by system
failure
In the early
70s, the Watergate scandal forced US President Richard Nixon to
resign. This was the only one, so far, resignation by an American
president. Only the fact that the "president's men" broke
into the offices of the Democratic party to photograph documents and
install listening devices, was enough to create a big scandal that
went down in history, and shocked the American public.
This was
shocking of course, not because interceptions were something new, but
because Americans were used to justify such practices only in cases
where the security of the US was threatened, mainly of course, by
the communist threat, as they were "trained" to believe
since the McCarthyism era. The Watergate was a scandal that went down
in history, exactly because every US government since then,
permanently downgraded in the eyes of the US citizens, as proved that
ultimately was not oriented exclusively to defend the US against
external enemies, but also to stay in power, using every means
against political opponents .
In the
post-civil war Greece, mainly during 50s, 60s and 70s, interceptions
of citizens from para-state agents and all kinds of informers had
become a routine. Indeed, the Greeks who lived during that time have
plenty, often grotesque, stories to tell around this issue. This
phenomenon, which peaked during the seven years of junta, has
influenced Greek society in such a degree that even today, even the
younger generations who have no memories of such situations,
"inherited" the syndrome of distrust against state
institutions, from the older ones. This is something that governments
exploit because the citizens take for granted the para-state
practices and gradually become familiar with them.
Therefore,
over the decades, Western societies began to get used to the idea
that interceptions is a common practice of governments. After the
attacks of September 11 of 2001, things changed very quickly. Western
societies are "trained" not to be shocked by cases of
interceptions. Within the Western neo-rationalism, is included the
necessity of interceptions for security reasons.
As
technology has made it possible to monitor millions of phone calls,
the acceptance that any phone can be monitored, comes naturally.
Despite the assurances of the head of the NSA, that intercepts refer
to governments and not citizens, most of us have been "trained"
to view as natural the fact that our telephone conversations, e-
mails or any other form of communication with others, such as through
social media, can be monitored.
Some
examples of ways in which governments are "training"
citizens
- Controlled leaks of possible interceptions so that citizens to become familiar with them
Controlled
leaks are very useful, as the leaking information is usually
something which almost everyone suspects. So, for example, the
revelation that the telephone conversations of the embassy of an Arab
country were recorded by NSA or Mossad, is something that more or
less everyone expects. It's not a big revelation. But in this way,
people gradually "trained" to take for granted the
interceptions between governments. The recent claim of the ex-MP
with PASOK socialist party, Theodoros Pangalos, that Greece spied on
US Ambassadors, is coordinated with this direction, giving an excuse
to the American side and trying to downgrade the omnipotence of the
superpower to monitor everyone without itself be monitored.
- Exploiting conspiracy theories
Governments
are usually characterize some revelations or uncontrolled leaks as
conspiracy theories. On the other hand, conspiracy theories, whether
are real, or inaccurate, or constructed, play their own role in "training" citizens and getting used to
interceptions, and this is something which governments exploit.
- Inaccurate information about the capability of governments to conduct interceptions
Controlled
information that reaches the media and reproduced by them, may
include the overestimated capability of governments to monitor, for
example, an extremely large number of phone conversations. Even if
there is such a possibility, such huge amount of data is extremely
difficult to be processed. However, the technology is evolving
rapidly, and possibly will allow processing of large amount of data
in very short time, in the near future. When technology will allow
this, people will have already become familiar with the idea that any
conversation can be investigated and processed any time.
Where did
scandals go?
The media
increasingly avoid using the word "scandal" regarding
interceptions. It is more likely for you to hear the word scandal for
the extramarital relationships of a famous Hollywood star, than for
the fact that the NSA intercepted the main communication links that
carry data of millions of users of Google and Yahoo. This is also a
tactic within the "training" of societies. Since people
must become familiar with monitoring of everything, the word
"scandal" should disappear from such cases.
Technology
has created a pluralism of easy and fast communication, but also
opened new channels for interceptions. This is another parameter
which makes interceptions a common situation in people's minds.
In fact,
during recent months have been revealed so many scandals of
interceptions, in Greece and abroad that citizens, not only become
familiar with them, but often bypass them and focus on other events,
with some exceptions, including isolated and spasmodic protests.
Perhaps nothing is eventually accidental.
Thus,
governments today do not have to apply violence. Conflicts in streets
are risky, nobody can predict perfectly their ending. But the
suitable "education" of societies is ultimately a much more
secure method for the enforcement of the so-called "new world
order".
Excellent review of how citizens are under control from their government. It's the exact same system attacking the privacy of Canadians.
ReplyDeleteBehind the lush privacy laws, our secret services have access to huge swaths of what's happening in our lives and that should be disclosed, at the very least.
Thank you.
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