1984

[scandium]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

It is happening. You are being watched on that very post you just made. You are now being monitored in your livingrooms as to the type of shows you watch (Through digital cable). Some people are even using an experimental device to see if cable ops can see emotion across the wire on certain commercials. Tivo is now selling what ads you skip over so you can get targeted ads. Don't ever think that when they say that it is annonymous that they can't trace it back to the source. Your credit cards and ATM tell people what you buy. I've even heard of a DUI conviction being upheld simply because Safeway records showed that the guy buys a lot of beer. Your ISP's now are being told they should hold onto your records of where you go on the net. Everyone wants to install spyware for the same purpose (without your consent) on your PC to monitor your habits. Cookies track you where you go. Your cell phones now can be targetted to watch where you travel and your daily habits. Even your DNA is being sought by insurance industries. Who owns your DNA? I've figured out that I don't own mine it would seem. Insurance companies sell your information. Telemarketers record your data and sell it to who knows where. Your cars are being equiped with monitoring devices that can be used against you in a court of law, and they tell throttle position, brake position, if you were speeding, and rental companies are now even using GPS to monitor where you go, and even give you a ticket if you exceed the speed limit. All your are travels are forever documented. All your phone calls are kept forever as far as I know. Even your work is watching your health record, and they are starting to take a valid interest into what you do when you are not at work...

I can go on forever with this list, but to think that 1984 is not happening....

To see what is under attack in the US on any given day as far as datamining:
http://www.eff.org/

Or their partners in crime:
http://www.epic.org/

Any day on the register is another day of privacy and monitoring under attack and people are trying to control your life:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/

Another good site similar to the Reg above:
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx

But if you just want the world to run itself and don't care what people think of what underwear you buy, you can just go here: http://mrcam.free.fr/trance4ever/ind...&fonction=mixs - I suggest A New Planet by Stef which will make you forget about all the worlds problems.

-S

PS. If you can support either EFF or EPIC, please do.

PPS. The world knows more about you than you do about yourself - mark my words.

Outstanding post Subman, with some excellent links as well, and surprise I actually agree with you 100% for once. If I can add, or expand on the list a bit, then a few more points:

ISPs in the US have been "requested" by the government to keep all their traffic logs for 2 years. As these ISPs make up much of the backbone of the Internet then this amounts to a very big database of your surfing habits including such things as what sites you connected to, when, what email you sent and to who, the email's header (if not the contents as well), what files you downloaded and when and from where, and on and on.

Viruses/trojans and worms are also becoming far, far more sophisticated and prevalent now than they were before as well; the worst of the lot can and will open an ftp port, or an smtp port (to send this data as an email with attachment) without your knowledge (and attempting to bypass any firewalls you have as well) and use it to upload the contents of your stored windows & browsers password files, history and saved forms (those things your browser uses to remember your bank account# & pw if you use online banking as well as any other logins and passwords you have it "remember"); they can also log your keystrokes and program usage for malicious means and even allow your PC to be remotely connected and controlled.

Those are just a couple trends on the internet front whereby privacy and security are becoming increasingly illusory, but it is the internet - the most globalized and sophisticated, and revolutionary, information and communication tool there is that has been under constant assault from government, corporations (many of them very shady) and criminals, that could - potentially - help bring about a kind of 1984 that even Orwell couldn't imagine.

That said I'm not about to "unplug" but self-protection is a must these days (more than ever before) and thankfully there is good grassroots activism, like the EFF, to fight back.

[Edit] One more link to add to Subman's list, though these guys don't deal exclusively in privacy/security matters they do pay a lot of attention to it: www.slashdot.org

[Yahoshua]

http://users.chartertn.net/tonytemplin/FBI_eyes/ eh?

[P_Funk]

Long live Oceania! We are the greatest power! Our forces are superior to those of our enemy Eurasia! Last week they met valliently in the disputed territories and we threw down the enemy commander! Our brave ally Eastasia stands with us stronger than has ever been seen! Soon our fatal enemy shall be defeated surely and finally! Even now our gallant troops are amassing at the borders and will soon sweep in to the capital of Eastasia. Our ally Eurasia waits nearby to dustract our enemy and divide his forces before we divide his body! Long live Oceania!

[SUBMAN1]

Well, it looks like Oceana is the military power there, and it touches every continent practically, so yeah, Oceana is going to kick some butt.

