undefined | Better HN

0 pointsstandardUser4y ago0 comments

Every American is in a whole myriad of government databases form the federal level on down. Pretending otherwise, or pretending that the next database will be the one to break individualism and lead to autocracy, is just magical thinking.

0 comments

throwaway0a5e4y ago

>Every American is in a whole myriad of government databases form the federal level on down...

The park might be full of needles but that's no justification for further litter.

Why do we need yet another database? People have enough problems with the no fly list and that's a short list. A DB that has 1/3 of the country flagged would cause mayhem from false positives and inconsistent data.

standardUserOP4y ago

I'm not supporting any new database, just pointing out that if our goal is to prevent centralized government databases of Americans, that ship has already sailed... around the world several times over.

reedjosh4y ago

I don't at all disagree, but this will be the first one openly limiting freedoms via the government's monopoly of force.

I do believe there are others already doing so too, but none of them are open and acknowledged by the public.

t-writescode4y ago

That's not true at all, several of our lists already limit constitutionally approved freedoms.

The No Fly List and felony registration for gun ownership being 2 examples.

edit: before the downvotes start, agreement with those lists does not negate that they are restricting freedoms based on activities that added or removed someone from a list

reedjosh4y ago

> That's not true at all

You got me there.

I believe the No Fly list is a tragedy of Kafkaesque bureaucracy that I wish didn't exist. People have found themselves on it with little recourse.

I haven't researched the felony registration list enough to speak to it intelligently.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

throwaway0a5e4y ago

>Every American is in a whole myriad of government databases form the federal level on down...

The park might be full of needles but that's no justification for further litter.

standardUserOP4y ago

reedjosh4y ago

I don't at all disagree, but this will be the first one openly limiting freedoms via the government's monopoly of force.

I do believe there are others already doing so too, but none of them are open and acknowledged by the public.

t-writescode4y ago

That's not true at all, several of our lists already limit constitutionally approved freedoms.

The No Fly List and felony registration for gun ownership being 2 examples.

edit: before the downvotes start, agreement with those lists does not negate that they are restricting freedoms based on activities that added or removed someone from a list

reedjosh4y ago

> That's not true at all

You got me there.

I believe the No Fly list is a tragedy of Kafkaesque bureaucracy that I wish didn't exist. People have found themselves on it with little recourse.

I haven't researched the felony registration list enough to speak to it intelligently.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse