What price are we willing to pay to eliminate spies and terrorists?

I’ve been called an ‘advocate of paranoia.’ 

Working for the Black Press, observing local and national government while standing next to the wall of apartheid, you can’t help but grow needles and a tainted worldview. 

Remember the song, ‘Somebody’s watching you?’ Sly and the Family Stone weren’t merely observing the world around them. In 1969, the government infiltrated and watched from afar the millions who protested the war in Vietnam, capitalism, and civil rights. 

The establishment, the government, was spying on all of them, and us. 

Well, that establishment is and was the federal, state, and local governments, the police, the FBI, and ICE. They collectively created mechanisms to spy not just on the obvious, but on any associate. 

That’s in addition to billions of dollars in purchases by the various branches of government, which in turn amassed data to profile every man, woman, and child. 

To be truthful, the government has been spying on us since the Revolutionary War. 

We’ve never fully trusted each other, much less those who rightfully claim this country theirs. 

Freedom fighters didn’t know who their enemies were since a majority were loyalists who would today be the billionaires. Thus, White revolutionaries were pitted against white loyalists who merely sought to continue profiting from slavery and capitalistic concepts. Sound familiar? 

Spy networks were established to distinguish the rich from the richer. 

World Wars I and II saw the legalization of spy networks. Not only was the focus on Germany, but also on Americans with slanted eyes and non-English speaking citizens. Asians were put into reservations, while Germans were given jobs so they could be observed. 

Most recently, the attack on New York–911 as we refer to it–saw a massive explosion (no pun) of intelligence gathering. Everyone was suspected under the so-called Patriot Act. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, nodded their approval of spying on citizens and the elimination of civil liberties. 

The ‘Patriot Act’ was supposed to be limited to potential internal enemies, but was expanded to the most costly and invasive of civil rights. 

At the very least, it has led to surveillance that rivals that of Russia and China. 

In truth, we are all under scrutiny. And only the ACLU is the entity sounding the alarm. 

And while some mutter under their breath about its chilling ramifications, the last three presidents have responded by expanding its network. 

True, there are terrorists in America who seek to eliminate our capitalist expansionism. But the question is, what price should we pay to eliminate their threats? 

We are today living in a country where the average, innocent citizen is under constant surveillance. The question is, why does the government need to know what underwear you purchase or your sexual habits? 

Do you turn the corner without a signal? Do you smoke cigarettes and throw the buds out the window? 

Do you belong to a church that advocates liberation theology? Would you leave that church as Barack Obama did to appease white folks? (I had to throw that one in.) 

Is supporting or providing donations to a cause that hates war, or believes that citizens of third-world countries can govern themselves (without Trump’s control). 

It’s not just the feds who are keeping an eye on you. 

Those street cameras are doing more than locating speeders or reckless drivers. And the police are not only peeking in your window, but they are also listening in on your cell phone conversations. 

Watch the FBI television series. That surveillance equipment is real, and probably outdated. 

Data centers not only know who you talk to, but when and about what. There’s a log of calls on your cell phone, which you probably ignore. But those marketing calls from a 414 number are designed to make you comfortable while soliciting information that they will, in turn, sell to the highest bidder, which is usually the U.S. government. 

Various government and data collection agencies not only store and sell your private communications but also exchange data for reasons only you can fathom. 

According to one report, data collection, drivenby AI, fueled the coffers of ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security to the tune of $165billion last year alone. 

And to make things worse, ‘AI’ generated surveillance of citizens is done with your tax dollars. 

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended). 

Have you ever wondered how ICE agentsknow who to trap? Again, you’re footing thebill. 

Even if you lock yourself up in your home,you’re not safe from scrutiny. Your computerleaves a paper footprint. 

When you ask Alexa to play a specific song(Old School), the component not only brands youas over 50 years old, but also listens to you singing along to establish a vocal recognition footprint. 

It is also picking up on your conversations. 

Think you are safe within the confines of yourcar. Guess again. That camera above the streetlight is recording your every move, your speed,and even the type of car you’re driving (licenseplate, how much tread is left on your tires). 

The truth of the matter is, the governmentknows what type of toilet paper you use (a papertrail from the grocery), what medications youuse, and how many times you brush your teeth. 

Do you use Google, Facebook or Reddit? Theyare a cesspool for data collection. 

Back in the good ole days, police hid on rooftops to photograph activities on King Drive. Itwas easy for us to trip them up. 

Today, you can’t escape scrutiny. Your SocialSecurity card opens the door to lifelong scrutiny.

I recently tried to add an African component tomy legal name. A spaceship from the FBI (withthat agency’s logo on it and named ‘the Hoover’)landed on my lawn. One of the agents informedme that one of my prescriptions was overdue. 

What the hell… 

Hotep.