Not to long ago, a agent named Edward Snowden revealed classified information on the NSA on how they have been keeping phone records of those who use services like Verizon. Ever since then, people have been in an uphroar on how their "privacy" and "freedoms" are being violated, and how the government is going to become corrupt. The thing is, though, is that this isn't a big deal whatsoever.
Want to know why? Because privacy doesn't exist anymore. Let me explain.
Back in the old days (pre 20th century and beyond) everything was, for the most part, secretive. The government ran secretive and tried very hard not to have its private information exposed, and for the most part that's a good thing to do. Revealing too much information could jepardize anything you might to, be it good or bad, and put raw info to possible enemies foriegn and domestic. The writing of the constitution is proof alone of this. And while government was secretive, so was the public. People lived their daily lives doing whatever, be it going to the local market, farming, or the pub. Life back then was.... simplier, to say the least.
Now what changed this so that the lives of people are as public as they've ever been? Simple inventions used everyday for the general good of the public.
This can all be traced back to the invention of the printing press. This allowed others' thoughts, opinions, stories, etc. to be able to get out to the general society at a faster pace than every before. Whether it be publishing scientific findings to expose the Catholic Church during The Renaissance to spreading the ideals of how society's should be run in The Enlightenment timeframe, privacy was slowly diminishing in turn for publicity and information. Sound familiar in our time? The creation of the internet had the same effect as the printing press, but to a much larger scale. Within minutes you can type your opinions or findings for the entire world to see, spread gossip, rumors, etc. How private can you be when somebody talks behind your back on a social network?
The invention of the telephone and televison hold the same basic principles as the other inventions above. This all can connect to the days of adolescence and school. When you're in school, whatever you say or do is not private as it is all remembered by your peers. Any action anybody did could lead to the spread of rumors, gossip, and to an extreme harassment. This ability was amplified with the creations of youtube, myspace, twitter, and facebook where anyone can say anything they desire with no repercussions (unless their banned, but they can always make a new account).
This basically means that anything you do isn't private, its public. You can argue that if you're talking to only friends about an issue or gossip that that's still private. It could be, but that only goes as far as both sides will make it go. Both sides could keep it secret, but one side or both could make it public, which defeats the purpose of privcy.
How does this all go back to the NSA and what they're doing? Simple, all they're doing is keeping records of these phone calls for whatever purpose, more than likely possible terrorist activities. Whether you agree with this or disagree, it is still legal with a warrant, which they have. It is also legal under the principle of each branch of government has accepted this as legal, and if you want to go really far it is legal under the contents of The Patriot Act, be it as it may. The NSA is made up of a few hundred, if not thousand, members. The possibility of them having the ability to spy on over 310,000,000 people in the United States is nothing short of unrealistic. In the long run, its also not a big deal as with the millions of emails and phone calls sent between others, there is going to be a lot of people to look over phone call, and by the time that's over there is going to be another 100 to look at. That's not the case for what is happening, but I wanted to make that a point.
Privacy doesn't exist anymore. The government can oh-so-easily look through comments throughout the internet (many congressman have twitters), people in society can look through anything you have said, posted, or have done in the public eye. Unless you are completely isolated from society, you won't have 100% freedom. This has been going on for decades now, but you know what? It doesn't matter. Unless you truly care for what you say or do, there won't be any downsides to living your life having fun, instead of being a paranoid idiot who thinks 1984 is nonfiction.
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