more on Scheiber - Polling Too Fairly?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Strata R. Chalup" <strata () virtual net>
Date: May 12, 2006 5:32:10 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Scheiber - Polling Too Fairly?

David Farber wrote:

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: David Bolduc <bolduc () austin rr com>
> ...
> http://www.tnr.com/blog/theplank?pid=17176
> ...
> *I think a reasonably revealing poll question would be something   
like:
> We've learned that the NSA monitors the phone records of  ordinary
> Americans in order to help hunt down terrorists. Do you  support that
> program?


I think even that question, while correct, is still misleading.  
Saying 'ordinary Americans' still doesn't convey that it's you, it's  
me, it's my house phone and DSL with SBC/ATT, my cellphone with  
Verizon, etc.  That when Joe or Jane or Huy or Izvana called up his  
or her best friend from highschool and finally told *someone* about  
that drinking problem, or the affair, or the fears about their  
child's medical problem, that is what's being monitored, scanned,  
analyzed.

That's what some stranger gets to hear bits and pieces of if you've  
named your dog 'Osama', or if you talk about the 'President' of your  
'gun' club, or whatever combination of keywords that might generate a  
false positive that someone has to screen.   Or, if no one hears it,  
maybe you just picked up a silent blacklist point, and you'll find  
out that you have some critical mass of same when you try to fly to  
your kid's college graduation, or your grandma's funeral, and they  
don't let you on the airplane because your name is on a list somewhere.

"Is Qwest your phone company? If not, then the NSA is monitoring your  
phone records to try to hunt down terrorists.  Is that okay with you?"

If the voter on the street ever really chooses that, well, it's not  
the same country I grew up in these last 43 years, and it's time to  
find someplace sane.

best regards,
SRC


--
========================================================================
Strata Rose Chalup [KF6NBZ]                      strata "@" virtual.net
VirtualNet Consulting                            http://www.virtual.net/
             ** Strategic IT for the Growing Enterprise **
======================================================================== 
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