Wondering what you guys think...

[Jorath Calar]

“As our technology becomes more and more automated, it becomes easier for a government to monitor it’s citizens financial activities. Is that good or bad?”

this was a question I got on a homework assignment last week, we disscussed it today and the discussion was to say the least... very heated... (nothing funnier than angry nerds looking like they are about to bitchslap each other... ) anyway, I was just wondering what you guys think... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Vaskez]

Good for stopping crime, bad for privacy
Man if everyone was honest, we wouldn't need to be monitored. f***@#@##@! greedy bastards ruin it for everyone!

discuss

[johnny]

As long as they don't just monitor the people who are at the bottom of the income ladder, but the ones on top as well, it's all fine with me. But somehow i don't think that's a very realistic thought.

[Bungleau]

The government already monitors your financial activities. Your income is reported by your employer to the government. If you have a financial transaction greater than $10,000, that's reported to the government. When you buy a car or a house, that's reported to the government. When you pay your taxes (and when you don't!), that's reported to the government.

And if the government finds you did something wrong, they can go back and search any records from as long ago as they choose to see if you might have done something else wrong.

Note that my examples above refer to the US. Other countries may have different laws and approaches, and I certainly have not visited them all.

So you're already tracked. It's just getting easier, and getting harder to evade your own responsibilities.

[Attalus]

Yeah, just try and go to a bank with $10,000 cash and deposit it. You'll be lucky if they don't arrest you on the spot.

[Felix The Assassin]

In class today? No BBQ baby back ribs for you? Slow grilled (1hr, 15 minutes)baby back ribs, with a taste of Mediterranean spices, fresh grilled corn, and some spicy rice to compliment. Uhm, damn it was a helluva day to end the holiday.
As far as big brother? Hmpf, you have been tracked since the day you first logged on from your OWN internet connection! BB tracks internet just as fiercely as he does cell phone calls.

Right? Wrong? Immoral? Invasion to Privacy? All hogwash! It's based upon national security. It is not open for public discussion, nor is it open for public acknowledgement. However, it is a fact of life! Don't think you are exempt because you are not located in America, anytime you visit a .com, you have enetered the acknoledged borders of America. Just think of the recent news, where FBI is tracking China's spammers! If you are on the net, your presence is known! BTW, your MAC Address is (edited blank) your IP address is (edited blank). Have a nice day!~Felix society of Assassins, ID number (edited blank)

[Albromor]

Originally posted by Attalus: Yeah, just try and go to a bank with $10,000 cash and deposit it. You'll be lucky if they don't arrest you on the spot.

Attalus, if you're willing to give me the cash, I'm willing to give it a try.

[Attalus]

Seriously, they will notify the IRS, and you will have to explain where you got it, and convincingly, too. Happened to a friend of mine. They found a bunch of cash in his grandfather's attic after he died, tried to deposit it, and couldn't until they had established their bona fides and paid the relevant taxes.

[Bungleau]

Any transfer of over $10,000 in the US requires notification of the IRS. I don't believe arrest is involved unless you do something really stupid, like joke that it's income from your weekly drug runs.

So be smart, and make multiple $5,000 deposits.

[Winter Wolf]

And as far as tracking finances, I could care less. Maybe then they'll see that most people really do live on nothing more than instant noodles (it's hypebole, but you get the idea). I really don't care if the government knows I spend my money on porn and beer, and the only time I touch a gun is if I'm going to the shooting range with a friend and he lets me use his for a few rounds. Besides, aren't illegal purchases made in cash, and therefore not really trackable that way?

I'm more interested in why they're tracking daily movments of private citizens. Don't kid yourself folks, we're *all* being watched, *all* the time. "For our protection" of course. There's a two step program: 1) admit that you are being monitored. 2) deal with it.

I think Felix has it pretty well nailed on all counts but one. I can't stand Mediterranian food, it feels like aggravated assault on my taste buds. (But I love spicy foods, especially Indian cuisine.)

And, this just seems more like it fits in the CE forums