Thursday, October 12, 2006

Is it 1984 in Chicago?

Anyone thinking 1984:

Security and terrorism won't be an issue if Chicago wins the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games because, by that time, there'll be a surveillance camera on every corner, Mayor Daley said Wednesday.

"By the time 2016 [rolls around], we'll have more cameras than Washington, D.C. ... Our technology is more advanced than any other city in the world -- even compared to London -- dealing with our cameras and the sophistication of cameras and retro-fitting all the cameras downtown in new buildings, doing the CTA cameras," Daley said.

"By 2016, I'll make you a bet. We'll have [cameras on] almost every block."

I've blogged about this before but I'm still amazed that this doesn't bother the people of Chicago. I would be so upset, I wouldn't even want to walk around the city or drive around the city. And if I were thinking about vacation spots, I certainly would think twice about going to Chicago.

I was watching a story on TV about Chicago's new camera surveillance and they were bragging about how they can zoom on someone's license and look it up. And they demonstrated it. I couldn't believe that they would violate someone's privacy that way. Why is it the government's business that I'm stopped at a light, if I'm not violating any laws?

And why in the world is everyone up in arms over wiretapping but they aren't saying a word about this type of surveillance? These are innocent people just living their lives and they are being watched.

(Link via Drudge Report)