BT 2006 trials of Phorm

[Brian Morrison]

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On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 10:50:57 +0100
Ian Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> wrote:

> If Phorm/BT can turn this into a debate about the critics, and not =20
> about what is being criticised, they win.  A bunch of IT geeks cuts a =20
> similar figure to some vegan environmental protesters: amiable =20
> eccentrics, who the man in the street doesn't really listen to.

This and the rest of your arguments make enormous sense Ian, and I'm
afraid that I can see your point only too well.

It seems to me that the real problem is that as a nation we have become
accepting of the constant stream of official monitoring that happens
now, and a lot of people that I have spoken to seem to personally view
it as acceptable. They don't appear to see the difference between
Phorm's business model and the actions of LEAs seeking to identify
miscreants of one sort and another. But most often their argument is of
the "well that's how it is and we can't change it" variety.

Most people that know me will roll their eyes as soon as an issue of
this nature comes up in conversation, "Oh oh, Brian will be off on one
of his rants again" they say, and proceed to smile about it rather than
listen.

I'm getting seriously discouraged from trying to make people aware of
what they've done to themselves by abdicating responsibility for what
is done in their name.

If I could emigrate to somewhere I believed would be any better I would
have gone ten years ago. But I don't believe there is anywhere really,
even the places that Statewatch thinks are still libertarian.

Until the human race decides it needs to raise the rights of the
individual back to where they belong I don't see this changing.

--=20

Brian Morrison

bdm at fenrir dot org dot uk

   "Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in the mud;
    after a while you realize you are muddy and the pig is enjoying it."
   =20
GnuPG key ID DE32E5C5 - http://wwwkeys.uk.pgp.net/pgpnet/wwwkeys.html

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