Teens arrested for putting threats of Violence and Terrorism on Social Media

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/teenagers-social-...-131320139.html

I'm pretty sure Orwell would get a chuckle if he saw this. What do you all think? Because this isn't an issue located in just one area or country. With all kinds of new laws having been drawn up and attempted to be passed in governments around the world in the field of internet and electronic surveillance in the name of public safety, do you guys believe that it's all worth it, or necessary?

I personally believe that in terms of stopping terrorism such measures are useless and will only hamstring the rights of law abiding citizens. Not to mention the fact that it enables governments to have more power over their people by being able to constantly monitor their activity if they desired.

[Marsden 1st MRB]

Biggest issue at hand that I have with this so far is that one of those teens was arrested because of lyric he wrote and posted to his facebook. He didn't say that he was going to overthrow the government, he didn't say he bombed boston. He simply expressed his opinion of the current situation in the form of a song. When satire is taken as treason there are problems larger than how much they are watching us.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

Yeah, it should be about how the audience its intended for interprets it, not the police. How are they supposed to make a judgment on what a person intends to do based on what they type on the internet? You've got millions of people on here who can just type bullshit all day long and in real life will do none of what they say they'll do over the internet. If the person its aimed at truly feels threatened, then they should report it, its not up to the police to make a pre-emptive call.

[Ultranator BAR]

Or maybe this is a good thing. People have been posting too many horrible things on the internet. Maybe if people were slightly afraid that they could get into some trouble over what they posted on the internet, then maybe there'd be less trolling and cyber-bullying. Just my thought.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

Prevention through fear of prosecution? Its not going to work on those who really mean what they say, but it could scare off the dick wavers.

However, I still think its not the right move, all it'll do is make people paranoid that anything they type on the internet could land them in jail because the government considers what they are saying as treasonous. You guys see the slope its leaning towards? All that a government would need is a few good reasons to ban any sort of political debate against them and they already have a system in place to implement it, if a person says something on a thread or social media site that they don't agree with, they could say that the person is committing treason against the state through his words and have them arrested.

Besides, I doubt that it will be any more effective at finding and stopping actual terrorists than what they have right now. The actual odds involved in anyone being killed in a terrorist attack anywhere in the world is less likely then being killed on your toilet. Yet here we have states around the world infringing on the rights of millions of people, sending hundreds of soldiers, and spending trillions of dollars to avert a threat that is apparently of vital importance.

I say you'd get a better reaction by not doing anything. Don't give these people a reaction and don't waste money or lives, because Terrorism and all of its variations are not going away anytime soon.

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

I say you'd get a better reaction by not doing anything. Don't give these people a reaction and don't waste money or lives, because Terrorism and all of its variations are not going away anytime soon.

Every psychologist everywhere who has ever profiled someone who was part of a high-profile murder/terrorist attack would say the same thing (and have said the same thing on national news outlets); but by in large the American media refuses to listen to science and psychology and continues to offer "round the clock" broadcast footage of events "live" as they're happening - in effect giving those who commit these terrible acts, the fame they so desire.

Part 1. The media - they need to shoulder some blame - because they point at everything/anyone as long as the ratings show someone is watching.

Part 2. The citizens - Yep. You, me, our parents, etc. We're to blame because we've let it get to a point that we have to even have this discussion - if people weren't always trying to find the next big thing by 'shocking' people a lot of weird things would cease to go on. And everyone is so worried about themselves these days, that the only way things happen is if something truly horrible occurs - the little things that in the past were considered major faux paus, are now "socially accepted", and the limit for what's bad and wrong continues to raise higher and higher. What's that to say for our future generations? Who knows - but I personally feel awful for those coming after us. They are growing up knowing nothing more than greed and selfishness! What will they teach their kids? We've go nowhere to go but down, down, down. Shame on all of us for allowing it to get to this point.

Part 3. The government - yep, big brother. It isn't new though, just slightly more glamorized now. If you think they haven't been watching since day 1, it's time to take the blinders off. They track everything - they just don't make it known that they know; it's been that way for years. At the level of government, it's a game. It's all a game about power and control; what the general populace doesn't know, won't hurt them - is a pretty fair statement of the mindset many have in the upper echelons of government.

But I digress. Thinking about how crappy this world is and how much crappier it gets every day isn't good for anyone.

Big brother? Meh, who cares. It's not anything that hasn't already been going on.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

That's true, but if our rights are getting openly fucked in the ass by governments that claim to be "democratic", "free", and openly supportive of individual liberal rights then I don't think that make it any better. Also, I'd argue that this is different from what they have had before. Governments have always had the ability to do this, but they've had to work around all sorts of roadblocks and barriers, now they are tearing those down for the sake of "Public Safety" or for the supposed needs of the country.

One of my favourite quotes from this article was this:

“This is the price you pay to live in free society right now. It’s just the way it is,” -Sgt. Ed Mullins, NYC Police Dept.

Isn't that a statement of the times: protecting free society through the tenants of totalitarian society.

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

That's true, but if our rights are getting openly fucked in the ass by governments that claim to be "democratic", "free", and openly supportive of individual liberal rights then I don't think that make it any better. Also, I'd argue that this is different from what they have had before. Governments have always had the ability to do this, but they've had to work around all sorts of roadblocks and barriers, now they are tearing those down for the sake of "Public Safety" or for the supposed needs of the country.

One of my favourite quotes from this article was this:

“This is the price you pay to live in free society right now. It’s just the way it is,” -Sgt. Ed Mullins, NYC Police Dept.

Isn't that a statement of the times: protecting free society through the tenants of totalitarian society.

It's always been that way in some form or fashion, we're just noticing it more now because it's taking on a form that is more apparent and in the open.

Look at family law - fathers have gotten RAPED by the court system for decades - my buddy has 50% of his check go directly to his ex (and he doesn't make much), after child support he doesn't make enough to even rent a roach-infested apartment and is forced to live at home. The judge also makes him pay for his exes attorney fees every time they go to court (once a month) and a whole host of other things. That kind of story is pretty typical (I went through 4 years of that shit with my ex), but it's a different form/fashion of raping and is largely out of the public eye.

The 'roadblocks and barriers' you spoke of only exist for those who know that they exist - those same roadblocks and barriers got constantly trampled on in the past as well, but when the people who were getting trampled on didn't know any better, who was to say?

This day in age, with how fast word/news spreads - I think things often seem bigger than they really are.

I'm not saying our government isn't plowing us in the behind and smiling while doing it (and not even offering a reacharound!); but I also think that a large portion of injustice has always been there, just less noticeable.

[Marsden 1st MRB]

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - Benjamin Franklin said it best when he was writing our Declaration of Independence.