[extropy-chat] Transparency vs. terrorism

[spike]

> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Technotranscendence
> To: ExI chat list
> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Transparency vs. terrorism
> 
> On Saturday, August 06, 2005 8:27 PM Dan Clemmensen dgc at cox.net wrote:
> 
...
> 
> The problems, of course, are a) defining just what is public and b)
> allowing this will erode other freedoms...
> 
> I'm amazed so few others on this list have such concerns.  I expected a
> storm of protest.  Along with libertarianism, has a healthy protective
> attitude toward liberty been exorcised from the list?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Dan

Dan it looks to me like we are talking about two different
things.  Libertarianism is about limiting the power of
government, but limiting government may empower and 
motivate the snoopy LOLs.  The real debate is over how much
privacy we are entitled to when in public.  Mike Lorrey
and others have argued that freedom of speech (and many other
freedoms) depends on freedom of anonymity.  But I have not
been able to derive from constitutional fundamentals any
basic right to anonymity, or any right to not be observed
and recorded when in public.  The minute I step off my
own private property, I assume I am fair game to have my
every action observed.  I may not like it, but if a LOL 
or a paparazzi does so, I don't see what actual law has 
been broken or what right of mine has been violated.

It is an interesting question.  Today perhaps 10% of the
proles have camera phones.  But we know 10 yrs from
now it will be 90% and we have no legal infrastructure
in place for limiting any of that.  I cannot even 
imagine what such laws would look like.

spike

To repeat: libertarianism is OK to discuss here.  ExI wants
to move away from specifically endorsing any political
party, which sounds reasonable for several reasons. The 
real contentious stuff probably does fit better with Mike 
Lorrey's extrofreedom list.  But do keep it interesting 
and relevant.  Everyday politics is snoozy for the most 
part, is it not?  s