
Everyone can be a target - teddyh
https://people.debian.org/~lunar/blog/posts/everyone_can_be_a_target/
======
cat-dev-null
People quickly forget the abuses of emergency powers for political purposes.

In France alone, the top incidents come to mind:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_massacre_of_1961](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_massacre_of_1961)

Most recently

[http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/27/paris-
cli...](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/27/paris-climate-
activists-put-under-house-arrest-using-emergency-laws)

There's also broad, overreactions which sweep up too many innocent people onto
various watch lists... topping more than 2 million unique individuals in U.S.
federal databases alone.

There are multiple, competing, political interests and personal agendas
spanning the gamut of LEOs and officials to do what they do, in addition to
ignorant discrimination and ostensible public protection reasons. Sometimes
they just "don't like [someone]" and want to cause that someone misery based
on how they look, talk, etc.

------
Shivetya
Going full devil's advocate here.

Likely security is going to become so omnipresent before it stops becoming a
nuisance. In a world where irrational people can travel practically with
immunity, where they can gather materials to cause great harm, many will not
want to pay the price for their freedom. So security would need to become so
integrated it just fades into the background.

We can bemoan our loss of freedoms all we want but it never ceases to amaze
the very same people posting such a complaint will none the less turn right
around and demand government take action against someone doing something they
don't approve of or take over services they think they are entitled too.

So get with it, you give the government an inch they won't stop taking. Just
as quickly as you demand they take action against those you don't like you
should fully expect someone to ask them to actions against you directly or
indirectly.

~~~
stefantalpalaru
This kind of surveillance does not work for prevention. Some of the Paris
terrorist were on file, some have been arrested previously, yet they were all
able to get guns, explosives, and enough time unchecked to commit the multiple
attacks.

All this in a city where the military was already patrolling the streets in
the Vigipirate program.

There's no way this is going to fade into the background and stop becoming a
nuisance, because making a spectacle out of it is its only benefit. Since it
does not work to prevent, it must work to show people that something is being
done.

------
fixermark
"We are at the dawn of an environmental crisis that will end humanity." Huh?

~~~
herbig
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming)

~~~
fixermark
Ah, okay. I think the absolutism of "Will end humanity" is what confused me.

------
mschuster91
> We are talking about cops keeping their guns while off duties

Seems like a cultural thing. Cops in Germany are allowed to carry their guns
off-duty, and when in uniform they're allowed to travel in any passenger train
they want (2nd class only) for free. Guess this is because unlike the US
Germany doesn't have dedicated "railway cops" and enough regular cops use the
trains that way to provide on-board security.

~~~
cafard
There have been police departments in the US where policemen were required to
carry their handguns while off duty: an acquaintance of my parents was on the
Washington, DC, police force in the 1950s, and had to have his revolver along
at all times.

