Anyone surprised by the following headline should not be allowed to vote, drive, operate heavy machinery, or possess firearms.
France to Boost Online Surveillance Powers, Government Seeks Law Forcing More Cooperation From Tech Firms as Victims of Last Week’s Attacks Are Solemny Honored
The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/15
Did existing online surveillance prevent the Paris attacks? No. Will increased surveillance prevent future attacks? Probably not. Will increased surveillance further increase the government’s ability to monitor French citizens, and thus its power over them? Yes. Will it increase its power over the internet, the freest aspect of contemporary life? Yes. Are the French people trading more of their dwindling liberty for what will prove to be a chimera of increased security? Yes. Were all those leaders at the front of the Paris march demonstrating their commitment to free speech and civil liberties, or their commitment to curtailing them in the name of a never-ending war on a tactic—terror—a war in which they employ the same tactic? Time will tell, but if past form holds true, the smart-money bet is obvious.
