We are all "The Enemy" now
As the USAxis finally imports the techniques and methods they have perfected to develop the permanent counter insurgency state in third world countries such as El Salvador, Vietnam and Chile - to the USA and "First World" countries - we all have reason to be worried.
When it comes to the point that when if you pay off your credit card early you are automatically suspected in illegal and/or terrorist acts by US "Homeland Security" - then it appears that anyone, anywhere can be a suspect - just because some automated computerised security system says you are.
How accurate are these systems?
Well, if you are very lucky, a system without bugs will attain 99.98% efficiency - so out of every 10,000 cases only TWO will be wrong - the real problem happens because these systems monitor millions of transactions - which means that dozens of "false positives" will occur regularly.
If you are very,very lucky - then you will never get flagged by one of these systems as a false postive - you will never have to worry - but if you do - then the consequences for your life might be a little difficult.
But with systems such as these watching every electronic transaction, every email and tracking our surfing habits - the amount of data collected will increase rapidly - increasing the chances of a mistake being made.
When everyone is perpetually watched to see if they are a potential security threat then everyone is a potential security threat.
We are all 'the enemy" now.
Welcome to "1984" and the "Big Brother state" where even for law abiding people the slightest of reasons - a computer miskey, a confusion over names, a normal financial transaction - can flag action by the agencies that monitor the counter-insurgency state we live in.
Are we in the "New Cold War" yet?
Tags: big brother surveillance terrorism cold war new cold war jihadis communism homeland security boing boing