Did you read “1984″ by G.Orwell? If an answer is “Yes” than you should also know that Orwell’s world is closer than you might think. According to The New York Times, the National Security Agency has eavesdropped, without warrants, on as many 500 people inside the United States at any given time since 2002. Without warrants…huh…
I understand that the NSA aims to prevent acts of terror inside of the USA; however, they should also obtain legal orders that allow them to do so. Maybe, it will help to prevent comparisons with the famous “1984” novel.
Our world is not perfect and we probably do not know even 10 percent of what is going on “behind the government scenes”. But at first we talk about 500 people, than 600, 700 and so on and forth…Even some NSA officials were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused to participate, the Times said.
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of the
American Civil Liberties Union, said the group’s initial reaction to the disclosure was “shock that the administration has gone so far in violating American civil liberties to the extent where it seems to be a violation of federal law.”
Questions about the legality of the program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and impose new restrictions. But still nobody knows what kind of restrictions we are talking about here. Fredrickson said the ACLU couldn’t comment more on this issue until it sees some evidence. “They’ve veiled these powers in secrecy so there’s no way for Congress or any independent organizations to exercise any oversight.”
No way for Congress to oversee it…No way to check all this information…No way to be sure that a Big Brother does not watch you… It seems that “1984” might get a sequel named “2005”
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
More likely it will get sequel named ’2006′… but you’re right.
The worst effect of this that it doesn’t guarantee anything. Even so NSA is doing, there always be threat. Agency is just fighting against the manifestation of the terrorism, not against it cause or root… How one can expect solving the problem without taking care of the reasons?
Oh yes, I can see that the wireless taps performed on 500 with known terrorist connections completely equates to the world presented in 1984. In reality, the objections to this practice raised by those opposed to the ongoing war can more realistically be explained as doublethink.
To me, 1984 isn’t fiction – it’s a warning. The threat of political manipulation is always present, as long as the innate desire for power exists in man. We might be past 1984, but I’m not really quite sure we’re safe yet.