Here Comes The Surveillance Society

Illustration by Greg Groesch for The Washington Times

Drones Over America -- Washington Times editorial

Domestic spying portends surveillance society

Big Sis is watching. Aerial surveillance drones designed to protect the nation’s borders and fight terrorists overseas are turning their electronic eyes on Americans here at home. While gathering intelligence on the activities of suspected lawbreakers, Uncle Sam risks invading the privacy of the law-abiding. A bright line must be drawn between surveillance for legitimate law enforcement purposes and illicit spying that violates Americans’ constitutional right to be left alone.

The threat comes from Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security, which is deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, to assist local authorities with airborne surveillance. It’s also doling out millions in grant cash to encourage small-town cops to buy drones, whether they serve a purpose or not.

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My Comment: What was unthinkable 10 years ago is now becoming policy .... and no one (i.e. ACLU, academia, media, political opponents, etc.) is protesting.

Massive New Surveillance Program To Monitor All U.S. Citizens Uncovered

U.S. Terrorism Agency To Tap A Vast Database Of Citizens -- Wall Street Journal

Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal. Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime.

Not everyone was on board. "This is a sea change in the way that the government interacts with the general public," Mary Ellen Callahan, chief privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security, argued in the meeting, according to people familiar with the discussions.

A week later, the attorney general signed the changes into effect.

Through Freedom of Information Act requests and interviews with officials at numerous agencies, The Wall Street Journal has reconstructed the clash over the counterterrorism program within the administration of President Barack Obama. The debate was a confrontation between some who viewed it as a matter of efficiency—how long to keep data, for instance, or where it should be stored—and others who saw it as granting authority for unprecedented government surveillance of U.S. citizens.

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More News On A New Surveillance Program To Monitor All U.S. Citizens

Attorney General Secretly Granted Gov. Ability to Develop and Store Dossiers on Innocent Americans -- Threat Level
CONFIRMED: US Counterterrorism Agency Can Amass Data On Any Citizen -- Business Insider
There's a New Super-Database of Your Information to Hunt Underwear Bombs -- The Atlantic
Everyone is fair game: Spy agency conducts surveillance on all US citizens -- RT
US counterterrorism agency will store data on innocent Americans to look for future crimes -- The Verge
Massive New Surveillance Program Uncovered by Wall Street Journal -- Slate
National Counterterrorism Center A 'Pre-Crime' Squad Under Obama, Critics Charge -- Matt Sledge, Huffington Post
Great news: Your permanent record is now available on demand -- Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

My Comment: No public debate. No Congressional involvement. Nothing. And where is the ACLU? Privacy advocacy groups? The media? Again .... nothing. But what we have is a bunch of bureaucrats .... with the Attorney General's blessing .... agreeing that info on all U.S. citizens can be monitored and stored. Unbelievable.

And what is even more unbelievable is that we are learning about it right now .... not in March when the agreement to implement it was done.

We Are All Being Watched

'Everyone In US Under Virtual Surveillance' - NSA whistleblower -- RT

The FBI has the e-mails of nearly all US citizens, including congressional members, according to NSA whistleblower William Binney. Speaking to RT he warned that the government can use information against anyone it wants.

­One of the best mathematicians and code breakers in NSA history resigned in 2001 because he no longer wanted to be associated with alleged violations of the constitution.

He asserts, that the FBI has access to this data due to a powerful device Naris.

This year Binney received the Callaway award. The annual award was established to recognize those, who stand out for constitutional rights and American values at great risk to their personal or professional lives.

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My Comment: I guess George Orwell's 1984 should have been named 2012.

A Shape Of Things To Come

NYPD's new super computer system is a joint venture between the city and Microsoft. The system uses data from a network of cameras and allows cops to access information from living video feeds. Bryan Smith for New York Daily News

NYPD Unveils New $40 Million Super Computer System That Uses Data From Network Of Cameras, License Plate Readers And Crime Reports -- New York Daily News

Domain Awareness System is a joint venture between city and Microsoft. Commissioner Ray Kelly says system is able to access information through live video feeds and allow cops to get reading on radioactive substances

The NYPD is starting to look like a flashy, forensic crime TV show thanks to a new super computer system unveiled Wednesday near Wall St.

The Domain Awareness System designed by the NYPD and Microsoft Corp. uses data from a network of cameras, radiation detectors, license plate readers and crime reports, officials said.

“We’re not your mom and pop police department anymore,” Mayor Bloomberg crowed. “We are in the next century. We are leading the pack.”

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My Comment: George Orwell's 1984 is slowly becoming the reality, with no mass outpourings of dissent..