"Mass surveillance breeds meekness, fear and self-censorship" Doh. That's the point. It's called intimidation, and that is also the effect of police militarization, as well as coordination of all domestic security apparatus under the cabinet level Department of Homeland Security. It's a plan. You are supposed to notice it and act accordingly.
A newly published study from Oxford’s Jon Penney provides empirical evidence for a key argument long made by privacy advocates: that the mere existence of a surveillance state breeds fear and conformity and stifles free expression. Reporting on the study, the Washington Post this morning described this phenomenon: “If we think that authorities are watching our online actions, we might stop visiting certain websites or not say certain things just to avoid seeming suspicious.”…
As the Post explains, several other studies have also demonstrated how mass surveillance crushes free expression and free thought.…
There are also numerous psychological studies demonstrating that people who believe they are being watched engage in behavior far more compliant, conformist and submissive than those who believe they are acting without monitoring.…
There is a reason governments, corporations, and multiple other entities of authority crave surveillance. It’s precisely because the possibility of being monitored radically changes individual and collective behavior. Specifically, that possibility breeds fear and fosters collective conformity. That’s always been intuitively clear. Now, there is mounting empirical evidence proving it.Until recently, this was a major indictment of "totalitarian" states leveled by the liberal West.
But, of course, if you are not thinking any thoughts that could be construed as subversive, or saying or writing anything that could be considered subversive, or doing anything that might look subversive, what's to worry about?
The Intercept
New Study Shows Mass Surveillance Breeds Meekness, Fear and Self-Censorship
Glenn Greenwald
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