The crime fighting results of mass-surveillance
Oh boy…* I’m far from being a statist.* I have no interest in the govt controlling our social lives, economic lives, and in fact have always been a Reaganist.* I prefer a smaller govt and don’t want govt intrusion in our lives.* That said, the govt has to be able to protect us.* Since we seem stuck in an asymmetrical conflict for now, the bad guys will continue to sneak across the border and hit us from within.* We’d be fools to not have any mechanism that helps catch threats that have already made it inside.* Especially since the govt seems content to do nothing about our borders.
My issue with the kind of comments we see in this thread (referencing Minority Report, etc.) is the automatic assumption that any new program has a sinister use designed to neuter us as law abiding citizens going about our daily lives.* I can tell you from my 11 plus years in active military service, the govt is not efficient enough to do half the things people give it credit for doing.* I can also assure you that the oath I took as a member of the military, and the oath I took as a LEO are to the Constitution.* I don’t know a single person in either community who doesn’t take it very seriously when we invade someone’s privacy – and that’s when we do so legally, with court authorization and more than enough probable cause.*
This new system is not going to track or label anyone.* The way FR works, is that it helps locate similar looking people after you upload the target image.* Unlike what you see in the movies or on TV, it doesn’t scan everyone and match you to your DL.* If there is a criminal/terrorist and you have a photo of his face, you upload it and if it sees someone similar it will show it as a possible match.* There won’t be any data attached to the image it shows the operator.* It’s just a photo of some person in a public setting.* The operator decides if it is a match – not the computer.* So the only way this FR program will track YOU, is if you are on a most wanted list.* Besides, from what limited interactions I’ve had, FR doesn’t impress me at all.*
Regarding privacy… your reasonable expectation goes away when you walk public streets.* Why do you think the paparazzi can endlessly harass celebrities as they go about their daily lives?* If your trash is at the curb, I can come by and take it.* If it’s next to your house, I need a warrant to take it.* I think too many people don’t understand how privacy laws work.* Having cameras on the street corners doesn’t bother me.* It will help speed up solving investigations and catching evil-doers more quickly, making everyone safer.* And if FR does find a possible match for a most wanted person, narrowing the search down to a city – I’m okay with that.* It saves time and resources, and hopefully gets the dirtbag in cuffs before he can do more harm.*
I’m not sure how you think the govt is tracking us in our homes…* or why they would want to…
OP, regarding your question about cost – no I don’t believe the FR program is worth it.* But then, nobody making that decision asked me.* There are a LOT of govt programs I don’t agree with.* That’s why I make sure to vote.* We have an administration spending money we don’t have.* They have increased the debt by $5 Trillion in 3.5yrs!!* That’s absurd!* I don’t know Romeny’s position on FR software, but I know he is our best chance for an economic recovery.* **
To VD6: There is nothing wrong with me.* I never suggested anyone who objects to FR be arrested.* If that’s how you interpreted my comments, then I feel sorry for you as your paranoia has affected your reading comprehension.* My conclusion that people afraid of FR having something to hide is merely my opinion based on their behavior.* Kind of how I conclude anyone with a 2012 Obama sticker on their car to be one of the dumbest mofo’s on the planet.* Having FR cameras fielded doesn’t give away any freedom or rights. The only way a person would lose his freedom from such a system is if he is wanted for something criminal.*
In closing, anyone genuinely concerned about a govt taking away our rights and freedoms should be focusing time and energy on state legislatures in CA, MA, IL, NJ, and NY.* Those are the places that truly threaten our way of life on a daily basis.* From the 2nd Amendment to giving rights to illegals… the crumbling of our values is happening much more quickly at the state level IMO.*
El Cid, what are your thoughts on cell phone surveillance? The ability for the govt. to pretty much tap in the location, call history, text history, ect. of anyone and everyone? Warrantless?
What about financial monitoring? The FBI can monitor just about anyone with a credit card and see their transactions in real time without ever needing a warrant. Is this “ok” to you?
i work in the cellular industry, and trust me when i say that it dosent matter what kind of phone you have, they can track in down to a few feet.
El Cid
You got the wrong guy who wrote that. Looks like your READING COMPREHENSION is what’s at issue. Funny how quick your are to make an ad hominem attack on my reading comprehension & you were in fact the guilty party as I made no reference to you or ad hominem comment regarding you whatsoever.
That was here post # 38 :
Wowsers…
Lol! I’ve got nothing. You are correct. Guilty as charged. Sorry. 
Georgiaboy, I don’t support what you describe. But I would like to hear of any specific examples of such behavior in the CONUS. To get what you describe for a telephone may not require a “warrant” but it still requires a court order signed by a judge or a subpoena.
I can’t speak to financials as I don’t have experience with that but I would want different levels of approval the same way the phones require.
You Sir, are a Gent & have my respect for that honesty. We are GTG.
Thanks. Ditto. Do we have a smilie eating a shoe/foot? lol!
lol wait until the ATF shows up at your door with a copy of your mil records, photos of your relatives and copies of your 4473’s. I was in the mil for 6 years, and while I’d generally say the gov is inefficient when they want to do something they can do it. That includes combing through paper copies of dealer records, and knocking on your door with all kinds of personal info.
My argument is that DHS seems to be throwing the labels of criminal, terrorist, and extremist around very haphazardly lately. And I’m one of those they’d consider an extremist. I’ve never been arrested for anything, but because of my beliefs, I get that label.
I’m all for catching baddies. But we better make damn sure we don’t also include people we disagree with ideologically.
This, as most, technology has a double edge. Once it’s in place everywhere it would be all too easy to sniff out enemies of the state. Ask yourself this: what could hitler have accomplished with FR cameras and GPS tracking and email interception?
Google: Marine Brandon Raub… Tinfoil and nothing to worry about my ass. Plenty of other examples are out there…
I have a really easy method of separating the wheat from the chaff in these arguments. I’m going to set up a filter so that any post containing the words “tinfoil” or “paranoia” go straight to the ignore folder. Only an asshole would use those words in 2012, and I have no interest in reading letters from an asshole.
+1 this
+1 this
That is why I duct tape my cell phone to the underside of a semi once in a while, to see who might chase it. :sarcastic:
(Thanks for the info.)