[extropy-chat] Many eyes

John Calvin john.h.calvin at gmail.com
Mon Jul 11 18:21:51 UTC 2005


<quote>
I have to hide anything that the powers that be decide to make a
crime that real should never have been one.  I have to be able to
hide as long as some people wish to legally run everyone else's
life.
</quote>

I agree with Samantha on this point.  I for one am not opposed to a
Transparent Society, I just don't happen to believe that our society
is quite ready to be transparent.  I don't care if there are cameras
in every nook and cranny, I have "Nothing to Hide".  What I do care
about is the fact that many feel that they have the right to comment,
be concerned with, or regulate my life when the choices I make do not
harm anyone else.  I do not care if the world can see me sitting in my
home enjoying the First Season DVD's of Invader Zim, but would find
the first comment as to the appropriateness of that behavior to not
only be annoying, but a veritable call to arms.

Society is simply not ready to be transparent.  It will be ready to be
transparent only when the people in it no longer feel the need to be
concerned about others behavior, as long as that behavior does not
pose a direct threat to others (I at this time limit the idea of
"threat" to murder, rape, assault etc.)

A step before the "Transparent Society" will be eliminating all of the
laws that proscribe behavior which ought to be left to personal
choice.  Anyone remember the case in Texas a few years back of a
couple charged with Sodomy, and the evidence was a video tape taken by
a neighbour through the bedroom window of the couple in question?  Was
that couple really doing anything wrong?  Certainly they were breaking
the law, but were they wrong?  I for one think that the neighbor was
definately wrong.  In light of that case if you were to ask me did I
do anything wrong that I needed to hide I would certainly say no.  If
you were to ask me if I did anything illegal that I needed to hide I
would have to say that I don't know for there are too many laws to
keep track of and likely my wife and I have broken many with out ever
realizing that someone would bother making such a law in the first
place.



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