Maryland abolishes death penalty.

[Hammerskjold]

I was looking for an old thread in which I could add a comment on todays news about the NSA knowing everything we do. Exactly what Orwell meant in 1984.

Are you talking about something like this?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/...-fisa.html

Though one tidbit kinda made me chuckle\shake my head, then again it's coming from the usual suspect. Leave it to someone like Lindsey Graham to basically say, 'if you're not a terrrist, you got nothing to hide'.

Oh Lindsey Graham...why are there so many clones of you?

The surveillance powers are granted under the post-9/11 Patriot Act, which was renewed in 2006 and again in 2011. Republicans who usually don't miss a chance to criticize the administration offered full support.

"I'm a Verizon customer. I could care less if they're looking at my phone records. ... If you're not getting a call from a terrorist organization, you got nothing to worry about," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina.

Though what's potentially more disturbing, is nowadays that may not even raise an eyebrow.

At least in the latter you know what you are up against, and the world will support you.

On that, I'm not entirely sure I can agree, as much as I would like to. 'Moral' support and pretty words only goes so far. Aside from a real dilemma of what's helping vs violating another country's sovereignty. 'Hey firemen don't violate a house-owner sovereignty when they break in doors and put out fires'. Who wants to\can be the world's firemen?

Forget 'global cop', we now live in a world where some people shoot at literal firemen.

Of course I fully agree with the fact that being 'eliminated' without you really knowing it is much less painful than the physical one.

Yes. I think the vision of our near future (parts of it has already arrived in some places) is not necessarily either or, Orwellian or Huxlean.

Personally, I think from what I've seen, it's a melding of the two.

No need to break bones to get you to embrace Big Brother, when you can pacify someone with bread and circuses. Besides, you can always do 'extraordinary rendition' if you want to actually break bones. You know, outsourcing.