The Program Code Named "Stellar Wind"

[Socio]

This is a 8 minute video on the New York Times that discribes a government program that can only be defined as Orwellian;

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/08/22/opinion/100000001733041/the-program.html

This is the first I have heard of the domestic spy program called Stellar Wind that is not only capable of spying on everyone, by everyone I mean every single American citizen, but compling and storing an entire life time of data on them!

I know the excuse for it is terrorism prevention but what is the actual intent of it?

Spying on and storing a life time of data on every single American certainly goes way past any needs for terrorism prevention. It almost sounds like they are inventorying and bar-coding the entire population.

So why in the hell would the United States Government need this much data on its citizens?

[Hasina]

To keep us in check, I don't doubt that. I wonder what happens when you get into governmental work that allows you access to those files?

[Jackofalltrades]

This is a 8 minute video on the New York Times that discribes a government program that can only be defined as Orwellian;

http://www.nytimes.c...he-program.html

This is the first I have heard of the domestic spy program called Stellar Wind that is not only capable of spying on everyone, by everyone I mean every single American citizen, but compling and storing an entire life time of data on them!

I know the excuse for it is terrorism prevention but what is the actual intent of it?

Spying on and storing a life time of data on every single American certainly goes way past any needs for terrorism prevention. It almost sounds like they are inventorying and bar-coding the entire population.

So why in the hell would the United States Government need this much data on its citizens?

If You add the RFID chip to Your post then I think You may have the answer for the reason why

That is IF (If being the operative word) Stellar wind exist's, to be honest this post is the first time I have ever heard of it

[Babe Ruth]

The government does this because it has been hijacked, many years ago, by "the bad guys".

Maybe it is part of what Ike was talking about with the Military Industrial Complex?

The scary part is that so many americans approve of this.

[rashore]

Stellar Wind.. So that's the name of the government electronic watch thing. You usually don't hear the name of it, just what it's about. Like when you see an article about words the government watches for. Twitter people that get busted for saying whatever, or FB folks that say whatever. Emails, blogs, forums, ect., being watched.

[Hasina]

The government does this because it has been hijacked, many years ago, by "the bad guys".

Maybe it is part of what Ike was talking about with the Military Industrial Complex?

The scary part is that so many americans approve of this.

Hijacked by 'the bad guys'? I don't think it's that cut and dry. I think this is more of a deteriation of the governments trust in any citizen. As it's gained more and more access to our wallets and the like, it's become more of a business, wanting to know everything about everyone who 'works' there. I hate the fact that they're doing it, I just don't think it's as 'sinister' as many people think it is. A huge violation and disregard of our rights.

[Babe Ruth]

Hasina

Are you familiar with the USA Patriot Act and its history?

[sickpuppy]

if you'd like to see the technical capabilities of data storage, 3D graphics, and other stuff from circa 1970-1980 there is a nice 2-part video series titled "Australia, past, present & future" ..keep in mind it's ozzy, and the time period it was made (you're going to hear some annoying music and probably see a lot of equally bad haircuts)

enjoy. ...or should i say.. "fear"

[Little Fish]

what is the actual intent of it?

google Sentient World Simulation

they will know how you and the collective will react to an impulse even before the event and before you know. being able to predict this enables control of the future. Asimov wrote about this in his Foundation series decades ago.

people are far too flippant about the privacy of their personal information.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Little Fish

[+OverSword]

Stellar wind is also the code used for an astronaut that had too many beans on the international space station.

[supervike]

Why would the government need to spend so much on spying on us.

It seems we are far too willing to post everything we can about ourselves on the web, then share it with whomever may want to read it.

[Jackofalltrades]

Why would the government need to spend so much on spying on us.

It seems we are far too willing to post everything we can about ourselves on the web, then share it with whomever may want to read it.

I agree a majority of people are way too willing to post virtually anything and everything on the web

There has been time's when police or the equivalent have been looking for criminal's and found them, by using facebook as a tool to gather information about them

The worst thing that anyone can do is put a whole heap of information on the web, either on facebook or various other social network site's

It is not just government's/police etc that use the information that people put online, it is also criminal's that make money with identity theft etc

[Babe Ruth]

It's not that the government NEEDS to spend so much time spying on us, it's that it WANTS to spend so much time.

Further, elements of what Eisenhower called the Military Industrial Complex are very much into developing devices that make such spying very easy, and selling such equipment to the government is quite PROFITABLE.

[chessnovicer]

It's not that the government NEEDS to spend so much time spying on us, it's that it WANTS to spend so much time.

Further, elements of what Eisenhower called the Military Industrial Complex are very much into developing devices that make such spying very easy, and selling such equipment to the government is quite PROFITABLE.

I was once concerned about the level of government intrusion. Now it is a fait accompli. There is no hiding. Today the only quite spaces may be off the grid, but this remains impractical for most.

[Left-Field]

Just another data collecting program the government has secretly set up which most Americans know nothing about.

And the "conspiracy theorists doubters" (CTDs; I think I just made up a new label for "that" group of people, lol) will blow this off as though it is no big deal.

And not only that, but they'll tell us the government is 100% justified to operate in this fashion - especially in a post 9/11 world - failing to realize part of the reason things like 9/11 are orchestrated is to create fear amongst the public in order to further control the population by instituting these new policies and programs as a means of keeping us "safe" from all the terrorists boogeymen that are out to harm us.

[+and-then]

google Sentient World Simulation

they will know how you and the collective will react to an impulse even before the event and before you know. being able to predict this enables control of the future. Asimov wrote about this in his Foundation series decades ago.

people are far too flippant about the privacy of their personal information.

I think that most are just naive about the potential harm. Some, like myself, truly have nothing to lose and don't really care if big brother wants to know what sights I surf or where I live. I think of myself as one of Orwell's Proles. It's quite liberating to have nothing of value that can be held as leverage against you. I exaggerate a bit but ONLY a bit. I actually don't think of the government as being a focused nefarious actor in our lives. It's probably just as bad but the harm comes from the fact that it is a stumbling, half blind behemoth stomping it's way from one self made crises to another.

[Babe Ruth]

I understand your position on this AND THEN, but what is implied by your position is that you don't really care about what the law says, you don't really care about the 4th Amendment, and probably the rest of the Constitution as well.

Because if you are willing to accept government law-breaking on 4th Amendment matters, then most likely you are willing to condone government law-breaking in other areas, which we know to be the case.

A precarious position to be in, if one EVER claims to believe in the rule of law.