Ten things we've learnt about the surveillance state

http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/08/27/ten-things-weve-learnt-about-the-surveillance-state/

by prawn • 13 years ago

34 3 13 years ago

crikey.com.au

SilliMon• 13 years ago

But the rule of law is only for the media and whistleblowers, not for governments.

ihsw• 13 years ago

The rule of law is absolute, however its application is tentative and selective.

The plea bargain -- admissions of guilt where defendants are under threat of death and lifetime prison sentences -- has prevented 95% Federal court cases from proceeding, and it inches higher year-over-year.

Enron's disgraced and final CEO has had his prison sentence reduced significantly under an agreement to stop the legal ballet of refuting prosecution and wilfully forfeiting $42M for distribution to Enron fraud victims, effectively buying his way out of prison. "Too big to jail" indeed.

The US Government, at the behest of AT&T, Verizon, et al, unilaterally denied Samsung's lawful and justified victory in a patent dispute with Apple. Lesson learned? Don't bother with a healthy and useful patent portfolio, and do stay in the good graces of the US Government for there are benefits to signing into PRISM-like programs.

You will not have a hard time finding pro-state shills that happily declare that the state can do no wrong -- indeed, the law simply doesn't apply to government employees acting in the "nation's best interest."

dwd• 13 years ago

The problem with Mark Dreyfus is; as Attorney General his Ministerial portfolio includes managing ASIO and responsibility for leading legislation on Human Rights. Quite a conflict of interest and as the Government's chief legal officer he's the last person to defend the peoples' rights against Government.

EDIT: grammar

Ten things we've learnt about the surveillance state

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