Salvation Revelation

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, says he wants to see the use surveillance cameras across America more “more widely” used.

Lieberman ignores the fact that the use of these cameras does nothing to stop attacks like the car bombing in the UK. In fact, it was left up to nightclub bouncers and EMS workers to call into the police to report a car that was driving erratically, crashed into garbage cans, and had it’s driver run away leaving behind a Mercedes filled with “gas and nails”.

And while these cameras aren’t monitored to stop terrorism as it happens, they are maintained to the point where British citizens are harassed via loud speaker for placing garbage in the wrong recycling bin. 

“The Brits have got something smart going in England, and it was part of why I believe they were able to so quickly apprehend suspects in the terrorist acts over the weekend, and that is they have cameras all over London and other of their major cities” Lieberman said.

It’s yet to be seen how or why these suspects have been apprehended. But it seems more and more likely that this series of attacks in Britian will have two effects. One, it gives the western world a firm link between Iran and al-Queda like terrorism and Two, it makes the use of camera surveillance appear to have stopped further attacks on Britian that authorities have claimed were “impending”.

“I think it’s just common sense to do that here much more widely,” he added. “And of course, we can do it without compromising anybody’s real privacy.”

This is of course, a complete lie. These cameras can be used to follow anyone anywhere. It’s a complete violation of the privacy rights of the British citizens, just as it will be here in the United States. Through use of cameras, EZ-PASS like systems, and RFID, the government will not only know where you are at all times, but will, through use of new face recognition software know who you were with and for how long.

Remember, as Joe Lieberman claims this isn’t an infringement to anyone’s rights, NYC is about to set a precedent that will hinder the average joe from being able to record their own video in public areas.

As reported bythe New York Times,

“Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks.

New rules being considered by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance.

The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment.

Julianne Cho, assistant commissioner of the film office, said the rules were not intended to apply to families on vacation or amateur filmmakers or photographers.

Nevertheless, the New York Civil Liberties Union says the proposed rules, as strictly interpreted, could have that effect. The group also warns that the rules set the stage for selective and perhaps discriminatory enforcement by police.

“These rules will apply to a huge range of casual photography and filming, including tourists taking snapshots and people making short videos for YouTube,” said Christopher Dunn, the group’s associate legal director.”

What we have here is a move to make the government the only entity that is allowed to shoot video in public. This can give them the power to accuse anyone of anything. As is often seen, these video tapes are never released to the public.

For example, the tapes of the first two attempted London car bombings still haven’t been released, but the public is told the same man seen in the video was pulled from the flaming jeep at Glasgow airport.

Likewise, the US still hasn’t released any video showing a plane hitting the Pentagon on 911.

By keeping American citizens from being able to film their own videos or take pictures in public places while government entities with often secretive agendas are solely allowed to do so, American liberties are at risk.

Without third party oversight or the potential for an alternate video shot by third party ”citizens” to surface, clarifying or debunking an official video, the government is then given absolute control, not only over what videos can be submitted in court, but also over the editing of such videos.   

 As has been seen in slicky edited “documentaries” like Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911, video can be edited and manipulated to present a twisted “alternate” reality, that many would refer to as a lie. Such a lie could be used against an innocent citizen or citizens. The tempation for a government entity to create such a fictional account of an event and submit it as proof against a citizen only becomes greater if it is known that no alternate video copy of said event could possibly exist.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lieberman-calls-for-wider-use-of-surveillance-cameras-2007-07-01.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/nyregion/29camera.html?ei=5090&en=71135caff6fefe6a&ex=1340769600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print