I had known that there are lots of cameras over there, but reading Ovid’s LiveJournal got me to pay a bit more attention lately. It has been… interesting indeed. The following have been chosen with care to maximise sarcasm potential for your… entertainment-of-sorts:
They’re installing backscatter cameras that can render clothes invisble in public spaces – in order to fight terrorism, of course.
Meanwhile, despite all the cameras, they managed to lose track of 322 sex offenders! It makes perfect sense if you think about it, though – the pervs have taken over the CCTV control room bunkers.
And who wants to find them? After all, jails are so full they’re considering waiting lists for convicts; up to and including burglars and violent assailants. “You have been sentenced to 3 years in jail. Go home and stay there, we’ll come by to pick you up in 2009.”
How is all this evesdropping equipment paid for anyway? Well, the fingerprint scanners in schools are charged to the teaching aids budget, at least.
Even after subtracting all comedic malice and tinfoil hats, this really doesn’t paint a very reassuring big picture.
