Chris Jakeman's List: surveillance state

Issues like file downloading (even though they're relatively trivial) are touchstones because they identify trends in governing which may be difficult to articulate individually. This is an example of how corporate interests criminalize non-criminal activities which may cause them financial loss (without the inconvenience of identifying, much less proving, any loss) and where sentence is determined and passed by administrative fiat rather than due process. This is typical of the modern state -- as control extended further and further over peoples' lives it becomes too unwieldy to employ due process, its far easier to abrogate individuals rights to a short-form or even privatized procedure. Its no wonder people are annoyed....and the more annoyed they get the less compliant they get, calling for more intrusion and sanctions resulting in even less compliance. The end point is chaos -- fine for the people providing the tools and machinery of oppression but a real crock for everyone else.