DATE=4/22/99
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-31887
TITLE="THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY," BY DAVID BRIN
BYLINE=DAN NOBLE
TELEPHONE=202 619-1014
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=NANCY SMART
CONTENT=
(ATTN.: TECHNOLOGY)
HOST: IN 1997, NEW YORK CITY SET UP 24-HOUR REMOTE
SURVEILLANCE IN CENTRAL PARK. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, NOW
HAS MORE THAN 100 CAMERAS SET UP TO SCAN DOWNTOWN
INTERSECTIONS. AND, SUPERMARKETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AUTOMATICALLY RECORD PURCHASES. AS DAN NOBLE REPORTS, A
NEW BOOK DISCUSSES SOME OF THESE HIGH-TECH DEVELOPMENTS.
TEXT: "...NEW COMMUNICATION ARTS PROVE AT ONCE BOTH EMPOWERING
AND POTENTIALLY MANIPULATIVE OF THE COMMON MAN OR
WOMAN." THAT'S THE PREMISE OF "THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY:
WILL TECHNOLOGY FORCE US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PRIVACY AND
FREEDOM," BY DAVID BRIN.
TAPE: CUT ONE -- DAVID BRIN (0:24)
IN BRITAIN TODAY CRIME RATES HAVE PLUMMETED DRAMATICALLY
BECAUSE THERE ARE HALF A MILLION CLOSED CIRCUIT TV
CAMERAS ON STREETS IN ALMOST EVERY CITY AND TOWN. THESE
CAMERAS REPORT TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND STREET CRIME
HAS DEFINITELY GONE DOWN IN THESE PLACES. THE PROBLEM
OF HAVING EVERYTHING YOU DO OUT IN THE PUBLIC GOING TO
POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS A BOTHERSOME ONE."
TEXT: MR. BRIN SAYS HE IS CONCERNED THAT THE USE OF
HIGH-TECH CAMERAS LINKED TO A POLICE NETWORK LEAD TO
MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SURVELLIANCE OF CITIZENS. BUT, HE
NOTES THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING THESE
SOPHISTICATED MONITORING DEVICES.
TAPE: CUT TWO -- DAVID BRIN (0:22)
"ONE IS THAT ALL THE CAMERAS REPORT TO THE POLICE. THE
OTHER IS BEING TRIED IN SOME AMERICAN CITIES, LIKE
CHICAGO, WHERE EVERYONE CAN USE THE CAMERAS AND
ESPECIALLY, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, USE THE CAMERAS TO
SUPERVISE THE POLICE SO THAT THE POLICE CAN'T GET AWAY
WITH BEATING ANYBODY. THEY HAVE TO BE ON THEIR BEST AND
MOST PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING
WATCHED."
TEXT: THE TREND TOWARD A LOSS OF PRIVACY IS ONE THAT DAVID
BRIN SAYS IS TOO LATE TO CHANGE -- BUT NOT NECESSARILY
BAD.
TAPE: CUT THREE -- DAVID BRIN (0:54)
"LET ME GIVE YOU A PARADOX HERE. THROUGHOUT HUMAN
HISTORY NO GOVERNMENT EVER KNEW MORE ABOUT ITS PEOPLE
THAN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT KNOWS ABOUT ITS
PEOPLE. HERE IS A SECOND FACT: IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY,
NO PEOPLE HAVE EVER BEEN SO FREE. NOW, AT FIRST SIGHT,
THESE TWO FACTS CLASH. THEY CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.
THEY CAUSE YOUR BRAIN TO SPLIT. HOW CAN IT BE THAT WITH
THE MOST KNOWLEDGABLE-ABOUT-THE-PEOPLE THAT'S EVER
BEEN, THE PEOPLE ARE SO FREE? IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE
MISSING A THIRD FACT THAT MAKES THE PARADOX MAKE SENSE.
IN ALL OF HISTORY, NO PEOPLE EVER KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT
THEIR GOVERNMENT. WE JUST WENT THROUGH IT WITH THE
WHOLE MONICA-GATE THING AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE PEOPLE
LEARNED, PERHAPS, MORE THAN THEY WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
THEIR GOVERNMENT. BUT, THAT IS HOW WE'VE KEPT OUR
FREEDOM. NOT BY KEEPING THINGS SECRET BUT BY DRAGGING
THINGS INTO THE OPEN."
TEXT: "SECRECY," EXPLAINS MR. BRIN, "HAS NEVER BEEN VERY
HELPFUL TO THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM."
TAPE: CUT FOUR -- DAVID BRIN (0:
"IT'S USUALLY A TECHNIQUE USED BY ONE ELITE OR ANOTHER
TO KEEP FROM BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. LOOK AT IT THIS
WAY: WE HAVE FOUR GREAT INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION:
DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE SYSTEMS, SCIENCE AND FREE MARKETS.
ALL FOUR OF THESE ARE ACCOUNTABILITY ARENAS IN WHICH
COMPETITORS COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER TO SEE WHO IS RIGHT.
THEY ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. IN THE MARKET IT'S BY WHO
GETS TO SELL MORE, BY PROVING THAT THEY HAVE BETTER
MARKETS. IN DEMOCRACY IT'S BY YELLING AT EACH OTHER A
WHOLE LOT UNTIL PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR MINDS. IN SCIENCE
ITS DONE MORE PRIMLY. BUT IN ALL FOUR OF THESE SYSTEMS
THE KEY WORD IS ACCOUNTABILITY."
TEXT: AND, CONCLUDES DAVID BRIN, AUTHOR OF "THE TRANSPARENT
SOCIETY," THE REAL ISSUE "FACING CITIZENS OF THE NEW
CENTURY WILL BE HOW MATURE ADULTS CHOOSE TO LIVE
TOGETHER. WILL WE," HE ASKS "BE ABLE TO WATCH THE
'WATCHERS'? OR WILL WE FOOL OURSELVES INTO THINKING
THAT WE CAN'T BE WATCHED?" (SIGNED)
NEB/DN/NES
22-Apr-99 10:58 AM EDT (1458 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
