Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Economy
In reply to the discussion: STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Thursday, 22 January 2015 [View all]Demeter
(85,373 posts)5. The Logic of Surveillance FEB. 2013 by Ian Welsh
http://www.ianwelsh.net/the-logic-of-surveillance/
Surveillance is part of the system of control. The more surveillance, the more control is the majority belief amongst the ruling elites. Automated surveillance requires fewer watchers, and since the watchers cannot watch all the surveillance, long term storage increases the ability to find some crime anyone is guilty of. When you add in recognition systems based on face, gait or other criteria, you have the theoretical ability to track people from the moment they leave their homes till they return. Other measures make it possible to see what people are doing inside their own homes (IR heat maps, for example). A world in which everyone is tracked all the time is very possible.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes
This is one of the biggest problems the current elites face: they want the smallest enforcer class possible, so as to spend surplus on other things. The enforcer class is also insular, primarily concerned with itself (see Dorner) and is paid in large part by practical immunity to many laws and a license to abuse ordinary people. Not being driven primarily by justice or a desire to serve the public and with a code of honor which appears to largely center around self-protection and fraternity within the enforcer class, the enforcers reliability is in question: they are blunt tools and their fear for themselves makes them remarkably inefficient.
Surveillance expands the reach of the enforcer class and thus of the elites. Every camera, drone and so on reduces the number of eyes needed on the ground. The Stasi had millions of informers; surveillance reduces that requirement and the cost of the enforcer class.
The reliance on surveillance is however a weakness, one of many. One of the simplest ways to reduce the power and reach of the oligarchy is to destroy surveillance equipment, much of which is very easy to reach. I have frequently said that we will know that people are becoming more serious when they start destroying surveillance equipment, when it becomes an ethical imperative to do so; ideally when people believe that blanket surveillance is an ethical wrong....
MUST READ!
Surveillance is part of the system of control. The more surveillance, the more control is the majority belief amongst the ruling elites. Automated surveillance requires fewer watchers, and since the watchers cannot watch all the surveillance, long term storage increases the ability to find some crime anyone is guilty of. When you add in recognition systems based on face, gait or other criteria, you have the theoretical ability to track people from the moment they leave their homes till they return. Other measures make it possible to see what people are doing inside their own homes (IR heat maps, for example). A world in which everyone is tracked all the time is very possible.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes
This is one of the biggest problems the current elites face: they want the smallest enforcer class possible, so as to spend surplus on other things. The enforcer class is also insular, primarily concerned with itself (see Dorner) and is paid in large part by practical immunity to many laws and a license to abuse ordinary people. Not being driven primarily by justice or a desire to serve the public and with a code of honor which appears to largely center around self-protection and fraternity within the enforcer class, the enforcers reliability is in question: they are blunt tools and their fear for themselves makes them remarkably inefficient.
Surveillance expands the reach of the enforcer class and thus of the elites. Every camera, drone and so on reduces the number of eyes needed on the ground. The Stasi had millions of informers; surveillance reduces that requirement and the cost of the enforcer class.
The reliance on surveillance is however a weakness, one of many. One of the simplest ways to reduce the power and reach of the oligarchy is to destroy surveillance equipment, much of which is very easy to reach. I have frequently said that we will know that people are becoming more serious when they start destroying surveillance equipment, when it becomes an ethical imperative to do so; ideally when people believe that blanket surveillance is an ethical wrong....
MUST READ!
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
57 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
How about personal liability? Or does the Canarsie Capital corporation shield him from lawsuits?
tclambert
Jan 2015
#16
America faces more than a dozen deadlines, all caused by billionaires and wealth transfer
Demeter
Jan 2015
#3
SOTU-STFU: Populism, schmopulism: Obama's pro-business agenda is what will actually pass
Demeter
Jan 2015
#14
Chris Christie Is Hiring An Emergency Manager To Take Control Of Atlantic City's Struggling Finances
xchrom
Jan 2015
#23
Credit Rater S&P to Be Banned for a Year From Biggest Part of Commercial-Bond Market
Demeter
Jan 2015
#42
Europe is drifting and divided. This feels more like 1914 than 2014 FROM OCTOBER
Demeter
Jan 2015
#45
ETA News Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (01/22/2015)
mahatmakanejeeves
Jan 2015
#50
With my cousin's ex & other family members now unemployed due to Regime Change
kickysnana
Jan 2015
#53