5 ms·
Really this spying is a surprise?
Looking at the home page of hacker news its just story after story about the US government spying on American Citizens. How is this even a news story?
To see it take over as the dominant news story and see the hysteria it's caused makes me doubt the basic intelligence of this whole community.
- cup 13y agoI think because the majority of HN users are American and brought up believing in the eternal goodness of their nation and political leaders. HNs from Eastern Europe, the Middle East of even parts of Asia however like me (and you?) are probably not surprised because we're raised to believe that the government is always listening in on everything and inherently corrupt. I could be mistaken though.
- rudimk 13y agoI second you there.
- Moto7451 13y agoI find myself divided. On one hand I feel like writing this all off as 'well duh' but on the other I feel it's society's responsibility to become indignant about these things. Perhaps it's naive but I feel it should keep some of the worst offenses at bay... That the guys on top at least fear for their jobs if not other forms of punishment.
- retrogradeorbit 13y agoThere is a strong correlation between intelligence and suggestibility. Intelligent and educated people are more susceptible to hypnosis and propaganda, including the American mythology. Many would normally immediately dismiss these claims, but this latest set is coming from 'trusted' news sources. So being forced to accept them as true, they are probably experiencing a high level of cognitive dissonance. So rather than doubting their intelligence, it's precisely because of their intelligence that it's causing such a stir. Of course for those of us who are intelligent and deeply cynical, questioning everything, there is a double edge. Knowing the world as it actually is, rather than how it is marketed to us, can be deeply depressing. But I would rather be depressed and have the truth set me free, than live in ignorant bliss.
- pcvarmint 13y agoI think it's a welcome wakeup, although it might be too late to affect real change. I was telling my friends about the USA PATRIOT Act in 2003, and they were unfazed. Maybe some of them are finally waking up. Although it focuses on Bush, the 10-year-old film "Liberty Bound" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEgvGLlgnqY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEgvGLlgnqY ) was the proper warning and applies as much today to Obama as it did with Bush. Watch it and see how true it rings today.