Yes, it's the same here.

I truly believe that "the media" is just another one of those big corporations that, overall, benefits from this kind of "control".

The more people can be restricted and (re)directed, the better it is for any large corporation. China is a great example - companies are rushing to build factories there primarily because the government has such tight control over the whole labour force. As long as you can "convince" (bribe) the right government officials you'll get things the way you want them there.

Here it currently operates a little differently... the big corps will first make money just gathering/supplying/processing/evaluating the information. Then it will (also) become a natural part of marketing data bases for use by security vendors and publishers and hard-goods sellers and....
And all that while people will be becoming more and more compliant and more and more directed by (surreptitious and open) government propaganda.


>I am astounded that the media has not jumped on the bandwagon on this and all of the cases of personal freedom and rights abuses lately. The only thing I can imagine is that the entire media is being discouraged from doing so (if that is possible then we are back in the days when the government could control the press) or they are truly afraid of public backlash due to the current fear of terrorism...the only media I have seen really push this issue is Univision.
>
>>That's mighty interesting, Tracy, and it would help all of your fellow citizens if all developers/designers/coders spoke out openly about the things they have been forced to do because of that law.
>>
>>By the way, we have a law here since 9/11 which **may** well be worse than your Patriot Act. Several men have been held without stated cause, to the point that even our Commissioner of the RCMP stated publicly that after their (RCMPs) investigations he saw NO REASON for them to be held yet they remain in custody.
>>
>>I think the RCMP Commissioner was trying to give us citizens a warning, but the press hardly mentioned it, dropped it quickly, and now it is all but forgotten.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Speaking of the Patriot Act, I am amazed at how many Americans state that there is not abuse of personal privacy or individual rights and there is no 'big brother.' Most seem to think that their rights are not trampled on unless they break the law and then it is perfectly justified in the name of national security.
>>>
>>>Having just finished implementing new 'customer information' trapping required in the banking and insurance industry due to the Patriot Act in all of our apps, I wonder what Americans would say if they new how much of their private information held by their banks and insurance carriers is now provided to the U.S. Govt in the name of 'National Security?' I wrote the code in our case and it makes me furious...
>>>
>>>>>>For over three decades we heard that United States workers were not productive. Imagine all European workers were more productive than we were and they get much more time off! Now we hear that we are the most productive workers on the face of the Earth! How did we do it? Well, some work 24/7 I guess. Perhaps it is a new metric as we have many during the last few years to make things seem really good.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Perhaps our increased productivity is due to U.S. owned companies outsourcing labor and raising profits. I would like to know how this increase in productivity came about. Does anyone know? Perhaps it is like the unemployment metrics that have changed three times since November of last year. Use a formula that paints the picture you want. Your reality may vary.
>>>>>
>>>>>I've got an idea where the increase may have come from, Tom... thin air!
>>>>>
>>>>>Being the MOST productive on the planet - even if only in word and not deed - offers all kinds of benefits to the powers that be:
>>>>>1) Don't want to lose that status, so better work harder...
>>>>>2) Don't want to let the country down, so better work harder...
>>>>>3) On average the country is more productive, BUT we aren't, so better work harder...
>>>>>4) Productivity is defined as production cost per unit of (sellable) work, so to improve our productivity to keep world leading status we're gonna have to cut your wage and your insurance and your vacation and...
>>>>>
>>>>>All in all it's one beaut of a ploy because it get everyone working for a common PATRIOTIC GOAL and allows them to feel good when they work longer hours for less pay and get pay cuts and train their off-shore replacements. All for the good of the country!
>>>>
>>>>You are so right! It ties in nicely with the Patriot Act (H. R. 3162), and Homeland Security. Why, only a “good American”, would accept a pay and benefits cut while working longer hours and harder to boot! Any other kind of person is surely to be suspected of un-American like acts. We are truly blessed.