Protect and serve
Thursday, October 9th, 2008We’ve been told that all the invasions of our privacy since 2001, in particular data mining schemes like Total Information Awareness, are worth it because they’ll keep us safe from terrorists. Turns out that data mining to detect terrorists just doesn’t work, according to a new government report. Yes, the same government that spies on us without warrants.
If you’re disappointed that you won’t be on a list of terrorists because of your email and credit card records, however, fear not: the cops can just put you on a terrorist watch list because of your politics.
Former Maryland state police superintendent Thomas E. Hutchins authorized the infiltration of several anti-war and anti-death-penalty nonviolent protest groups, then added their members to the national terrorism database and the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area database. In all, 53 citizens were thus included that we know of — it’d be naive to think that Maryland is the only state where the police abuse their powers). The police admit that there was “no evidence whatsoever of any involvement in violent crime” by those classified as terrorists.
One hopes that none of them have so far gotten their doors kicked down and their dogs shot.
