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mk  ·  3815 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Ask Hubski: Why do you think an honest person should care about Internet surveillance and privacy?  ·  

It gives the government the tools of a police state.

In time, corruption cannot be fettered out, and the abuse of power cannot be held to account. Power corrupts, and total surveillance makes power close to absolute.

It should be remembered that the citizen is served by the government. Currently, President Obama serves me. I do not serve him. That's why he asked for my vote. Everyone in government serves me, the citizen. The government should work under our surveillance, and its privacy should be limited by us.

That is not to say that we should not grant the government some of these powers. However, we must do so extremely carefully, because surveillance and lack of privacy undermines the fundamental relationship of a representative government. If an organization is to serve me, the balance of power must be tipped in my favor. Surveillance tips the balance the other way.