You are now an 'enemy of the state'
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I don't accept the principle behind the US National Security Agency's actions - that everyone is spied upon in the interest of monitoring a tiny minority. In the past, individuals were targeted, subject to a warrant, where it could be shown the individual
The fact that all our communication is now intercepted fundamentally changes our relationship with governments. We are now all de facto enemies of the state. Furthermore, there is no mechanism for deleting the information gathered if it proves insignificant. Laws, and governments’ interpretation of them, change over time. What if it is decided to designate a particular activity a felony that previously was a misdemeanour? What if emails, CCTV and phone calls were reviewed to gather proof and prosecute people “historically”?
You might argue that it’s too difficult to sift through all the data, or that, since you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. Sadly, neither is true. Soon every one of us will fall foul of the surveillance society in some way or another – mistaken identity, past indiscretion, minor misdemeanour or something more serious. We all need to send a clear message to governments, as taxpayers and voters, that snooping on the population is not acceptable. You don’t have to send it to anyone in particular. Just put the message out there and they will pick it up.
Alan Mehew
Bangkok
