My Weblog

Democracy will win. Don't lose it.

When we created Little Brother is Watching, we had two goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted to raise public awareness of the Presidents covert use of wiretaps without a clear system of verification. And secondly, we wanted to accelerate public dialogue around the issue.

Based on Friday’s lively debate on Boston.com, we feel we are off to a good start. Regardless of the outcome of the proposals before Congress, the Executive branch has not been able to sweep this issue aside. And, while we take no credit for that, we are proud to have done our small part in moving the debate forward.

Now, regarding the tenor of the postings sent to us directly, and on Boston.com. To all the people who challenged us and called the people behind Little Brother traitors or cowards, who are somehow betraying the United States by questioning the wiretaps, we can only quote another Bostonian, John Adams, and say, "There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

That is advice we will follow, no matter the party in power. Citizenship is not blind faith; with Little Brother Is Watching, we are simply exercising our rights and obligations. We are surprised that some people have claimed that by creating this debate we have somehow, to quote, "given comfort to the enemy." Now, putting aside the absurdity that a web-site and billboard in Boston can somehow be having a positive impact with terrorists in the wilds of Pakistan or in some deep cover cell, we believe our freedom to protest and the openness of this discussion is actually America's greatest weapon in the fight against fundamentalist totalitarianism. 

Put simply, we call on you to celebrate the argument. For if we stifle this freedom of thought, if we snuff out the openness of our public dialogue, and if blindly accept every decision our government makes, then, as a society, we really will lose.

The Eyes Roam Newton

We are hoping the Little Brother Is Watching imagery takes on a life of its own. And, in fact, we can make files and billboard art available to people who what to participate  <click here for more information on how you can help.>

Some people, though, are so passionate they can't wait for us to get back to them and that's okay too.  Below check out the little, Little Brother car modification being planned by S.L. in Newton.

I wonder if we could convince someone to do that to his or her Gulf Stream?

Thank S.L., much love.

 

Shout Out to Mass Revolution

Just wanted to say thank you to our new friends at Mass Revolution for posting a piece regarding our billboard. Not being alone is a good feeling.

U.S. No Longer Leading By Example

One little covered feature of the Bush administration’s secret wire-tapping is how it is being manipulated by totalitarian regimes as they defend their own surveillance programs. The United States, once the greatest advocate for personal freedom, is now the first example sighted by regimes as they seek to validate snooping on their own citizens. 

Don’t believe us? Read this article on Internet surveillance in China quoting a Chinese businessman saying, the following:

"Our software does not restrict Internet freedom," he says. "President Bush used a special law to intercept peoples' e-mails. ... If a country didn't take such measures, there would be hidden dangers and more terrorist attacks."

And, where do you think that will end? Surly, Truman, Kennan, Dulles, Nixon, and Reagan are rolling in their graves that communists are truthfully sighting the U.S. as rationale for their own repressive policies.

Feingold's War

Sen. Russ Feingold seems determined to force a vote on his Censure measure. Many Democrats including leading democrats (Kennedy, Feinstein, Biden and Durban) would like to avoid the censure move all together.

Read more here.

Watch the Debate: Live!

The senate hearing on the Feingold Censure measure is on live now at CSPAN.org check it out.

Little Brother Billboard Making Waves

Today's Boston Globe has a piece regarding our billboard in Kenmore Square and the challenge faced by our partner John Rosenthal to take it down. Let us know where you stand on this controversy. Anyone who e-mail's their opinion (for or against) will be posted to this site or you can react on the comments line below.

More to come on this issue of that you can be sure.

ACLU Flash Movie

This little Flash Movie on the ACLU site is Classic. The scary thing is all of this is already possible with exsisting technology. Hello, supplying this wigdet is Larry Ellison's dream.

O'Conner's Dictatorship Comment

In a story that was mostly avoided by the mass media Nina Totenberg, reporting for NPR, quoted Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner expressing concerns that the recent vitriolic attacks by the right were signs that the US government was starting to act in the manner of a dictatorship. Why has this not been reported? When a Ronald Reagan appointee starts to challenge the actions of a group of Republicans we all should take notice.

The Laws for Dummies

Just to review, there are 4 proposals in Congress right now that hope to address the issue of secret wire-tapping. 

The first is a GOP proposal, which the President is in favor of, that would legalize the secret wire-taps as they have been working. The irony of this proposal begs the question, if G.W. thought the program was legal in the first place why is he bothering to support a bill to make legal, again?  The second proposal from the party of Lincoln would create a system similar to FISA to monitor the snooping.

From the Democrats, there is Russ Feingold’s bill to censure the President, and then today, Chuck Schumer (NY) proposed a bill that would create legal standing for a group of academics, journalists and business people to challenge the program before a three-judge panel. Then the case would go directly to the high court, which could rule by the fall.