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Surveillance Clock Stands at Six Minutes to Midnight

surveillance society clock from ACLU ACLU.org:

The reality is we are fast approaching a genuine surveillance society in the United States - a dark future where our every move, our every transaction, our every communication is recorded, compiled, and stored away, ready to be examined and used against us by the authorities whenever they want. The ACLU has created this Surveillance Clock to symbolize just how close we are to a "midnight" of a genuine surveillance society. But it's not too late - there is still time to save our privacy. Read more...

About Bluegal aka Fran
Bluegal aka Fran's picture
Executive Producer of The Professional Left Podcast. On staff at Crooks and Liars since 2007. Master's degree from Harvard. Happy wife of Driftglass. Mother of three geniuses. Obsessive knitter. Blogs at http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com. .
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56 Comments
Daricus's picture

For the love of God investigate this administration for -all- of its crimes, but don't leave it at that. We must remember always that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Jo's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

I did. Jesus H. Christ. Kerry should have intervened. I'm stunned. (no pun intended)

Karl Bauer's picture

Is there time, bluegal? IS there time? The closer the American people come to realizing their country's been overthrown by their own inteligence apparatus, the likelier it becomes another false-flag incident will be staged to whip the sheeple into submission.

And sites like this continue to unwittingly serve as gatekeepers by stifling any discussion about 9/11 or other incidents of false flag terror.

EVEN THOUGH we can prove the far-right planned Operation: Northwoods, EVEN THOUGH the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (which led to countless thousands of American deaths) can be proven to never have occurred.

Did you know that over 70% of the American people, according to a 2003 ABC poll, don't accept the findings of the Warren Commission?

What are the FULL implications for a country that allows it's intelligence apparatus, operating in full-secrecy and without oversight, to assassinate it's democratically-elected leader, as appears to have happened here on our soil?

Was it really a good idea, after all, to sweep it all under the rug, ilke a 50's TV housewife would do?

Pissed-American's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

Wow, !! That happened TODAY?
I thought I was pissed off after watching the video of the Blackbird mercenaries killing the innocents on the streets of Batgdad.
This is really disturbing. Why the fuck didn't Kerry tell the frigging gestapos to cease?

Thanks for the video... even though I'll probably be up all fucking night now.

Thing Fish's picture

Who watches the watchmen?

hope's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

Stomach turning doesn't really say it, does it? Frightening. And Kerry? His failure to fight in 2004 utterly turned off a lot of young first-time voters. Pathetic.

NoBuddy's picture

Our government is different from, say, communist China because government is subservient to the corporations. Hence, much of the monitoring is likely to be in the private sector, done by corporations, enabled in part by restraining competition in communications. Of course, there'll be easy access by the government

Bundled packages anyone? Link to LA Times story here.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3crq4m

PurplePatriot's picture

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

sully18's picture

Read Al Gore`s Assault On Reason/.Then organize.Then act.
See you in Washington on the 29th.

kablooie's picture

So John Kerry can't even stop a person from getting tasered right in front of him? PUSSY!

Space Coyote's picture

Karl Bauer @ 4:

Is there time, bluegal? IS there time? The closer the American people come to realizing their country's been overthrown by their own inteligence apparatus, the likelier it becomes another false-flag incident will be staged to whip the sheeple into submission.

And sites like this continue to unwittingly serve as gatekeepers by stifling any discussion about 9/11 or other incidents of false flag terror.

EVEN THOUGH we can prove the far-right planned Operation: Northwoods, EVEN THOUGH the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (which led to countless thousands of American deaths) can be proven to never have occurred.

Did you know that over 70% of the American people, according to a 2003 ABC poll, don't accept the findings of the Warren Commission?

What are the FULL implications for a country that allows it's intelligence apparatus, operating in full-secrecy and without oversight, to assassinate it's democratically-elected leader, as appears to have happened here on our soil?

Was it really a good idea, after all, to sweep it all under the rug, ilke a 50's TV housewife would do?

You know, I'm glad you brought that up, the part about gatekeeping. This is actually my favourite blog, but I do think it's lame that they delete posts concerning non-mainstream 9/11 theories. Maybe they think that in order to acquire mainstream legitimacy, they have to stay away from topics like that. Kind of like abandoning a real dem candidate for a bullshit dem candidate who is "electable". Don't get me wrong, Mr. Amato... I really dig what you guys do here... But to kowtow to the intimidation of being declared a nutcase, and saying that nobody is allowed to talk about the single most significant and defining moment of the 21st century thus far... I mean, wow. But that's okay. I understand.

