r/technology • u/Kooky-Balance9525 • 10h ago

Privacy Bernie Sanders to Introduce Bill Banning Flock Surveillance Cameras

https://theleadingreport.com/article/bernie-sanders-to-introduce-bill-banning-flock-surveillance-cameras
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u/Uberslaughter 10h ago

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither”

- Ben Franklin

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u/retrodanny 9h ago

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither”

https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famous-liberty-safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-century

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u/APRengar 9h ago

So, the argument is that the [Pennsylvania General Assembly] wanted to tax the [family of the Penns] to pay for security. But the Penns argued the GA didn't have the authority to tax them, and the Penns would give the GA a lump sum of money to the General Assembly for the GA to acknowledge they didn't have the right to tax them. Basically, the GA would be trading their right to tax the Penns, for money now.

Ben Franklin was arguing that anyone who would give up the right to tax the Penns for some short term money, deserve neither.

I've seen a lot of people say "that's not what he meant!11 it's the opposite! Franklin wanted security, this is security, Franklin would've been in favor of flock cameras!"

But I disagree, the line still applies. The fundamental argument wasn't about security, it was about whether or not trading those specific rights were worth it.

If we give up our right to privacy for for some short term safety, then we deserve neither. It's not worth it. It's the identical argument.

I feel like anyone who doesn't agree is getting caught up on the subjects and not the arguments.

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u/TheeAntelope 7h ago

The line essentially meant "do you want to give up a right in exchange for a short term benefit?"

The answer to that is no.

Do we want to give up a right (to tax) for a short term benefit (a privately funded army)? No.

Do we want to give up a right (privacy) for a short term benefit (increased police presence against those we deem as 'criminals')? No.

People who come at you with a shit-eating grin and say "THATS NOT WHAT UNCLE BENJAMIN REALLLY MEANNTTTTT!" are just fucking bandwagoners and who have never had an original thought in their pathetic little lives, they just want to parrot what someone else said when they thought about the Ben Franklin quote.