Disappointing attitudes
Mar. 28th, 2005 11:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnridleyPessimism, apathy and resignation seem even more prevalent than I thought.
After reading Bruce Schneier's blog entry about the TSA:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/03/tsa_lied_about.html
I tried to engage some people at work about it. The general attitude?
"Of course they're lying. It's the government, it's what they do. Who's surprised?"
OK, I expect some of that. But what I got in way more measure than I thought I would was apathy and resignation. They'll always be like that and there's nothing we can do. The machine is too powerful to change. No matter what they say to the people, they'll still do whatever the hell they want to internally. Make too much noise and you may find yourself being strip searched next time you try to fly, and you can't do a thing about it.
Even when told flat out that a branch of the government was repeatedly and systematically lying and isn't really giving any indication that they intend to change, and that it's a branch most people will have to deal with at some point, and that they have secret rules that you can break without knowing it, people still just don't care.
I can see why they'd have that attitude, but I don't like it. I don't see much difference between accepting this viewpoint and just rolling over and giving up on the entire system. If that's the attitude, it's no wonder people don't vote.
After reading Bruce Schneier's blog entry about the TSA:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/03/tsa_lied_about.html
I tried to engage some people at work about it. The general attitude?
"Of course they're lying. It's the government, it's what they do. Who's surprised?"
OK, I expect some of that. But what I got in way more measure than I thought I would was apathy and resignation. They'll always be like that and there's nothing we can do. The machine is too powerful to change. No matter what they say to the people, they'll still do whatever the hell they want to internally. Make too much noise and you may find yourself being strip searched next time you try to fly, and you can't do a thing about it.
Even when told flat out that a branch of the government was repeatedly and systematically lying and isn't really giving any indication that they intend to change, and that it's a branch most people will have to deal with at some point, and that they have secret rules that you can break without knowing it, people still just don't care.
I can see why they'd have that attitude, but I don't like it. I don't see much difference between accepting this viewpoint and just rolling over and giving up on the entire system. If that's the attitude, it's no wonder people don't vote.
