'Thought police' are here

the scrutineer | Bruce McCabe
OCTOBER 04, 2005

THE bracelet. Last week I must have discussed, presented or written
about 50 technologies, but I couldn't get that one out of my head.

Always in the background, always nagging, bothering me, worrying me.
Just like it would if I was wearing it.

Australia just became a place where a citizen can be detained for two
weeks without charge, and where a person convicted of no crime at all
can be forced to wear an ankle bracelet that continuously broadcasts
their movements to an unknown watcher for up to a year.

The events on September 27, 2005, when Australia's state governments
accepted new anti-terrorism laws proposed by the Federal government,
made Australia a different place just as surely as events on September
11 2001 and October 12 2002, only this time we managed it all by
ourselves.

"Braceleting" someone can be done on the basis that, on the balance of
probabilities, this will help prevent a terrorist attack. But the
subjective and ill-defined nature of the term "terrorist attack" is a
huge problem. Of course, they mean planning mass murder, and acts of
vandalism to public infrastructure will be included too.

But what about planning an aggressive protest, or preparing a fiery
speech attacking the government? Can we be sure a definite line will
be drawn there? Will someone decide a newspaper column criticising the
government has crossed that line and represents an incitement to
terror? Braceleting will be a punishment, make no mistake.

The physical presence of the device might be an inconvenience, but the
psychological impact will be awful. Every minute of every hour of
every day a faceless someone will be looking over the wearer's
shoulder.

Orwellian comparisons are not out of place. Big Brother really will be
watching at all times, everywhere.

There will be stigma and shame, and the constant care to keep the
ankle covered in public places.

This is a punishment that will be inflicted on people that have
committed no crime, and on people that will have no right to defend
themselves against their accusers.

Even mass murderers such as Martin Bryant had the right to a trial, a
defence, and to have the public scrutinise the process.

Australians can, for the first time, be punished because somebody else
thinks they are thinking about crime.

The thought police are here.

[... ...]

Bruce McCabe is an independent technology analyst and managing
director of S2 Intelligence. 


Full article at "Australian IT" ...
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/
0,7204,16779344%5E15309%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

Cheers, Steve..

---