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Politech is the oldest Internet resource devoted to politics and technology. Launched in 1994 by Declan McCullagh, the mailing list has chronicled the growing intersection of culture, technology, politics, and law. Since 2000, so has the Politech web site.
The link: http://www.citizencorps.gov/tips.html --- Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 20:59:54 +0000 From: "J.D. Abolins" <jda-ir@njcc.com> Subject: Aussie paper: US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies Anybody ever heard of Pavlik Morozov? (If not see http://www.cyberussr.com/rus/morozov.html for a quick blurb about the fellow.) When I see proposals to mobilize American people into being eyes and ears fo the government, I am reminded of Pavilik and his family. Now I am not against people reporting certain things to the police. It is the habit of being constantly suspicious of neighbors, co-workers, and otehrs that can become destructive. Down the line it can lead to suspicions based not on significant clues but upon things such as "fails to display sufficient respect for authority", "laughs whenever the phrase 'homeland security' is used", and "hangs out with anti-social misfits." It is an all too easy slide from neighbors watching out for each and helping the community to becoming agents of the state. J.D. Abolins PS: Why is it that the most revealing news reports about the USA are coming nowadays form the UK, Aussie, and other non-USA media? <rhetorical> -------------- From the Sydney Morning Herald Web site 15 July 2002 http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/14/1026185141232.html US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies By Ritt Goldstein July 15 2002 The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity". Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens. As with the Patriot Act, TIPS is being pursued as part of the so-called war against terrorism. It is a Department of Justice project. Highlighting the scope of the surveillance network, TIPS volunteers are being recruited primarily from among those whose work provides access to homes, businesses or transport systems. Letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors are among those named as targeted recruits. A pilot program, described on the government Web site www.citizencorps.gov, is scheduled to start next month in 10 cities, with 1 million informants participating in the first stage. Assuming the program is initiated in the 10 largest US cities, that will be 1 million informants for a total population of almost 24 million, or one in 24 people. [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------