Mark 2013AD in our history books. It is the year that we became a Policed Surveillance State…
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Peter Dunne has capitulated to John Key’s “compromises”, and will give National his support to pass the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill and it’s sister Bill, the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Amendment Bill.
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Source: Fairfax Media – Dunne backs expanded spy powers
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Peter Dunne’s sell-out should bring no joy to civil libertarians and to those New Zealanders who understand the full implications of these two proposed laws.
Every New Zealander will now potentially be under surveillance. Everyone.
The passing of these two Bills is not the end of the story, however. National also has another plan in store for us,
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Source: NZ Herald – Kindy kids to have ID numbers
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The numbering of children will begin with beneficiary families. That’s how it usually begins; with those at the bottom of the socio-economic heap, and who have been so completely dehumanised by constant vilification and finger-pointing that the Middle Classes no longer consider them as human. Certainly not people they feel empathy with.
Such is the purpose of well-designed, repetitive, propaganda. The Big Lie.
Of course, once New Zealanders are accustomed to the numbering and surveillance of beneficiary children – National will eventually expand the programme to include all children from all families. Everyone will become a number.
The numbering of our children – coming to all Kiwi families Real Soon.
Quasi-fascists and naive right-wing bloggers such as that witless, lying fool, Cameron Slater, are positively wetting themselves with delirious joy that New Zealand is a step further to being a Policed Surveillance State.
This could only have come about because of Key’s popularity with the Right Wing and the lumpen-proletariat/middle classes. (XYZ Factor anyone?! Out-House Improvement?? Survivor Eketahuna?!!?)
Had Labour tried to pass these two Bills, the Right would be fainting from apoplexy-inspired coronary attacks and the media headlines would be written in gory, blood-red headlines damning the rise of the ‘Big Brother’ State.
God knows the fuss over shower-heads raised the level of hysteria to heights not seen since the 1950s “red scare”.
But because our high-polling, smile & wave, Prime Minister is fronting this massive expansion of State power, only the Left and a few other isolated voices are vocal in their objection.
Interestingly – but unsurprisingly – several of Slater’s own commentators expressed unease at National’s expansion of the GCSB’s powers. One poster made this unerringly accurate observation,
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Source: Whaleoil – Peter Dunne has found his stones, will support GCSB bill
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Slater’s readers seem brighter than the sleaze-meister himself.
So much for Rightwing rhetoric about getting the State out of our lives and reducing the role of government…
But Cows4me has made a valid point (one which Slater doesn’t – or can’t – answer).
The GCSB and telco Bills are being passed by a government “friendly” to rightwingers. So nothing to fear, as Slater and some of his brain-numb sycophants keep telling themselves.
Except…
Every three years, we have these little events called “elections”.
And every so often, the public – bless their cotton socks – tire of rightwing economic orthodoxy and vote for a left-wing government to clean up the social mess created by National policies. As happened in November 1999.
Allowing the GCSB to spy on New Zealand citizens, and employing the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Amendment Bill, gives an awful lot of power to Prime Ministers – including left-wing Prime Ministers.
Rightwing bloggers like Slater and David Farrar often receive leaks from various Parliamentary sources.
The same applies to left-wing bloggers.
Now imagine that a left-wing government is elected in 2014 (still a strong possibility despite some shonkey polls)…
Imagine that rightwing bloggers go into hyper-drive with their sledging of the new government…
And imagine that a Minister in the new government becomes pissed off with something that Slater or Farrar or some other RWNJ blogger writes…
The Minister has a chat with the PM… the PM has a quiet word with the new head of the GCSB… the GCSB checks the internet activities of Right Wing blogger Mr X… and discovers that Mr X has been secretly chatting up young ladies on Facebook. Which is something that Mr X’s wife might take a dim view of.
And lo! A left-wing blogger is leaked this information and posts some very strong hints about Mr X’s proclivities and activities on his/her own blog… (In fact, there might even be a new blogsite created, by an anonymous left-wing blogger, for just this very purpose.)
If I were Slater or Farrar or any of their rightwing fellow-bloggers, I would not be so chirpy at the GCSB being given such vast new powers. In fact, I’d be hoping that my past and current life is squeaky-clean.
Same goes for commentators on right-wing blogs who hide behide the anonymity of pseudonyms. A GCSB operative checking IP numbers and relying on their new powers granted under the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Amendment would soon reveal their true identities.
Imagine then, if you will, that it was discovered that a commentator was posting from a work station. How would his/her employer feel if they were informed that their employee was indulging in blogging activity during work hours?
Unlikely, you might think?
Not really. Government ministers already leak information to bloggers.
And Paula Bennett certainly didn’t think twice before releasing private details of two solo-mothers in 2009,
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Source: NZ Herald – No apology from Bennett over leaked income data
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Politics just got a whole lot more “interesting”.
Welcome to New Zealand, the Policed Surveillance State of the 21st century.
Next step,
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Followed by,
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Unlikely?
That’s what was promised about the GCSB when it was first set up in 1977 by Rob Muldoon: it would never be allowed to spy on New Zealand citizens.
People trusted Muldoon then.
As people trust Key now.
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= fs =
What you have completely missed is that the likes of Slater is getting information FROM the GCSB. Remember when he got “OIA Act” info before anyone else, even the likes of TVNZ and the Herald?
The likes of Farrar & Slater will soon find their blogs a wasteland of nothingness when their sources dry up, after the GCSB track down any ‘leakers’ by simply reading their emails & listening to their phone calls.
The ‘mystery source’ will be no more, & those who rely on them to appear knowledgable will be out of luck and out of business.
Have to say – think it funny watching the libertarian right being absolutly stabbed in the back over this one.
Same thoughts crossed my mind as well, Adam…
It’d be hell to be a Young ACT activist right now.
Typical libertards, pissing a hot stream of cyanide into the manure that they need in order to flourish. If I was Simon Lusk, I’d have my boy Slater tearing National’s GCSB bill a new one over at WO, because if it goes through as proposed, then the next left wing government is gonna be able to wrap their little act up by lunchtime.
And what happens when the opposition National party employs foreign advisors from Textor Crosby to undermine a left government? Any sign of them repeating the sort of dirty tricks they’ve used to smear opponents in the past are going to bounce back prett-tty hard.
Perfectly worded Mr M.
Whichever government we have in power, the GCSB does not work for Aotearoa. They work for some mythical freedom loving free world run from Washington and Wall St. Whalesnot thinks he is one of the annointed members of this cabal and therefore supports them. Someone with his limited intellectual ability and total lack of charisma is doomed to never being more than a follower, as is Dunne.
We should get rid of the GCSB and the SIS altogether. They are both compromised beyond redemption by their stupid cold war attitudes. When Labour is in government, there is plenty of evidence that they don’t obey the PM, but keep doing the same thing anyway. I really doubt if they’d start spying on right wingers, except maybe for the insane far right like Kyle Chapman. To say that Labour would use them against Lusk et al is wrong and dangerous. They are there to combat and spy on us. They need to go.
I’m withyou we don’t need these spying agencies. Get rid of them all, nobody needs to be spied upon, we are not a nation of terrorists!
Personally, I see nothing wrong with people needing to carry a national ID card with them. The spying thing is what’s totally fucked.
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