Half life 2's scanners coming true?

[RobQ]

Do you even read current news events? Much less the history of your parents or grandparents? It's not like there's aren't countries right now with these great things that "only criminals should fear", would you really feel safer in one of them?

Even in our governments we're continually flushing out career criminals who were thriving by abusing the system, for years. Imagine if all the surveillance tools pointed only one direction - at you, controlled by them. Do you think our government would become less or more corrupt?

[RobQ]

Why would the government take the time to ruin my life? You said yourself that the government doesn't give a crap about me.

When your government doesn't care about you that makes you expendable. Or spendable, when someone needs to accomplish something. Like staying in office, or finding a new opponent to point at.

After all, I know Sacul15's a little hacker subversive. Playing his games where he practices killing people. Only yesterday he said "Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I play videogames to kill things and blow shit up", and before that he talked about shooting all Scientoligists. That's why the SPP (Scientologists Political Pac) needs your donations and votes, so a small unwanted minority can't threaten hard working people like you and I for their religious beliefs. Today's it's just our small religion and people, but tomorrow it could be your religion and your family. When you vote for us, we promise the small minority like Sacul15 will be properly restrained. First by outlawing violent video games, then by strict government monitoring of the Internet, to find and stamp out the web sites these subversive types gather on.

Don't worry, I'm sure there are no Scientoligists in the government.

[Sacul15]

Why would the government take the time to ruin my life? You said yourself that the government doesn't give a crap about me.

When your government doesn't care about you that makes you expendable. Or spendable, when someone needs to accomplish something. Like staying in office, or finding a new opponent to point at.

After all, I know Sacul15's a little hacker subversive. Playing his games where he practices killing people. Only yesterday he said "Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I play videogames to kill things and blow shit up", and before that he talked about shooting all Scientoligists. That's why the SPP (Scientologists Political Pac) needs your donations and votes, so a small unwanted minority can't threaten hard working people like you and I for their religious beliefs. Today's it's just our small religion and people, but tomorrow it could be your religion and your family. When you vote for us, we promise the small minority like Sacul15 will be properly restrained. First by outlawing violent video games, then by strict government monitoring of the Internet, to find and stamp out the web sites these subversive types gather on.

Don't worry, I'm sure there are no Scientoligists in the government.

Ha ha, very well done. You made me lol. But this is public information already. What would some of the newer ideas like the Patriot Act or this mind control technology do to put me more at risk? Like The Ace said, just because the government has the ability to do something doesn't mean they have the capacity or manpower to do it.

[RobQ]

What would some of the newer ideas like the Patriot Act or this mind control technology do to put me more at risk?

In retrospect... I think there's a job opening waiting for you in the SPP.

[jhonny_paradox]

What would some of the newer ideas like the Patriot Act or this mind control technology do to put me more at risk? Like The Ace said, just because the government has the ability to do something doesn't mean they have the capacity or manpower to do it.

Either you are under 20 or you have fundamentally flawed logic.

What would the Patriot Act or mind control technology do to put you more at risk?

Well, dealing with the first, Patriot Act, you would be essentailly stripped of all of your rights and freedoms our ancestors fought so hard to establish. This doesn't just pertain to America either as can be seen from recent events. If someone with power wants you gone, they can and will do just that and there would be noone but the masses to stop them. Even then, the power of the wealthy and controllers of the means to production have a greater share in the power of the masses. Oh, and how did most of the powerful become that way, alliances with the already established wealthy and powerful. You may now see the viscious cycle this presents.

Secondly, about mind control technology. Well this should be pretty straight forward since mind control is the ultimate stripping of your rights and freedoms right down to your very motor functions and thoughts. If you can't see the obvious risks in that you are completely blind.

If the government has the ability, they definitely have the capacity and manpower. I think what you meant to say is: If the goverment has the capacity it doesn't necessarily have the ability and manpower. Capacity is like the potential and sometiems things do not reach their potential. Governments and ruling classes have fallen before due to becoming spread thin, bloating, entropy and over-confidence.

We can only hope for a new future not on the current rails.

[Sacul15]

Maybe when you reach the age of twenty, you suddenly spontaneously learn everything about government, but I personally can't find a link between "governments and ruling classes have fallen before due to becoming spread thin, bloating, entropy and over-confidence" and me being stripped of my rights. Amidst your ramblings about how corrupt governments are, you fail to show how technology that is designed specifically to stop terrorists is putting me at risk.

[dissonance]

I would rather die in a 'terrorist' attack than live the rest of my life in fear of my own government.

