Hello Dierk, Thursday, November 21, 2002, 2:47:43 AM, you wrote:
DH> Hello Thomas! <very big snip> DH> Just two examples where information gathering seemed perfectly DH> harmless until times changed: DH> 1. In Denmark you didn't have anything to fear in the 1930s DH> when a survey was made to record all Jews in the country - DH> rest assured, the intentions were really perfectly harmless. DH> Guess what happened when Germany invaded. When the War ended DH> not many Danish Jews were left. Have Jews really be ashamed DH> of their religious roots? This made the news in my country (USA) in my youth. And it is only one example from only one of the countries in Europe. DH> 2. Until the 7th December 1941 there wasn't a reason to be DH> ashamed of Asian forefathers. After that you were likely to DH> be interned just because you looked Japanese - even if you DH> were a third generation US citizen of Chinese decent. John DH> Milius, Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg showed the Asian DH> Hysteria of Americans quite funny in *1941*. The Asians caught the worst of it. But there was also a large and stupid hysteria against second-and-third generation Americans of German, Austrian, and even Swiss (if they had German as a first language) extraction. I witnessed it personally. An "accent" was enough to bring on social "shunning." Of course, this comment is off-topic: to my knowledge there were no government records kept that caused the group with "German accents" to be given a hard time. DH> With an ever-growing marketing/advertising industry keen on DH> information about everyone with the slightest cent to spend I don't DH> like the frivolous approach to Privacy you showed. Actually I fear DH> information about me in the hands of private corporations much more DH> than officials knowing something about me. This is exactly why I turned down the Winn-Dixie discount card being so heavily and insistently offered to me every time I go to the grocery. Yes, it might cut my grocery bill 10 or even 25 per cent. But then they would have a record of everything I bought, attached to my name and address. Maybe I don't want them to know I'm buying Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels off their magazine rack! I think this is a parallel instance. Please correct my logic if I'm wrong. >> How much is your perceived privacy issue worth to you? DH> Privacy is a Human Right. There is no price tag. Except in Red China! Privacy, the handmaiden of Freedom. -- Best regards, Mary The Bat! Email - Unofficial Support Board http://the-bat-forums.donzeigler.com P.S. It was my choice to add this sig. I like this message board. MRB ________________________________________________ Current version is 1.61 | "Using TBUDL" information: http://www.silverstones.com/thebat/TBUDLInfo.html