FrankenBerry's picture

I guess we know now why American government was distraught over the ability of china to shoot down satellites from earth.

It also let's us know why the astronauts where blown up while reentering after installing secret military payloads in space.

Seriously's picture

While I completely agree that our govt. has become more of a surveillance type govt., has anyone stopped to realize that our society has become its own Big Brother? I mean you can't do anything without someone capturing your actions on a digital camera, cell phone camera or cell phone video, posted to the almighty Information Highway within minutes. Seriously, EVERYTHING is recorded, but not by our government, but by US. Yes, we the people, have become the enemy. Keep on eye on the government, but in the meantime, Big Bro is here to stay, brought to you by Circuit City. Welcome to ZooTV, y'all.

Space Coyote's picture

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Actually, health care has nothing to do with civil liberties per se. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see universal single-payer health care, but there's nothing in the constitution that says you have the right to government-funded health care. The only reason I'm bringing that up is that the ACLU has no constitutional solid ground to stand on in this case. So I really don't see how it's fair to blame the ACLU.

Karl Bauer's picture

#12 space cowboy,

Yeah, this is my favorite site, too, and John Amato knows I'm a big fan.

But, yeah, we all gotta start talking about the really ugly stuff if we want to build a future for our kids.

Yes, it's hard, but remember, the ancient Spartans had it a hell of a lot worse when the Persians came rolling in.

And we're all still a bunch of pansies considering what our American Founding Fathers had to go through in telling Mad King George to fuck off.

sully18's picture

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

By the way,I think I`m tired of these goddamn fear evoking ads.While the video from Fla. is certainly alarming,but I`m not ready to jump on the fear bandwagon. The ACLU has my respect,but the 6 minute to midnight thing is heading to paranoia.That`s where Bush and his jerks are.We need to stay in the realm of reason,not insanity.

Space Coyote's picture

Seriously @ 14:

While I completely agree that our govt. has become more of a surveillance type govt., has anyone stopped to realize that our society has become its own Big Brother? I mean you can't do anything without someone capturing your actions on a digital camera, cell phone camera or cell phone video, posted to the almighty Information Highway within minutes. Seriously, EVERYTHING is recorded, but not by our government, but by US. Yes, we the people, have become the enemy. Keep on eye on the government, but in the meantime, Big Bro is here to stay, brought to you by Circuit City. Welcome to ZooTV, y'all.

Especially this guy -----> http://jeffgoldblumiswatchingyoupoop.ytmnd.com/

sully18's picture

FrankenBerry @ 13:

I guess we know now why American government was distraught over the ability of china to shoot down satellites from earth.

It also let's us know why the astronauts where blown up while reentering after installing secret military payloads in space.

What? I`ve never heard anything about this.Please enlighten me.

Seriously's picture

Space Cowboy --- hahaha... that made me laugh out loud. Damn! haha...

tyree's picture

Karl Bauer @ 4:

Is there time, bluegal? IS there time? The closer the American people come to realizing their country's been overthrown by their own inteligence apparatus, the likelier it becomes another false-flag incident will be staged to whip the sheeple into submission.

And sites like this continue to unwittingly serve as gatekeepers by stifling any discussion about 9/11 or other incidents of false flag terror.

EVEN THOUGH we can prove the far-right planned Operation: Northwoods, EVEN THOUGH the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (which led to countless thousands of American deaths) can be proven to never have occurred.

Did you know that over 70% of the American people, according to a 2003 ABC poll, don't accept the findings of the Warren Commission?

What are the FULL implications for a country that allows it's intelligence apparatus, operating in full-secrecy and without oversight, to assassinate it's democratically-elected leader, as appears to have happened here on our soil?

Was it really a good idea, after all, to sweep it all under the rug, ilke a 50's TV housewife would do?

the longer they can surpress the truth on 911 the better for the govenment vermin who did it, time they play for time hopeing youll forget!

