on you. At least with a neighbor spying on you, you could confront them and ask WTF. If they're "telling on" you, there's not much you can do except have your phones tapped, house snooped around, and front door eventually bashed in. I guess this is the same sentiment given for having a gun, people can police themselves.

For open borders, I think we can have them. There's one place that currently can't have borders (at least currently) and that's the world. Today's threat is global terrorism for a global civilization. I should be able to go wherever I want without having to do to much work proving who I am, if even that. Going state to state is nice. I'd like to go country to country in the same manner without someone tracking me. If you're a wanted international criminal, I don't think borders will stop you from breaking the law. History should demonstrate that, and when was the last time a top wanted criminal got arrested at a border or airport?

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