Political Theory

Re: Pushing the boundaries of the surveillance state

FlyingAxe — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:37:30 GMT

When the state performs surveillance, what crime is it committing (besides the fact that it is using public money obtained by theft)? Filming someone on his property or on 'public' property doesn't seem to be a violation of one's natural rights. Furthermore, from libertarian point of view, it seems that the people's reactions are misplaced. They don't own the light reflected off their bodies and cannot demand that someone doesn't capture it on his camera. (It's true that they can object to his doing so on their private property by evicting him, but that's not the issue of surveillance, but of trespassing.)

It's true that we don't want the state to do surveillance as a precaution of what the state may do with the obtained information. So, essentially, the point of this video is not anti-statist/anarchist but minarchist/constitutionalist.

Re: Pushing the boundaries of the surveillance state

QuisCustodiet — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:47:23 GMT

Looks like most of the places he goes with the camera are private property. When they ask him to leave and then he doesn't, he's violating the NAP. Plus, these people haven't done anything wrong. Therefore, I'm labeling this kid and his tactics as not cool.

When the people being videoed asked what was going on, the kid says they're videotaped in places like the grocery store. I thought grocery stores were generally private. People go to the grocery store; this kid went to people trying to go about their business. Not only not cool, but not even coherent.

Re: Pushing the boundaries of the surveillance state

hashem — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:47:14 GMT

Would be better if he was filming people strictly in public places. Instigating drama in private places seems like just the sort of stuff government can't wait to latch onto to justify banning filming without a permit outright. To me this is reminiscent of CIA going to protests to stir up violence and give protestors a bad name.

Re: Pushing the boundaries of the surveillance state

Autolykos — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:01:16 GMT

Get ready for a boatload of groupthink, i.e. "surveillance is only okay if government agents are the ones doing it".

Pushing the boundaries of the surveillance state

Wheylous — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 15:46:46 GMT

A guy just records people with a camera because after all that is what the surveillance state does:

http://www.geekwire.com/2012/seattles-creepy-cameraman-pushes-limits-public-surveillance/

Check out all three videos.