FBI Follies

Once again, an FBI director has gone public and essentially blamed the very freedom’s we enjoy for being the root of the problem that prevents the FBI from being able to stop all acts of terror in the United States. The only thing missing is the proposal to remove all forms of encryption from all media devices, networks, etc. In other words, trust the government by opening every facet of our lives to their scrutiny and allowing them to decide how they will choose to use it. If you’re a student of history, this claim is all too familiar, the only difference is now days we wrap it in the American flag, call it some catchy phrase like “The Patriot Act” and sell it with a pack of empty promises and outright lies. The old follow up response of “if you’re not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear” will be trotted out next.

We are and will remain in this Mobius strip of arguments as long as technology can be used for the betterment of evil as well as it is for good. The same argument has been made about automobiles, guns, knives, hammers and on and on. Literally anything that can be used for evil, despite it’s most innocent intended use, will be caught up in this net. Simple children’s toys, stuffed bears that use a computer chip to speak delightful phrases to children are all subject to uses nothing like their original intent. For that matter, all forms of communication to include television, radio, even the written word are subject to abuse and misuse. How in the world to maintain an advanced civilization while suppressing such actions?

The answer is, there simply is not a simple answer. Even if we required laws that would allow some of this with very tight constraints and limits that completely cancelled the law in case of any attempted change, there could still be enactments of new rules, buried in bills of no related issues, that can be slipped past the American people all with the best intentions, but equally subject to use and abuse by those that would attempt to limit or take away our freedoms.

You doubt this? Take a look at your own community. Have there ever been a simple road or school tax that the sellers promised would only last a few years, then go away? How many of those have lasted 20+ years and are never brought up for cancelation? Lets face it, politicians like getting their hands on our cash and restricting our freedom. They have multitudes of excuses and by banding together, they get their way, despite our objections. Sadly, when we elect new leaders, they soon slip into the same bad habits, seeing it easier to do it that way than keeping their promises.

Is it no wonder they want strong gun legislation? Do they really think that will reduce murders or are they really just afraid that if they can’t keep the upper hand their could be rioting in the streets by people that are indeed willing to put their lives on the line to maintain their freedom’s as guaranteed by our Constitution? It’s by no means an American problem. We have seen it around the world in many different countries with vastly different results, but the theme is still very much the same. People want to have control of their own lives and to be able to protect themselves from those that would attempt to take it away.

This is the real pageantry of life. The constant human interaction that runs our world and spices up our lives. People need to be able and allowed to express themselves in many different ways. The real problems begin when some attempt to rule over others. If ever there comes a time when we all can simply respect each other without anger or hostility this will be one very, very dull world ….. and I’m willing to give it a try, even if only for only a few thousand years ……