Oh look at the time, 1984 already!

[Boogeyman]

Oh my god, where's the privacy? Every where you go you have to get checked for some kind of "Dangerous item", you can't carry anything with you that might offend someone, you can't say anything or it'll be classified as "insubordination". What has gone wrong with the world? This nation is supposed to be a republic, not a democracy! Our new president even voted to ban handguns...

STATE AND DEBATE.

 

[DLGrif]

There is a startling lack of low-grade chaos in the US. Kids don't dare break stuff or pick fights, or their families are slapped with $10,000 of lawsuits. We can't comment on anyone's race, gender, sexuality, religion, or other significantly defining trait; indeed, we are discouraged from discriminative thoughts. (It's a black dude who looks like a drunk homeless bum...seems legit to me.)

 

[NoobSauce]

I've heard that this is what happens when you let the bureaucrats run everything... and come to think of it that's probably true. We should stop trying to promote equality and just work on removing inequality. (I don't feel like I'm making sense it's 4:24 AM here)

 

[ShippoFox]

Oh my god, where's the privacy? Every where you go you have to get checked for some kind of "Dangerous item", you can't carry anything with you that might offend someone, you can't say anything or it'll be classified as "insubordination". What has gone wrong with the world? This nation is supposed to be a republic, not a democracy! Our new president even voted to ban handguns...

When you go somewhere, it's usually private property, so they have a right to tell you what you're not allowed to bring. Sometimes it goes too far though. In some ways, terrorists have harmed our freedom, which has always been one of their goals.

Why take something somewhere only for the purpose of offending someone? Just to cause trouble? I'm not sure I understand.

Insubordination? Uh.... don't pick fights with police officers or teachers? I don't know what else to tell you there. I think we're just noticing it more now though. In general, police do things much more "by the book" now than they did about 30 yrs. ago. Though there will always be those who abuse their power (as well as those who would never do so). As for school... schools are trying to become prisons.

I don't see how the USA being a republic has anything to do with this topic though. Maybe you meant to say that this isn't a police state?

Obama voted to ban handguns? I don't know too much about that. I hope not though. Either way, he doesn't seem to currently support a national handgun ban.

Our internet rights are threatened, that's one thing you forgot. Some people want to make laws against internet anonymity because of people posting death threats and stuff like that on myspace. Organizations like the RIAA and MPAA want access to everyone's internet usage data so they can see who is downloading stuff.

 

[Fire2box]

Oh my god, where's the privacy? Every where you go you have to get checked for some kind of "Dangerous item", you can't carry anything with you that might offend someone, you can't say anything or it'll be classified as "insubordination". What has gone wrong with the world? This nation is supposed to be a republic, not a democracy! Our new president even voted to ban handguns...

STATE AND DEBATE.

The only places I been checked have all been PRIVATE places. Such as Sporting events, Airports etc.

Also I can't say some of the stuff here that I want to other wise I'll either get neg repped into hell or even a temp ban. Are you going to be getting pissed off at the admins for that?


Also how long ago did you read 1984, last week in school maybe?

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

What has gone wrong with the world?

And that, people, is the $64,000 question.

 

[Boogeyman]

The only places I been checked have all been PRIVATE places. Such as Sporting events, Airports etc.

Schools, workplaces, etc.

Also I can't say some of the stuff here that I want to other wise I'll either get neg repped into hell or even a temp ban.

Send me a PM.

Are you going to be getting pissed off at the admins for that?

I'm Modset. I feel fine.


Also how long ago did you read 1984, last week in school maybe?

Winter break, actually. No, I think it was before that. Wait, nevermind. What relevence does this have with the present topic, anyway?

Unrelated to above statements, we have telescreens now. Wonderful.

 

[dinorider]

While I agree that safety precautions are a bit over the top sometimes, ShippoFox and Fire2box have a point about this being up to owners of private places. It's hardly something Orwell would go "I told you so!" over.

There are, however a lot of other things that are much more scary. As for the U.S. I guess the Patriot Act is one of those things. Then again, I don't know enough about it to really get into a discussing it.

In Sweden the "FRA"-law was recently passed. What it means is that the national defense is able to read through any information that enters or exits Sweden. As anybody with a basic understanding of the Internet knows, that means they're basically able to freely check any Internet traffic within Sweden as well. Without any hint of suspecting illegal activity I might ad.

It's not that scary at the moment. It's the principle of the whole thing that gets me. In the long run it's the kind of thing that opens up possibilities to run a totalitarian control-state where personal integrity isn't even a word in the vocabulary.

And oh, the just passed the "IPRED"-directive here as well. Meaning that companies that hold the copyright to something can demand any and all information about an IP address from an ISP, without any involvement from the police or other authorities. As such we've just legalized private policing from companies who's only goal it is to keep earning their stockholders money.

So yeah, there's stuff to be worried about. I doubt it'll be 1984 for quite a while, but we're certainly moving in that direction.

 

[Fire2box]

So yeah, there's stuff to be worried about. I doubt it'll be 1984 for quite a while, but we're certainly moving in that direction.

When you say "we're" do you mean your country, the US or the world in general?


Anyways, candyman. Workplaces are private too.

The schools however, that's another story.

The last school I went was a Non-Public School, sort of in between the lines of public/private. I don't think they would have the right to strip search any student for any reason however there were times where backpack's were search for illegal drugs. And there were drugs on campus, I saw such crap with my own eyes.

As with private schools I bet they can do whatever they want just like the sporting event's could.

