for Danny

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Should our government continue funding a program that no longer does what it was intentionally meant to do? The United States’ government has spent around $10.8 billion on a security program, which is second to the CIA funding of $14.7 billion (Greenberg). We live in the age of technology, where communication devices are common in every household. Our government used our tax money to invest in the National Security Agency program. This program infiltrates all of our privacies through mobile or immobile devices to collect data about us. Our government started this program because this was their way to counter any further terrorist attacks after 9/11. Although this program was meant to keep the safety of the people, the government is going too far with it. The United States’ government should stop trying to advance their technologies to spy on their citizens.

Blog #4

Thesis: Government should not be spying over their people.

Source 1:
Citation: "The Bill of Rights: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

According to our Bill of Rights, we have the rights to not be searched or spied on, unless given permission by a warrant (US Const., Amend. IV).

Denotation: Everyone has the right to be secured from searches from any authorities without a warrant provided.

Connotation: The government is not following this article. Our privacy has been invaded by the government ever since the 9/11 terrorist attack. This gets me every time because if this is no longer a safe guard from the government’s tool to spy on our mobile devices, then I fear that our country is heading toward the wrong direction.

Source 2:
Citation:"The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

According to the Declaration of Independence, if our government no longer protects our rights, then we have the liberty to change such government (US 1776).

Denotation: People have the right to abolish a government where they are not doing their job

Connotation: As of now, I believe that we should do something about our privacy being invaded. Our government should not be creating a new law to void a right of ours that was initially created for a reason. This law that bypasses one of our rights irks me because not many people are doing anything about it. We just let this thing slide. I get that it is for finding terrorist; however is that really the right direction? I feel it is just a lazy excuse for our lack of security into the country.

Source 3:
Citation: Solomon, Norman. "The NSA Deserves a Permanent Shutdown." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "Those giant strides have stomped all over the Fourth Amendment, leaving it gasping for oxygen."

In a Huffington post article, “The NSA Deserves a Permanent Shutdown”, Norman Solomon writes about how our past and current president continues to fund the Natural Security Agency to counter any future terrorists attacks. However, the NSA program “have stomped all over the Fourth Amendment, leaving it gasping for oxygen” (2013).

Denotation: The government’s funding to the NSA program is heading to a direction where our privacy rights are being nulled.

Connotation: I definitely agree with this article. The way our government is heading is something I cannot agree with. This program definitely needs to end here and now. Either change its way in finding information or end it there. The Bill of Rights gives us the freedom to have our privacy. Not only that, but the government should be the one protecting this privacy, not stomping all over it.

Source 4:
Website: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/09/the-government-is-spying-on-us-through-our-computers-phones-cars-buses-streetlights-at-airports-and-on-the-street-via-mobile-scanners-and-drones-through-our-smart-meters-and-in-many-other-ways.html

Citation: "The Government Is Spying On Us Through Our Computers, Phones, Cars, Buses, Streetlights, At Airports And On The Street, Via Mobile Scanners And Drones, Through Our Smart Meters, And In Many Other Ways." Washingtons Blog. 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: “Microsoft has long worked hand-in-hand with the NSA and FBI so that encryption doesn’t block the government’s ability to spy on users of Skype, Outlook, Hotmail and other Microsoft services” (Washingtonsblog 2013).

Denotation: Microsoft helps the government spy over everyone who uses their programs and communication apps.

Connotation: I am oblivious that Microsoft has given the NSA a helping hand to this. Not only have our mobile devices been compromised of our privacy, but now we cannot even communicate to our friends without being watched over. This is just like how it is in 1984where even the television was a way to listen and watch over everyone by Big Brother. I feel that this “free” country is heading in the direction as Big Brother is if this continues. No privacy, no rights, and no protection from our government.

Source 5:
Citation: Thoreau, Henry. "Civil Disobedience." American Studies. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: “That government is best which governs least”

According to Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, “That government is best which governs least” (1849).

Denotation: A government is best when it does not abuse or use its power often.

Connotation: I feel that this is true to some extent. As of now, the government is overstepping their boundary by spying all over our mobile devices through the National Security Agency. The government should only do this if there is a warrant granted. It is not fair to us that we are paying most of our mobile devices through sweat and blood just to be spied on for free. Governments should check family background and stuff like that. That way, there should be some people who deserves to be surveillance on, but with a warrant given.

Source 6:
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/court-gave-nsa-broad-leeway-in-surveillance-documents-show/2014/06/30/32b872ec-fae4-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html

Citation: Nakashima, Ellen, and Barton Gellman. "Court Gave NSA Broad Leeway in Surveillance, Documents Show." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 June 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "The certification — approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and included among a set of documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden — lists 193 countries that would be of valid interest for U.S. intelligence."

The Unite States made an arrangement for not spying over certain countries. However, former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden leaked some classified documents to the world. Those documents revealed that the US has targeted 193 countries as “valid interest for U.S. intelligence” (Nakashima and Gellman 2014)

Denotation: Due to Edward Snowden leaking classified documents from the NSA, it revealed that the US is targeting 193 countries for surveillance.

Connotation: Edward Snowden risked his life just to leak these documents to the world. I believe that he is showing proof that our government is becoming a little too power hungry. Not only have our government been spying over us for the past decade, but now there are other countries they want to spy. I am not even sure if they are now doing this for terrorist reasons. I get that spying over us was due to the bombing of 9/11, but that event is long gone. We need to upgrade security level and not rely on global spying too much.

Source 7: 1984 Quote
Citation: Owell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984. New York: New American Library, 1961. Print.

Quote: "With the development of television, and technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end" (205-06).

