5 min read
” in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
George Orwell
Global governance and global citizens surveillance are regularly discussed on alternative media but are almost completely ignored by the systemic ones. Lack of extensive discussion on these issues is indicative of people’s intellectual isolation.
It is also surprising that a great part of intelligentsia does not refer to global governance and surveillance either by ignorance or by a commitment to economism that dominates all discussions. It may also be out of fear of being considered as “conspiracy theorists” – in many countries suppression of originality and intellectual freedom is a common phenomenon.

However, international intellectuals such as the economist Norbert Häring, in his book “Die Abschaffung des Bargelds und die Folgen: Der Weg in die totale Kontrolle“, the peer professor at Paris VII Dennis Diderto, the former director of the Spanish edition of Le Monde diplomatique Ignacio Ramonet in his book ” L’ Empire de la Surveillance” refer to the restriction of individual freedom. Individual freedom is restricted through the use of electronic money (i.e. credit, debit cards etc) where all individual actions are recorded. Governments justify this surveillance by claiming that this way tax evasion will be “fought” but what is actually sought is the removal of dissidents by closing their bank accounts ( Häring ) and general electronic surveillance of all human activities (Ramonet).
Ramonet’s book is very interesting and I will refer to some of its parts. Ramonet mentions Edward Snowden’s disclosure regarding the secret program PRISM which was developed by NSA in 2007. ” This is the most colossal embezzlement of personal data in history, as it concerns billions of people in five continents who use Facebook, Gmail, Skype or Yahoo services on a daily basis. If over the last ten years, a person has used one of these companies, his data is certain to have been stolen and stored by the NSA under the PRISM program. “
All of us have more or less used the above services either by having given our personal data in an electronic form not only to Facebook etc but also to banks, supermarkets, state agencies, etc. These data are gathered in big database storages and the owner of these databases has complete knowledge of our activities and preferences. This looks like a nightmare that is going to become worse.
Ramonet also writes: “Chris Anderson, former chief editor of Wired magazine and founder of 3D Robotics, a company manufacturing robots, predicts that in the near future with the multiplication of drones there will be a million cameras flying over our heads. These drones will be based on life models. If one person has “life traits” that are similar to a person who is classified as “dangerous” then this person will be targeted and exterminated.His/her name will never become known: identification is less important than the physical extermination someone who looks like a “dangerous terrorist”.
The life traits mentioned by Anderson will not only be visual but they will obviously be combined with existing databases. It is easy to understand that in these circumstances there is no democracy since everyone can be killed under the suspicion that s/he is a terrorist. Who is going to warranty that there will not be classified as terrorists all that are against the existing system? Classified as terrorists then killed immediately without their name becoming known. An empire of absolute terror and control is created.
Ramonet emphasizes the role of TV ( I would include Netflix and all mass media) as a public opinion manipulation tool. TV functions as a domestic spy. “In the USA, for instance, Vizio electronics company, which is located in Irvine, California, is the biggest manufacturer of “smart” TVs which are connected to the Internet. Vizio has recently revealed that its TV sets were spying the users through the use of pre-installed technologies”.
Society is supervised and “a society that knows that is constantly monitored, it becomes, very soon, obedient and coward”. This probably is one of the reasons of society’s apathy. In my previous texts, I have referred to the research results of the sociologist Frank Furedi. This research has been conducted on University students who have stated that “freedom is not that important”. These statements of voluntary restriction of personal freedom coincide with what has Ramonet written: “63% of French state that they are willing to restrict personal freedom on the Internet to combat terrorism. French are the living example that shows that obedience issues have a long way to go”.
The modern man states that s/he is willing to restrict his/her freedom and will not hesitate, within this framework, to think that it is self-evident to restrict the freedom of others. Modern gossiping, privacy infringement, continuous surveillance on what others do, does not resemble the past where gossipers were coming from a low social background and their education was very poor.
A new type of human behavior has arisen. A behavior ” that mixes obedience, surveillance, voyerism and showing – off”. Voyeurism has been promoted by TV through tele-trash like Big Brother etc. where the spectator watches apathetically what others do. Showing – off, on the other hand, is seen everywhere despite economic crisis. Money adoration imposed by the economic system, makes money to be considered as the supreme good, the only one that gives “value” to people.
Surveillance has become a voluntary pursuit, there is the voluntary informer who watches and reports everything. S/he is completely unfamiliar with concepts such as solidarity and collectivity. As Ramonet writes ” one of the fourth generation war goals is the transition from an informed society to a society of informers”.
Even citizen society organizations have become informers. In his interview, Julian Assange characteristically states: “I believe in the concept (civil society), but not in its reality. Most organizations of what is called ‘civil society’ are funded to become agents in the service of states or the biggest private companies. “
Everything described above are, obviously, nightmarish. Ramonet suggests as a solution codification/encryption and participation in TOR, WikiLeaks and LaQuadratureduNet as well as email programs such as Caliopen.
However, it is important to understand that modern authoritarianism of global governance that will use global surveillance, as a weapon, is ante portas. It is our duty as citizens by changing our way of thinking and acting to prevent it if we want to be free and not obedient slaves.