Space Coyote's picture

That's two people that have called me Space Cowboy. It's Coyote. Space Coyote.
It has nothing to do with the Steve Miller band.
It's actually a reference to a Simpsons episode where Homer eats Guatemalan insanity peppers, and his spirit guide appears to him in the form of a coyote, whose voice was played by Johnny Cash (R.I.P.).
Near the end of the episode, Homer ends up saying, "In your FACE, Space Coyote!!!"

Anyway... I guess you had to see it.

Karl Bauer's picture

#21 tyree,

Like Simon Wiesenthal, I'm gonna remember every one of these S.O.B.'s names and where they stood when the chips were down...

Arizona's picture

I wonder whether this will make more people realize that the current trend in our country is towards fascism.

I don't understand why there are still people out there who think good government is possible. It clearly isn't.

Ferrofluid's picture

NoBuddy @ 8:

Our government is different from, say, communist China because government is subservient to the corporations. Hence, much of the monitoring is likely to be in the private sector, done by corporations, enabled in part by restraining competition in communications. Of course, there'll be easy access by the government

Bundled packages anyone? Link to LA Times story here.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3crq4m

I have every faith in companies like Mediadefender doing corporate spy work for gov, LMAO
the article and discussion on Arstechnica is extremely interesting, well worth reading.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070916-leaked-media-defender-e-ma...

Captain Kangaroo's picture

Space Coyote @ 22:

That's two people that have called me Space Cowboy. It's Coyote. Space Coyote.
It has nothing to do with the Steve Miller band.
It's actually a reference to a Simpsons episode where Homer eats Guatemalan insanity peppers, and his spirit guide appears to him in the form of a coyote, whose voice was played by Johnny Cash (R.I.P.).
Near the end of the episode, Homer ends up saying, "In your FACE, Space Coyote!!!"

Anyway... I guess you had to see it.

I saw that Space Cowboy. It was good!

chlorocardium's picture

Big brother can go Craig himself.

PurplePatriot's picture

Karl Bauer @ 16:

#12 space cowboy,

Yeah, this is my favorite site, too, and John Amato knows I'm a big fan.

But, yeah, we all gotta start talking about the really ugly stuff if we want to build a future for our kids.

Yes, it's hard, but remember, the ancient Spartans had it a hell of a lot worse when the Persians came rolling in.

And we're all still a bunch of pansies considering what our American Founding Fathers had to go through in telling Mad King George to fuck off.

I went to high school with a girl named Karla Bauer. She was hot.

PurplePatriot's picture

Space Coyote @ 22:

That's two people that have called me Space Cowboy. It's Coyote. Space Coyote.
It has nothing to do with the Steve Miller band.
It's actually a reference to a Simpsons episode where Homer eats Guatemalan insanity peppers, and his spirit guide appears to him in the form of a coyote, whose voice was played by Johnny Cash (R.I.P.).
Near the end of the episode, Homer ends up saying, "In your FACE, Space Coyote!!!"

Anyway... I guess you had to see it.

Some people even call you Maurice ... whaa whaa

Retired Navy's picture

The fascists in the U.S. are becoming less and less benign because they know that they are already in control. The number of these incidents have grown to the point that they are almost common and draw little attention. We must feel exactly how the rational people in Germany felt 70+ years ago when the men in brown shirts showed up to help control whatever problems they deemed appropriate. I feel a great amount of urgency that we should start correcting this problem soon, before it's too late. The outcome will assuredly be much worse if we don't do something soon.

jr's picture

the neo Stasi can pound sand. They stonewall our FOIA requests while reading our emails and listening to our phone calls

xoites defends Constitution's picture

Funny, my watch say 12:30.

xoites defends Constitution's picture
sez

sez

xoites defends Constitution's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

Kerry has done a 180 degree turn. So has our country.

I doubt Hillary would have done anything either.

Perhaps only Kucinich and Gravel would have been outraged.

O Superman
Laurie Anderson

O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
Hi. I'm not home right now. But if you want to leave a
message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
Hello? This is your Mother. Are you there? Are you
coming home?
Hello? Is anybody home? Well, you don't know me,
but I know you.
And I've got a message to give to you.
Here come the planes.
So you better get ready. Ready to go. You can come
as you are, but pay as you go. Pay as you go.