</0.02$>

[Sacul15]

I would rather die in a 'terrorist' attack than live the rest of my life in fear of my own government.

</0.02$>

True, but I'd rather have the government know what porn I'm downloading than die in a terrorist attack, which is the more appropriate situation.

[jhonny_paradox]

Maybe when you reach the age of twenty, you suddenly spontaneously learn everything about government, but I personally can't find a link between "governments and ruling classes have fallen before due to becoming spread thin, bloating, entropy and over-confidence" and me being stripped of my rights. Amidst your ramblings about how corrupt governments are, you fail to show how technology that is designed specifically to stop terrorists is putting me at risk.

Your comments show that either you are immature or underdeveloped in your thinking, my sentence had nothing to do with knowledge of goverments. This is serious discussion and I'm trying to keep it mature and professional as possible.

You are linking where there is no link with my "governments and ruling classes have fallen before due to becoming spread thin, bloating, entropy and over-confidence" comment. It had nothing to do with you being stripped of your rights. And for ramblings about corrupt governemts: I have not rambled about corrupt governments and I'd appreciate it if you could not take this so personally. (thos ein power doesn't necessarily mean governments, in history there were other ruling classes as well that did the same exact thing)
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have taken your views into account and found them to be naive and trusting of those in power as if they are saints, I'd like it if you could have some integrity and try to see it from anothers' perspective and realize that everyone is true and righteous as you think they are.

[jhonny_paradox]

I would rather die in a 'terrorist' attack than live the rest of my life in fear of my own government.

</0.02$>

True, but I'd rather have the government know what porn I'm downloading than die in a terrorist attack, which is the more appropriate situation.

Have you ever asked yourself why you are afraid of a terrorist attack?

Were you afraid of this ten years ago?

Was there terrorism in the world ten years ago?

[Sacul15]

Have you ever asked yourself why you are afraid of a terrorist attack?

Um, because they kill people...

Were you afraid of this ten years ago?

I was 6, so no.

Was there terrorism in the world ten years ago?

Obviously, but for most countries, and especially America, it had never seemed like a real threat. Then 9/11 woke us up, and the recent wars in the Middle East have caused much unrest in that region and the possibility of terrorist threats has increased tremendously. Look at some of the successful and failed attempts in the UK and the rest of Europe. If people had just ignored the warnings and said it was all a government conspiracy to keep us under control, many of these attempts would have been successful.

[dissonance]

ter·ror·ism /ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm/ –noun
1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.

1. Fox News.
2. The emotional environment that got the USA PATRIOT act passed.

Afraid of a terrorist attack? No, I'm honestly not. I realize that I could die at any given instant, for any of a multitude of reasons. Terrorism is the least of my worries. Shit SUV drivers on their cellphones not watching for people in crosswalks is my main concern. I've narrowly escaped death at least twice in the past week due to those exact circumstances. I've never run into a member of Hezbolah or Hamas recently.

Afraid of this ten years ago? I dunno about ten, but I was reading Rainbow Six and doing reports on HRT and other counterterrorism squads in middle school.

Was there terrorism ten years ago? Look at the definition above. Terrorism is simply fearmongering. There always has been and always will be terrorism. It's a fact of life: some people resort to "ooga booga" rather than presenting actual and logical arguments.


On a related note, of, by, and for the people. My Government should be afraid of ME, not the other way around. They'd better be shitting in their pants when election time comes around, not thinking, "incumbency, fuck yeah!" They'd better fucking read the Federalist Papers and realize that the Second Amendment exists as a last resort, when impeachment and the like have failed.


[edit] holy shit, I get really off track when I'm drunk [/edit]

[Sacul15]

Because Fox News has a slight conservative bias, they are terrorists? Find one video of them spreading fear and I'll admit that you're right, but until then keep your unbacked opinions to yourself.

Sure, there are greater threats than terrorists, but does that mean it should be ignored? Since you're more likely to get in a car accident than be attacked by a shark, is it ok to swim in shark-infested waters?

And I liked how you mentioned both the Federalist Papers and the 2nd amendment, even though Federalists opposed the Bill of Rights.

[dissonance]

Because Fox News has a slight conservative bias, they are terrorists? Find one video of them spreading fear and I'll admit that you're right, but until then keep your unbacked opinions to yourself.

No. I don't give a fuck about conservatism or liberalism; they both have their good points.
Look at the definition again, terrorism means spreading fear in order to achieve a goal.
Tell me this isn't fearmongering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orpgUPNSRPI

[Sacul15]

I wouldn't call it fear mongering so much as ignorant reporting. All the major news networks pull this crap. As a gamer, surely you have seen this before.