Hoarding is exactly what the government is doing right now by filling the SPR, and frankly it's the best thing that could happen. It drives prices up. High prices encourage demand destruction. They also finance new well development. The hoarded oil gives us a buffer to fall back on once shortages become more prevalent. High prices are what we need in order to adapt to what's coming, and the sooner they happen, the better.
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:31 am Post subject: e-mail monitoring in EU
This was mentioned on Greek news a couple days ago.I left it to see if anyone else would make a post on the issue but nothing.
Something along the lines of passing legislature to monitor emails in prevention of terrorism.Im not sure if they passed it or they are trying to pass it.
Does anyone know anything.?? _________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
Edit
-----
The ministers of the interior voted for this back in October Link
Sorry about the delay ... I had to look into my newsforge archive to dig this out. There was big noise about it in the Open Source world. I will see if I can dig some of the emails that were exchanged over this in the open source discussion lists. I suspect though that these links cover your initial question. _________________ "Nuclear power has long been to the Left what embryonic-stem-cell research is to the Right--irredeemably wrong and a signifier of moral weakness."Esquire Magazine,12/05
The genetic code is commaless and so are my posts.
Joined: Oct 22, 2005 Posts: 705 Location: European Capital of Kulcha 2008
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 3:57 am Post subject: Re: e-mail monitoring in EU
Leaf, this reply is specific to the UK, but could as well apply to any other 'westernised' nation state.
The 'freedom' we enjoy is, at its heart, mostly illusory - in that it extends only as far as the right to earn money and buy stuff within a system constructed even before we were born. To keep us quiescent, we are encouraged to strive towards material possession by using up our time in, largely, pointless economic activity. The drip feed of wages is (for the majority of us) never enough to allow us to step off the treadmill, and we are always hopeful of reaching the next signifier of success - be it ownership of a car, a house - or whatever.
Most people are happy with this arrangement and , historically, it's certainly better than the appalling uncertainties which people had to face in previous times.
But we are not free. Our democratic system is a construct designed merely to keep us pacified, by again offering the illusion of involvement in the decision making process. In fact, because the world is run by the demands of business, whichever party gains office will be running exactly the same set of policies - however they choose to dress them up for public/press consumption. Having taken part in the tokenistic election process, the elected government will then completely ignore you for 4/5 years, claiming a 'mandate' to do exactly as it pleases, regardless of the level of public protest, or demands for accountability.
In the meantime, your perception of personal freedom keeps you on board with the scam, and prevents you - with others - from drifting towards the same state of open rebellion which fed into the French and Russian revolutions (which were themselves, ultimately, also exercises in oppressive management).
So, it should come as no surprise to anyone, that from medical records, national insurance records, bank transactions, the national census etc etc, the government already has a basic profile of everyone living within the boundaries of the nation state. The UK then augments this information with the monitoring systems afforded by the US' ECHELON system, and the array of wiretap technology at Menwith Hill, to keep an eye on things, and make sure no one steps too far out of line.
And without being paranoid, I don't doubt that this posting is being recorded somewhere for future review!
(On a personal note, when I worked as a volunteer for CND (in the 80s), although only in a very junior local office-helper capacity, my personal mail items were often opened and examined in transit, and the office phone was tapped. From that point on, I realised that the government treats us all as a potential enemy).
Interpol is another organisation that collects, stores, analyses and exchanges information about suspected individuals and groups and their activities...
This is not something new, but has been going on since 1923! _________________ "In the U.S., fears are so exaggerated and out of control that anxiety is the number-one mental health problem in the country.", Barry Glassner
Interpol is another organisation that collects, stores, analyses and exchanges information about suspected individuals and groups and their activities...
This is not something new, but has been going on since 1923!
What's new, however, is that now not only "suspected individuals and groups" will be monitored, indeed a good case can be made that such people and groups can fairly easy avoid being traced. Which leaves the ordinary citizen to be the only people this will be used against. The proposal states that the information stored shall be used when tracking "serious crimes". Sounds good, ehh. The definition of "serios crime" is basically being suspect of a crime that can bring 2 years or more in prison. Such as file-sharing over the internet, if that law is also passed, which I'm sure it will be.
Serious crime, my ass
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 1191 Location: England
Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:52 am Post subject: Re: e-mail monitoring in EU
>> Our democratic system is a construct designed merely to keep us pacified, by again offering the illusion of involvement in the decision making process. In fact, because the world is run by the demands of business, whichever party gains office will be running exactly the same set of policies - however they choose to dress them up for public/press consumption.
One minor point: you often see articles etc claiming that the world is run by a shady collection of individuals / corporations / governments / whatever.
I suspect that it is more likely that our social systems have EVOLVED in such a way that we end up with a stable society. For example, mortages force you to keep working otherwise you lose your house & maybe family. I doubt that mortgages were DESIGNED to stabilise society in this way - but as soon as they appeared they had this effect and therefore became embedded into our culture.
The quasi democracy that we have is probably the optimum solution to maintaining society and the economy. Anarchy and dictatorship also work - but not efficiently and/or long term.
Your position in life ends up simply being an accident of birth.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: e-mail monitoring in EU
Records of every phone call and email sent in Britain is being considered by the Government, link
Quote:
A giant database of every phone call and email sent in Britain is being considered by the Government.
Internet service providers and telephone companies would be forced to hand over records to the Home Office, which would keep them on a computer system.
All forms of electronic communication face being monitored, including social networking sites and text messages.
The database would also include details of how long individuals spend on the internet.
The government would retain the data for 12 months and security services and police could seek court permission to access it in the fight against terrorism.
The plans are being considered for inclusion in the draft Communications Bill to be published in November's Queen speech.
...
The plans are an attempt to implement an EU directive developed after the July 7 bombings to make electronic record keeping uniform.
Telecoms firms have since last October had to keep records of phone calls and text messages for 12 months.
That requirement could now be extended to all forms of electronic communications.
A Home Office spokesman said retaining communications information was essential for protecting national security.
He also emphasised powers to hold information were subject to strict safeguards.
He said: "Communications data - the who, how, when and where of a communication but not the what (content) of the communication - is a crucial tool for protecting national security, preventing and detecting crime and protecting the public."
I don´t think it will be implemented, but who knows? _________________ Stocking up on popcorn
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: e-mail monitoring in EU
A side note on PGP - be careful with this one for three reasons: in the US (possibly other places too), it is illegal to "export" "encryption technology." I don't know how they define that, but it may include algorithms, keys, IVs and other stuff you need to trade PGP messages (we are an international community.) Again, I'm not sure how they define it - anyone have any ideas on finding out?
Also, again in the US, you are limited as to the strength of encryption you can use. I think the maximum key strength allowed by law is 1024 bits, maybe lower.
Lastly, the NSA/CIA used to be really excited about asymmetric encryption, and then suddenly all the DOD and Intelligence organizations dropped it like a hot potato with no explanation. Makes you wonder if they didn't find a weakness...?
Cheers.
Twilight wrote:
elroy wrote:
Maybe time to get to know how PGP works. Although, what I email is totally harmless.
Responding to a gravedig, but...
That may well be so, but whom you e-mail is useful information. Very little data is flagged for further study, but all of it is used to map social networks, and the history of their evolution is recorded in real time. The minutiae of people's holiday conversations is of no interest to anyone, but knowledge of association can become a useful starting point at any time. Not to mention, unusual encryption is a flag in itself.
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