And I said: OK. Who is this really? And the voice said:
This is the hand, the hand that takes. This is the
hand, the hand that takes.
This is the hand, the hand that takes.
Here come the planes.
They're American planes. Made in America.
Smoking or non-smoking?
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom
of night shall stay these couriers from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds.

'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justive is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms. So hold me,
Mom, in your long arms.
In your automatic arms. Your electronic arms.
In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Your petrochemical arms. Your military arms.
In your electronic arms.

MeMyselfAndI's picture

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Freedom of speech/civil liverties and health care is like apples and orange.

You might as well blame the NAACP or the NFL... talk about missing the mark.

George's picture

Just remember...government's can be used to do very bad things and the saying power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutley...Democrat republican...we have been conditioned to accept these as our only two choices...wake up people, we are headed into a police state...What do you think germany was like before hitler got into power, those people were not all bad, it took hitler 8-10 years to change laws, in order to aggrandize his power.

The following is a good idea of what I am talkin about, let me know what you think about it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5948263607579389947

MeMyselfAndI @ 36:

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Freedom of speech/civil liverties and health care is like apples and orange.

You might as well blame the NAACP or the NFL... talk about missing the mark.

I must have missed that comment due to absurdity fatigue.

Thanks, MeMyselfAndI for not letting its turn go unstoned.

George's picture

Wow that was soooo wrong, I cant believe all those people just sat by and watched

miss_kitty's picture

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Huh?

PurplePatriot's picture

MeMyselfAndI @ 36:

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Freedom of speech/civil liverties and health care is like apples and orange.

You might as well blame the NAACP or the NFL... talk about missing the mark.

In the context of other posts (Hillary bashing) one might have picked up on my snarkiness.

PurplePatriot @ 41:

MeMyselfAndI @ 36:

PurplePatriot @ 9:

Fuck the ACLU. How long have they been around? Like 100 years? And we still don't have universal, single-payer health care? Fucking coporatist assholes.

Freedom of speech/civil liverties and health care is like apples and orange.

You might as well blame the NAACP or the NFL... talk about missing the mark.

In the context of other posts (Hillary bashing) one might have picked up on my snarkiness.

Perhaps it is the lack of context we saw?

MargeAggedon's picture

While I agree with this the point is moot. Unless there is some eleventh hour miracle we're already there. Who is going to keep it from happening? And even if things change do we really believe they won't just do it in secret? It's not like we're dealing with a trustworthy bunch.

George's picture

Just makes me think how it was like for the germans in the late 20's. This must be the way they acted right before they had fallen under the wings of hitler, as passive sheeple. In some ways, I symathize with margeaggedon and think nothing can be done, but while we still have freedoms we should be able to exercise our rights.

McDuff's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

And everyone just sat and some even laughed, while this young man was hauled off because yet another politician (Kerry) refused to answer a question. Perhaps we deserve Bush. Perhaps we deserve worse leaders. Kerry doesn't deserve the presidency anymore than Obama, Hillary, or any other clown does. They're all spineless ba%*&#$s.

mister suss's picture

this is so stupid. way to just heap more fear on our already fearful society, aclu. now, on top of being afraid against our will of all the shit we're bombarded with every day (little girl kidnapped, terrorists in des moines, scary brown people crawling across the border to take our jobs) we can be afraid of being afraid of being watched. and yes, i understand that it's important to let people know that big brother really is right around the corner, but "SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, AAAAAHHHH"??!?!? give me a fucking break. what does that even mean?

go do something useful.

Yellowbird's picture

There are people in Britian who are smashing cameras. Brits are trying to keep it quiet but it is going on.

V

mister suss @ 46:

this is so stupid. way to just heap more fear on our already fearful society, aclu. now, on top of being afraid against our will of all the shit we're bombarded with every day (little girl kidnapped, terrorists in des moines, scary brown people crawling across the border to take our jobs) we can be afraid of being afraid of being watched. and yes, i understand that it's important to let people know that big brother really is right around the corner, but "SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, AAAAAHHHH"??!?!? give me a fucking break. what does that even mean?

go do something useful.

It is a parallel to the Doomsday Clock.

