Here's Looking At You Kid

The government is spying on us. Websites are collecting mass amounts of information about us. Marketers know who we are, what we buy, where we live, what's our ethnic background, etc. etc. etc.  I know it's wrong, but I'm confused and need your help.

I know the government is spying on me and you for all the years I've been living. However, it has not affected my life. All the good and bad things that have happened in my life would have happened if the government never spied at all. Therefore, sometimes I feel like I shouldn't care. However, I know it's wrong, but I'm confused and need your help.

I use the internet a lot. Websites like Amazon know all about me. However, their knowledge of me helps me see items I might buy because they do all the search work for me. They know what I like and when they have specials on the things I like they send me an email. They make shopping so much easier. I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.

Facebook and LinkedIn know everything about me. However, I've been able to communicate with so many people from my past it makes me happy. People I care about find me and I can get in touch with them both physically and electronically. 

I was able to find my friend George who I was best friends with in high school. He lives in Alaska now and it's been over 40 years since we talked. A few weeks ago George was in LA and we were able to spend many hours together catching up. It was one of the most enjoyable days in my life. I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.

When I get marketing things in my email or snail mail they are targeted to my likes and needs. That's a hell of a lot better than it was 15 years ago when I would get tons of snail mail that had nothing to do with what I wanted to know about. I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.

If I'm doing nothing wrong like cheating on my taxes, driving without a license, planning to commit a crime, etc. why should I care what they know about me. They can listen into all my phone calls and all they will get is information about when the football season is going to start. I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.

Sooo, what's so wrong with all this spying and information collecting? Well, I grew up in the McCarthy days when people were targeted as socialists. Whether these targeted people were socialists or not, the country was so afraid of communist Russia and the thought that we Americans would lose all our freedoms, we blacklisted anyone who McCarthy and his gang of zealots said they were.

This was a dark era in American history. It was a time when one man spying and collecting information on Americans could ruin people's lives. America learned a lesson from those dark days, but they are still spying on us.

Do I feel more secure because they are spying on us? Do I feel more secure because government, websites and marketers have mucho information about me? I guess so, but I'm not sure. I know they are doing all they can to stop terrorists who have so much hatred for America and our way of life they are willing to give up their lives to take ours.

Sooo, if doing all this spying and information gathering is making me more secure I'm OK with it. However, I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.

One thing I do know is that I can't let all this taking away some of my freedom stuff make me unhappy. I love America. If you think any other country is not spying and information gathering on its people, you're in dreamland. I can vote against it, but I can't get depressed or angry about it because that does not serve ME. I can join others who want it stopped, but I sure would miss my discounts from Amazon.

I know it's wrong, but, I'm confused and need your help.