Denotation: Private life came to an end when Big Brother created the telescreen and the though-crime police to keep watch over everybody all the time.

Connotation: This is what the National Security Agency is doing with our everyday electronics. We are under constant surveillance whether we like it or not. I agree that perhaps it is best to keep the surveillance on people worth watching with warrants. However, the government is not doing that. We are basically paying to be watched. Marthin Luther King stated that our government gave us a promise. A promise that they will guarantee our rights. These rights comes from the Bill of Rights where we should have our privacy protected. 

Source 8:
Website: http://www.wired.com/2013/06/why-i-have-nothing-to-hide-is-the-wrong-way-to-think-about-surveillance/

Citation: Marlinspike, Moxie. "Why 'I Have Nothing to Hide' Is the Wrong Way to Think About Surveillance | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 11 June 13. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Quote: James Duane, a professor at Regent Law School, lectured "Estimates of the current size of the body of federal criminal law vary. It has been reported that the Congressional Research Service cannot even count the current number of federal crimes. These laws are scattered in over 50 titles of the United States Code, encompassing roughly 27,000 pages. Worse yet, the statutory code sections often incorporate, by reference, the provisions and sanctions of administrative regulations promulgated by various regulatory agencies under congressional authorization. Estimates of how many such regulations exist are even less well settled, but the ABA thinks there are 'nearly 10,000.'"
Source 9:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/09/09/ten-things-weve-learned-about-the-nsa-from-a-summer-of-snowden-leaks/

Source 10:
Website: http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/14/how-the-world-butchered-benjamin-franklins-quote-on-liberty-vs-security/

Citation: Ferestein, Gregory. "How The World Butchered Benjamin Franklin’s Quote On Liberty Vs. Security." TechCrunch. 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Blog Post #3

What does George Orwell's novel 1984 reveal about the relationship between humans' understanding of history?

George Orwell's 1984 reveals that humans are more easier to control by erasing the true history. In this novel, Winston copies every word from a children history book into his diary and thinks, "How could you tell how much of it was lies?" (Orwell 72). Winston does not know what is the truth and what is false. This is the result of Big Brother erasing history. Erasing history is no simple matter. No one has their right in arguing back or proving anything if there is no such thing as evidence. That is the true power of history. Orwell is making a statement that history is much more than just remembering what happened. For example, Orwell wrote, "It appeared that there had been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week" (58). Big Brother has been appreciated by many citizens for raising the chocolate ration. This shows how powerful Big Brother is just by erasing even the latest history. No one has a say whether Big Brother raised the chocolate ration or if he lowered it. There is no evidence. No one can fight back against Big Brother's word. Every lies becomes truth and people have to accept it whether they want to or not. Many people misunderstands the true purpose of history. We take history for granted. Most of us do not realize that keeping our history keeps our freedom. If all wars never existed in history, can we say for certain that we won our freedom at all? History is not only events written down for knowledge, it is another form of proof of what has been done. No one can control anyone's life like what Big Brother is doing. There is proof of how powerful people can be as a group.

1984 Blog Post #2

Syme told Winston, "We're getting the language into its final shape- the shape it's going to have when nobody speaks anything else."(Orwell, 50) Syme looks forward into destroying "oldspeak". He wants everybody to speak "newspeak". Syme's job erases words from "oldspeak". He shortens the vocabulary of the new language each year. The Party shortening the vocabulary each year sounds rough. The future contains a world where speech becomes limited. People use words to communicate. If Syme erases the essential words from "oldspeak" to form "newspeak", communication will cease to exist. I cannot imagine living in a world where "plusgood" or "ungood" are words to replace better or worse. People require diversity in words to interact differently. I see why the Party benefits from Syme deleting words. People lose all freedom to act differently by doing so.

Winston questions himself, "Was he, then, alone in the possession of a memory?" (Orwell, 59) Winston fears to be the only person who remembers the chocolate ration going down. Everybody else accepted that Big Brother raised the chocolate ration. Winston knows that remembering is a thought crime. The Party vaporizes anyone guilty of a thought crime. It frightens me being in Winston's place. I dislike how the Party forces everyone to forget about the past. No one should fear remembering. Humans' natural function is remembering the past. I'd feel stripped of my freedom if I am not allowed to use a natural function of mine. It would be scary for me if everyone around me accepted lies as truth. I would feel alone and alert with my surrounding. No one is a friend in Winston’s world.

My Response to Nineteen Eighty-Four and Gil Scott-Heron

     To Winston, "it struck him as curious that you could create dead men but not living ones. Comrade Ogilvy, who has never existed in the present, now existed in the past, and when once the act of forgery was forgotten, he would exist just as authentically, and upon the same evidence, as Charlemagne or Julius Caesar"(Orwell, Pg 47). Winston has created a dead man, Comrade Ogilvy, out of his imagination. Eventually, there will be no question about Ogilvy's existence and that he will just be a dead soldier who existed. The power to erase someone's existence and to create one is very terrifying. I can see how Big Brother and his political party gain so much power over these people in Oceania. There is no real history in this totalitarianism world. Creating a false history is just as simple as Winston erasing a person and creating a new one in his place. The reason why this occur is to hide the truth from the citizens. No one knew what happen to Comrade Withers or why he was disgraced after being awarded. Everything is just hidden and erase. On the other hand, Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", is quite the opposite. Here, he mentions, "The revolution will not be televised." Now this basically means that the revolution will not be shown on TV. Instead of watching what is happening and not doing anything, the revolution will be live and not be on TV so people will have to join and see what this revolution is up to. Unlike 1984, this song is not trying to hide anything; in fact, they are encouraging people to join in on the revolution. Instead of erasing and altering the past, this revolution is trying to change the future.