"The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clockface maintained since 1947 by the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago. It uses the analogy of the human race being at a time that is a 'few minutes to midnight' where midnight represents destruction by nuclear war, and has appeared on the cover of each issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since its introduction. The clock was started at seven minutes to midnight during the Cold War in 1947, and has subsequently been moved forwards or backwards at intervals, depending on the state of the world and the prospects for nuclear war."

bamboozled's picture

mister suss @ 46:

this is so stupid. way to just heap more fear on our already fearful society, aclu. now, on top of being afraid against our will of all the shit we're bombarded with every day (little girl kidnapped, terrorists in des moines, scary brown people crawling across the border to take our jobs) we can be afraid of being afraid of being watched. and yes, i understand that it's important to let people know that big brother really is right around the corner, but "SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, AAAAAHHHH"??!?!? give me a fucking break. what does that even mean?

go do something useful.

If it helps create outrage over the President's illegal wiretapping and a groundswell of protest, then it is useful.

You're right, we are bombarded with scare tactics. The difference is, in this case, THERE IS REASON TO BE AFRAID.

Whereas in the case of BushCo, the terrorists aren't hiding behind every corner, when it comes to surveillance, the federal government IS hiding behind every corner.

If you're really that scared about brown people, kidnappers and terrorists, I suggest you turn off the bloody TV. It certainly helps me maintain some sense of reality.

Paul's picture

Approaching a surveillance society? Approaching? People we are there and beyong that. Ever hear of the term "ubiquitous law enforcement"? It was coined by author/professor Vernor Vinge to describe a society in which totalitarian control is so complete that common consumer goods and become objects of surveillance and control and where innocent activities become opportunities for police activity.

We've got that now: cell phones have GPS that law enforcement and intelligence agencies can access; all phone conversations are recorded. All cameras, video cams and printers have GPS or have codes that they print with every picture the make or print that tells who owns the equipment used to make the video, print the picture or take the picture, All computers have chips that allow the government to access them. PROMIs software completes the governments ability to access and plunder and spy on you. Real-ID will be able to track you anywhere. Clothes with embedded chips. Your medical, dental and insurance records computerized and completely accessible to the government and police, without your knowledge or consent. The list goes on. My submission of this comment has been duly noted and logged. Total Information awareness has only to change its name to circumvent the prohibition against it. Laws no longer mean anything when thugs in government can so easily ignore them with absolute impunity or untaceably violate them at will.

What freedoms, privacy and protections we have are entirely illusory at this point. The time to be saving ourselves was 45 years ago. The only way to do it now is to abolish and physically shut down those arms of government that now serve only themselves. That's not going to happen. This is giving new meaning to the '60's admonition to drop out and tune out .

Truth be Known's picture

impeach bush @ 1:

Watch this:

http://www.starbanner.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917006/1053/BREAKING_NEWS

Notice how the goons don't move in until he mentions the common Skull and Bones affiliation of both Kerry and Bush.

[...] h/t to Crooks and Liars [...]

FrankenBerry's picture

sully18 @ 19:

FrankenBerry @ 13:

I guess we know now why American government was distraught over the ability of china to shoot down satellites from earth.

It also let's us know why the astronauts where blown up while reentering after installing secret military payloads in space.

What? I`ve never heard anything about this.Please enlighten me.

The Chinese Satellite Killer:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/18/china.missile/index.html

The Shuttle Explosion:
Gut Feeling

kablooie's picture

JOHN KERRY IS A FUCKING PUSSY! There is video of that student being tasered for ASKING A FUCKING QUESTION!!! FUCKING POLICE STATE IDIOCY!!!!

KERRY YOU SUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKK!

Space Coyote's picture

PurplePatriot @ 29:

Space Coyote @ 22:

That's two people that have called me Space Cowboy. It's Coyote. Space Coyote.
It has nothing to do with the Steve Miller band.
It's actually a reference to a Simpsons episode where Homer eats Guatemalan insanity peppers, and his spirit guide appears to him in the form of a coyote, whose voice was played by Johnny Cash (R.I.P.).
Near the end of the episode, Homer ends up saying, "In your FACE, Space Coyote!!!"

Anyway... I guess you had to see it.

Some people even call you Maurice ... whaa whaa

*sigh* This is like jail nicknames, isn't it? If you like the nick they give you, they gotta change it. If you complain, they know they found it, so I guess I should just stop before I dig myself any deeper.

Horst Bucholtz's picture

I would have been more impressed if the "clock" wasn't just a crappy .gif image...

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