-S

[LoBlo]

Originally Posted by STEED

How near has this story come true, in the world we live in?

Geographically not very. We've still quite a bit more balkanized than that.

But the governmental psychological tatics used in the book have been known to exist in a lot of the communist regimes and dictatorships of existing countries.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Yahoshua

Granted that we are far from a totalitarian regime, what I have read in recent posts in England alarms me, and very much does play to the tune of 1984.

TONY BLAIR
IS
Big Brother

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by STEED

TONY BLAIR
IS
Big Brother

Man! You are a little hard on your PM. To me he looks like he is trying to do a good job while bucking up against parliament. He does look like he has some unpopular ideas at times though.

-S

[STEED]

[quote=SUBMAN1
Man! You are a little hard on your PM. To me he looks like he is trying to do a good job while bucking up against parliament. He does look like he has some unpopular ideas at times though.
-S[/quote]

Well after nine years of Tony Blair I can safely say he is the worst prime minister this country has had to date. He spends more time jetting around the world looking good while back home the U.K. is in a mess.

Did you see this stupid thing......? http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=96363

[SUBMAN1]

[quote=STEED]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1
Man! You are a little hard on your PM. To me he looks like he is trying to do a good job while bucking up against parliament. He does look like he has some unpopular ideas at times though.
-S[/quote

Well after nine years of Tony Blair I can safely say he is the worst prime minister this country has had to date. He spends more time jetting around the world looking good while back home the U.K. is in a mess.

Did you see this stupid thing......? http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=96363

Ouch. Sounds like he needs to jet home and fix some issues!

-S

Question. Does parliment have any word in what goes on in Britain? The reason I ask is that in this country (U.S.) many folks forget which branch of the Gov't is responsible for what issue.

I admit to knowing little about how your Gov't works, excuse my ignorance.

thanks in advance

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by waste gate

Question. Does parliment have any word in what goes on in Britain? The reason I ask is that in this country (U.S.) many folks forget which branch of the Gov't is responsible for what issue.

I admit to knowing little about how your Gov't works, excuse my ignorance.

thanks in advance

The main big difference I know in the UK is that parliment always votes along party lines without exception. To be an exception is to get removed from office. This is probably how these laws get passed that would never pass here, at least not the way things are now.

-S

[quote=SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by waste gate

This is probably how these laws get passed that would never pass here, at least not the way things are now.-S

The Supreme Court. Those laws could easily stand up to what the court believes is its constitutional mandate. At least one justice believes Europe is where to look for guidance.

Beware the justices who believe the Constitution of the United States is a living document.

If it was a living document, why did the founders write it down?

[STEED]

Originally Posted by waste gate

Question. Does Parliament have any word in what goes on in Britain?

Not at the moment they are all on Holiday, the Deputy Prime Minister is running the country, who's he you ask? John (Two Jags) Prescott.

Not Prescott

It we are in the .............................

Thank you for the reply STEED. Ordinarily how does it work? My congress is about to go on break also. I know I'll go to the wiki.

Thanx
waste gate

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

The main big difference I know in the UK is that parliment always votes along party lines without exception. To be an exception is to get removed from office. This is probably how these laws get passed that would never pass here, at least not the way things are now.

-S

That's a significant oversimplification. That does not at all impart to the unknowing the intricacies of parliamentary government.

It is true that parliaments are organized along party lines. Also it is true that most of the time parties vote unanimously. However it not without exception. There are many instances where a party leader will callfor a free vote, a vote where MPs are told to vote based on their personal moral or political views. This is often used for contentious issues and ones which are not at all easily resolved. In Canada the ruling party (the former ruling party) had a free vote concerning same sex marriage. It still passed but the new conservatives want to revisit it again. They want another free vote even though last time their party didn't allow its MPs to vote freely.

Canada's parliament is based directly off of British parliament so it is traditionally the same even though the specific culture has obviously grown differently in the time since our independance.

In how subman descibes things he obviously has an opinion of parliament which is not at all favourable. I think many people in other countries would point to the American Congress and say that it has some major issues itself which seem to be significant.

There is more to parliament than just party lines. Also another major difference is that parliament is designed with multiple parties in mind. America has only 2 so its major governing body obviously functions differently than one which must contend with many smaller parties. Also our leader is not separate from the main legislature. The party leader is our Prime Minister and assumes the role of the American President along with much more.