Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tap Tap! Is that the government up your ass?
All this nonsense about stoicism in the face of terror, and the idea that somehow factors greater than survival have something to do with people getting on with their lives, is not just ridiculous and amusing but also fairly dangerous.
What are the real implications of acquiescing to the demands created by this mass hysteria of bleeding hearts? To being pressurised and morally obliged to show at-least 'solidarity' or 'defiance'?
Loss of privacy: because the cops want to tap your phone calls and feel your balls; because you, and your personal belongings will be frisked at every frickin transport hub; because you flights, trains and buses will be delayed; because this reaction to terrorism will inevitably create in you if not fear and panic, a real disinclination to travel.
Do you guys think that any large terrorist organisation worth its salt is stupid enough to engineer events that actually bring people together and strengthen their resolve? Absolute bollocks! So please stop writing nonsense about how this is not going to affect us at all. Of all the things this terrorist attack achieves, the most important is the loss of private and civil liberties in India, and worse still our eagerness to lose these without even being aware of the implications.
India is not a country that has ever been greatly bothered about privacy issues, civil rights, data protection etc. even at normal times, even though it is an important and conscious aspect of any democracy. This is yet another example to prove that India is a democracy not by design, but by default: it is a functioning anarchy, where somehow things seem to just work out because of the sheer number of conflicting interests and deficiencies.
Yes, the police and the government are not going to do anything with my data when they acquire it because it would be of no use to them for their current investigations, even if they are able to correlate it at all. But the inefficiency in the system in not even being able to misuse its powers, is in no way an excuse to grant them those powers in the first place.
India is an identity theft hotbed waiting to happen. International customer data in BPOs will be better protected, but think of the number of places and people who have your phone number, copies of your passport, copies of your driver's licence, your bank account number etc.. Think of the number of people and places that have access to your date of birth, your place of birth, your mother's maiden name! Think of all the rights that you have already relinquished because the government wanted every corner shop to have all these details just to give you a mobile phone number!
This is a system which is pushing the accumulations of its inefficiencies up our asses, but we just seem to be cumming with joy and asking for more.
With news just coming in, now it is apparent that everybody will be exhorted to grab their torches and pitchforks to go after the Pakistani demon instead.
Comments to Tap Tap! Is that the government up your ass?
If it happened to the US where the NSA is now monitoring phone calls of ordinary citizens, why won't it happen to India where every thing has to be submitted in triplicate (and 4 copies of photographs).
It's the normal progression of things where in the name of security everything is game and ofcourse in India it not only has to be copied but exaggerated to the zillionth level
posted by 
C.G.
Very well put. I agree with most of what you have written except the part about terrorists not being stupid enough to cause people to come together. I think thats an unintended but inevitable consequence of an attack against any country or organized group...except India of course.
posted by Sarat
That cell phone application thing is really stupid. We all know how stringently those shopkeepers check our forms.
Thats the whole problem with our country - great ideas, poor execution.
But I dont mind loosing a bit of privacy for the sake of security. The security is all airports are very high these days and I think thats a step in the right direction.
Thats one exeception where the idea is executed as intended. Now we need more of that.
posted by Happy-Go-Lucky
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