More and more we are into communications; and less and less into communication.
Studs TerkelRead
Having been blacklisted from working in television during the McCarthy era, I know the harm of government using private corporations to intrude into the lives of innocent Americans. When government uses the telephone companies to create massive databases of all our phone calls it has gone too far.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the dangers of government overreach through collaboration with private companies, particularly in monitoring citizens.
Studs Terkel reflects on the chilling effects of government surveillance and the historical context of the McCarthy era, where individuals were persecuted and privacy was compromised. He warns against the alarming trend of using corporate resources for state surveillance, suggesting that such actions infringe on personal freedoms and threaten the integrity of democracy.
Themes
SurveillanceGovernmentPrivacyCorruptionFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about privacy rights, this quote can emphasize the risks of government surveillance.
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