V for Vendetta (made after 9-11) was a film about people who were so afraid of catching a virus that they succumbed to a totalitarian government they hoped would keep them “safe.” Sound familiar?
Mommy, what was life like before 9-11? Sit down, child… Sit down.
See, we once had a law called, “The 4th Amendment.” It was added along with nine other amendments to our Constitution to prevent tyranny and government overreach. Back then, Americans believed mass surveillance was anti-American. It went against our values. We Americans wanted to be free, and that meant our government could not spy on us.
But after 9-11, we decided freedom was too scary. It made us feel vulnerable. We longed for a Big Brother patriarchal figure to watch over us, to protect us from all that scared us (and that was just about everything.)
Many of us grew up watching television and we saw thousands of rapes, murders and other acts of violence by the time we reached adulthood. We’d been traumatized. The many detective shows proliferating on our TV screens made it clear: the world was a scary place, and other people were not to be trusted.
Of course, we can trust our government, big business and big money sources. They have power, so they must know more than we do… I follow the science. What about you?
The Patriot Act was passed after the September 11th terrorist attack. Americans were told it was a temporary measure to stop terrorism. Before this law was passed, there were not surveillance cameras on all of the streets. People expected a certain level of privacy. People talked to their neighbors and had a tendency to look after each other rather than rely on a far away government to protect them.
But after 9-11, Americans were told that privacy kept them from being “safe” from terrorism… Most Americans believed that and naively gave up their 4th Amendment. (The Constitution was “just a piece of paper,” after all.)
What has not been explained, though, is why surveillance cameras were set up in other countries that were not attacked on 9-11?
What was life like pre-9-11? Believe it or not, there was a time when one could walk down the street without being watched by someone far, far away observing the streets via a surveillance camera. Oddly enough, there was less crime and violence in those pre-surveillance days… People held onto their privacy as a basic human right. Employers checked references for job applicants. They were allowed to only ask certain questions that pertained to the perspective employee’s employment history when doing so. They could ask about the applicant’s job title, salary and duties in their previous job. However, now, since the passing of the Patriot Act (nearly 20 years ago), employers can conduct in-depth background checks and find out all sorts of information about your background.
People with criminal records will not be hired for most jobs, so don’t get arrested at any protest any time soon!
After 9-11, the police were given military-grade weapons and the license to aggressively pursue their victims... er... I mean, their suspects. Before 9-11, Americans were innocent until proven guilty. That has changed. We are now all potentially guilty. Our government and law enforcement has become predatory.
Can we change any of this? Can we go back to September 10th? Well, not if people are too darned afraid to speak out against tyranny. As long as people continue to go along with all of this, it will continue.
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