Interesting how the media have portrayed the revelation by the newly branded “fugitive” Edward Snowdon (instead of “fugitive” perhaps read “persecuted civil rights campaigner”) that the NSA gathers and stores the data from 200 million text messages daily. This is in addition to the myriad revelations of civil rights infringements already at their hands, as this disturbing timeline from Al Jazeera shows. Obama has swooped down from the sky with new panic measures to reassure the masses that they don’t live in a globalised totalitarian milieu really, but that benevolent controls are underway to protect us all. The government will still hold onto telephone data, but agencies will be compelled to obtain permission from a secret court before tapping into it. I don’t know about you, but that leaves me somewhat short on faith. Today on Radio 4’s World At One, we were treated to the offhand admission from government that in the UK all the tools exist to effect a fascist system right now, but “of course nobody believes that is going to happen”. People instead just need reassuring. How utterly prescient were Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, and George Lucas in creating the film THX-1138. We must listen to their dystopian warnings [Aldous Huxley interview removed by Youtube].
Agreed! Also a view shared by Media Lens, who have criticised the media's use of the word 'fugitive' in describing Snowden.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see I am not alone in noticing this "rebranding" exercise. I'll put Media Lens in the Favourite Links on the blog.
ReplyDeleteSouth Utsire