I remember reading a story called, "1984" and another one named, "Metropolis" and yet another one entitled "Soylent Green" and they all seemed to be about a day in the future when everyone was being watched by the power structure all the time.
My question at this point is, "So what else is new?"
We hear the stories about all the alleged National Security Agency surveillance and then on top of that I have read - - - lately - - - that even the Post Office is scanning the "outside" of every piece of mail that goes through the system and that the "scanners" are able to "read" addresses and destinations of all the pieces of mail - - - billions of pieces of mail!
Can I also now begin to wonder whether or note there is a drone overhead as I go to the mall or the super market and that this high-flying observation platform is technically saavy enough to read the labels inside my trousers and tell where they were manufactured - - - and perhaps even the labels on the packages of food I have purchased and placed into bags?
Is it possible for Law Enforcement to park a van a few blocks from my house and listen with what is sometimes called "The Big Ear" to every sound I make after I have gone to bed and turned out the lights at night?
Being something of an eccentric, I often like to peer out my living room window and speak loudly and audibly to whoever might have some high tech "ear" focused on me, "Hey fellows! I know you are listening so enjoy yourselves and have a nice day!"
I know it sounds a little dumb but I do it anyway just in case someone might be tuned in because - - what have I got to hide?
It irritates me that "Big Brotherism" is capable of all this surveillance and it makes me wonder sometimes whether or not the government is afraid of it's own people for one reason or another - - and I do try to figure out what that reason might be - - if that is in fact the case.
A couple of things I think I can be fairly confident of are: (1) Maybe all this snooping can actually have the effect of making me safer from the threats posed by modern terrorism and (2) Since I'm not doing anything I wouldn't do in front of a hundred strangers, I am not so sure I have anything to worry about from all the surveillance.
I do have a sneaking suspicion that no matter how much anyone complains or how much is brought to light about this surveillance - - nothing much is going to change. I think it will go on regardless and so I must ask the inevitable question, "What are you gonna do?"