With public school's they can do stuff, to ensure the student's body safety which have included me as well as yourself and anyone else to grace the public education system. Now if you want to blame anyone for that type of crap you can blame the idiots that deal drugs in schools and their own personal baggage and the idiots that have brought guns and even bombs to school and killed randomly.

Either way, what I really want to know is what's your point with all of this?

 

[h3g3l]

In Sweden the "FRA"-law was recently passed. What it means is that the national defense is able to read through any information that enters or exits Sweden. As anybody with a basic understanding of the Internet knows, that means they're basically able to freely check any Internet traffic within Sweden as well. Without any hint of suspecting illegal activity I might ad.

It's not that scary at the moment. It's the principle of the whole thing that gets me.

Definitely. Also, I really dislike the recent stance adopted by the USA insofar as permitting searching of documents coming across the border - meaning they can apparently now open up laptops and rifle through them.

Finally, the 2 most frightening words to appear in the English language in its current use: Enemy Combatant.

 

[Fire2box]

Definitely. Also, I really dislike the recent stance adopted by the USA insofar as permitting searching of documents coming across the border - meaning they can apparently now open up laptops and rifle through them.

Oh, I heard about that in one of the "This Week In Tech" podcast a few months ago. However I highly doubt I'll be subject to such a search and even if I am I won't have anything illegal on it.

 

[dinorider]

When you say "we're" do you mean your country, the US or the world in general?

I mean my country, the US and the world in general. I've yet to hear of any countries that are making laws to go in the opposite direction. Everybody seems to think China is a good role model these days.

 

[Charlie]

The UK is especially terrible.
It's actually pretty scary.

I mean, yeah this is the government's fault, but where the hell are the masses doing something about this?
Why do people actually care about terrorism? Yeah, I don't want to be blown up either, but I don't want to die in any way to be honest!

I'd rather more people die and we live in freedom, rather than this extremeness. Or spend the terrorism money on *anything* else. Improve schools instead.
Terrorism should barely make it into the news. Especially when they don't even kill anybody!

That's the way to stop terrorism.

"Look guys, this just isn't working."

"What do you mean, we blew up that bus yesterday!"

"Yeah, and we got 2000 emails complaining about us making the buses late. They're taking the fucking piss!"


I hate how the government takes advantage of murders... I can see Jacqui Smith just sitting there praying for the next attack. Possibly touching herself.

 

[MysteriousVisitor]

Definitely. Also, I really dislike the recent stance adopted by the USA insofar as permitting searching of documents coming across the border - meaning they can apparently now open up laptops and rifle through them.

Finally, the 2 most frightening words to appear in the English language in its current use: Enemy Combatant.

The words you are looking for is Unlawful Combatant. Luckily, crap like that should be going out the window in the next few months.

 

[h3g3l]

The words you are looking for is Unlawful Combatant. Luckily, crap like that should be going out the window in the next few months.

Bah, curse these late night/early morning sessions!

And hopefully you're right.

 

[MysteriousVisitor]

Bah, curse these late night/early morning sessions!

And hopefully you're right.

I blame the Man.

 

[BromeTeks]

I blame the Man.

And I blame the media/society [/sarcasm]

Really though, people have become far too complacent these days. Pay attention to the news you ignorant fools! Contrary to what you may think, all of the laws you hear about getting passed affect you in some way, either directly or indirectly. If you don't pay attention, you'll have all of your freedoms stripped away before you know it.

I personally inherently distrust all politicians, Democrat, Republican, Labour, Conservative, Libertarian, Independent (Them especially, as you don't have the slightest damn clue as what they may do next, at least with parties you have a sense of the direction they want to go), Communist, socialist, capitalist, Liberal, Anarchist, Fundamentalist:worshippy:, Marxist, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, white, black, Serious:educate:, silly:laugh:, effective, ineffective, the list goes on for freaking ever.

Politicians are the cause and the solution to almost all of the problems in the world today.

 

[h3g3l]

Really though, people have become far too complacent these days. Pay attention to the news you ignorant fools! Contrary to what you may think, all of the laws you hear about getting passed affect you in some way, either directly or indirectly. If you don't pay attention, you'll have all of your freedoms stripped away before you know it.

Ah, and now you see why I fear those words so much!

Unfortunately, peaceably assembling and demonstrating outside the White House as a single person these days is unwise. Doing so 10,000 strong is the only way to make an impact, yet it is difficult to organize a group of this size, and its size may work against it if any cluster of members decide to do away with the "peaceably" portion of assembly.

 

[MysteriousVisitor]

And I blame the media/society [/sarcasm]

I also blame the *insert minority here*

I personally inherently distrust all politicians, Democrat, Republican, Labour, Conservative, Libertarian, Independent (Them especially, as you don't have the slightest damn clue as what they may do next, at least with parties you have a sense of the direction they want to go), Communist, socialist, capitalist, Liberal, Anarchist, Fundamentalist:worshippy:, Marxist, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, white, black, Serious:educate:, silly:laugh:, effective, ineffective, the list goes on for freaking ever.

Politicians are the cause and the solution to almost all of the problems in the world today.

How incredibly true. Being a democratically elected leader is not a affirmation of your qualifications for the job. It's you winning a popularity contest.

Sometimes I wish we were ruled by a giant computer. And robots. Must always have robots. Robots with lasers.

*ponders*

 

[ShippoFox]

Politics.... can't live with it.... can't live without it.

It would be kinda interesting to have an advanced artificial intelligence as a leader. I can still see many ways that could go wrong though. Even if some of the scenarios are very unlikely, science fiction provides some interesting ways that could happen. Or it could be the best thing to ever happen to us. Which is more likely would depend on the original programming of the AI. How many people wouldn't trust an AI leader though?