4 ms·

It won't have any effect. Most people don't care, so long as they feel safe and aren't inconvienced.

fchollet 13y ago
Maybe you're right, maybe most people think that they have "nothing to hide" and want the government to "protect" them against the current boogieman (the USSR, now Islamists, tomorrow China?). But most people do care about Freedom and civil liberties, on a less "abstract" level. They just don't quite see the connection yet. And then it's our responsibility to inform those who don't care of the reality of what's happening and what is at stake --freedom of speech, democracy. Before it's to late to do it.
- will_brown 13y ago
  I think the public out cry of loss of civil liberties in this instance verse the relative lack thereof regarding the Executive creating the authority to name US citizens for extra judicial targeted drone strikes is very telling. It is not that people fear, or care more about the governmental power to intercept our electronic communications than the reality that citizenry might be killed without right to trial - they feel the loss of civil liberty in one instance is more likely to affect them personally, that is why it is important to remember "injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere." - MLK Jr.
  - tome 13y ago
    That's not the only reason. With drones strikes we all can essentially see when they've been carried out. With wiretapping there is no such evidence.
  - rayiner 13y ago
    Nobody cares about either of those things (for statistical values of "nobody").
- mpyne 13y ago
  I fear the next boogeyman will be MANPADs, based on a story I just read of French discoveries in Mali. I'm hoping that won't come to pass, or that we'll track down the missing MANPADs in time.
ihsw 13y ago
> Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses. As we move further into the 21st century and the world government's seek to expand their power, this strategy is seeing even greater success. This complements Orwell's 1984 very well, specifically because it matches Alduous Huxley's 'Brave New World' quite well. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Circuses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Circuses
jpiasetz 13y ago
So what you're saying is they need to convince people that they aren't safe because the NSA is spying on them? Seems a fairly easy sell.
mtgx 13y ago
Some people prefer to be right about certain predictions, than do the right thing, and pushing the needle in the right direction. I really don't like such self-defeating comments. They cut through everyone else' "enthusiasm" and energy about doing something about it, and have negative impact on the movement for change.
gridmaths 13y ago
yeah... but were not most people here are we.. if HN isnt looking after the internet... who is ? Maybe its up to us to do our part [ along with reddit, 4chan, Anons, RMS/EFF ] so normal people can feel like the internet is their space ?
mladenkovacevic 13y ago
I guess this will be a test to see what Americans are made of... or rather what they've been turned into...
- xradionut 13y ago
  Baaaa Baaaaaaaaa Baaaaaa They have been turned into sheep over the last 6 decades by the media.
mrt0mat0 13y ago
I may be way off, but I feel that this issue is similar to Debt a few generations ago. they put it off to let the next generations down the road deal with it. Are we not doing the same thing with our civil liberties now? "why worry about it now, it's not a complete catastrophe yet." - narrow minded thinking in my opinion.
sixQuarks 13y ago
It's not that most people don't care. It's that most people don't have the ability or desire to figure out the reality jigsaw puzzle. Meaning, by putting together small bits and pieces together, it's easy to see the overall picture of what's going on.
spoiledtechie 13y ago
Sadly, I will have to agree. This is whats going to happen. Its going to be forgotten.
Miner49er 13y ago
If this letter is ignored, then I think they should take it a step further and have another internet blackout (or something similar) for a day. If that fails they can make it a week, then a month, until it either becomes too expensive or the government gives in.

Maybe you're right, maybe most people think that they have "nothing to hide" and want the government to "protect" them against the current boogieman (the USSR, now Islamists, tomorrow China?). But most people do care about Freedom and civil liberties, on a less "abstract" level. They just don't quite see the connection yet. And then it's our responsibility to inform those who don't care of the reality of what's happening and what is at stake --freedom of speech, democracy. Before it's to late to do it.

will_brown 13y ago
I think the public out cry of loss of civil liberties in this instance verse the relative lack thereof regarding the Executive creating the authority to name US citizens for extra judicial targeted drone strikes is very telling. It is not that people fear, or care more about the governmental power to intercept our electronic communications than the reality that citizenry might be killed without right to trial - they feel the loss of civil liberty in one instance is more likely to affect them personally, that is why it is important to remember "injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere." - MLK Jr.
- tome 13y ago
  That's not the only reason. With drones strikes we all can essentially see when they've been carried out. With wiretapping there is no such evidence.
- rayiner 13y ago
  Nobody cares about either of those things (for statistical values of "nobody").
mpyne 13y ago
I fear the next boogeyman will be MANPADs, based on a story I just read of French discoveries in Mali. I'm hoping that won't come to pass, or that we'll track down the missing MANPADs in time.

ihsw 13y ago

> Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses. As we move further into the 21st century and the world government's seek to expand their power, this strategy is seeing even greater success. This complements Orwell's 1984 very well, specifically because it matches Alduous Huxley's 'Brave New World' quite well. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Circuses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Circuses

jpiasetz 13y ago

So what you're saying is they need to convince people that they aren't safe because the NSA is spying on them? Seems a fairly easy sell.

mtgx 13y ago

Some people prefer to be right about certain predictions, than do the right thing, and pushing the needle in the right direction. I really don't like such self-defeating comments. They cut through everyone else' "enthusiasm" and energy about doing something about it, and have negative impact on the movement for change.

gridmaths 13y ago

yeah... but were not most people here are we.. if HN isnt looking after the internet... who is ? Maybe its up to us to do our part [ along with reddit, 4chan, Anons, RMS/EFF ] so normal people can feel like the internet is their space ?

mladenkovacevic 13y ago

I guess this will be a test to see what Americans are made of... or rather what they've been turned into...

xradionut 13y ago
Baaaa Baaaaaaaaa Baaaaaa They have been turned into sheep over the last 6 decades by the media.

mrt0mat0 13y ago

I may be way off, but I feel that this issue is similar to Debt a few generations ago. they put it off to let the next generations down the road deal with it. Are we not doing the same thing with our civil liberties now? "why worry about it now, it's not a complete catastrophe yet." - narrow minded thinking in my opinion.

sixQuarks 13y ago

It's not that most people don't care. It's that most people don't have the ability or desire to figure out the reality jigsaw puzzle. Meaning, by putting together small bits and pieces together, it's easy to see the overall picture of what's going on.

spoiledtechie 13y ago

Sadly, I will have to agree. This is whats going to happen. Its going to be forgotten.

Miner49er 13y ago

If this letter is ignored, then I think they should take it a step further and have another internet blackout (or something similar) for a day. If that fails they can make it a week, then a month, until it either becomes too expensive or the government gives in.