How duplicitous that Apple would talk about privacy rights while refusing to help protect the national security of the country that gave it the chance to be founded.
That’s right. Apple is refusing to provide under court order the encrypted information that would help the FBI unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist-killers.
Apple says that if they don’t protect the rights of these terrorists, then we could succumb to the wishes of an overreaching governmental bureaucracy that is charged with protecting our country from both domestic and foreign jihadists and provocateurs.
At the same time the “blinded to the light” Apple engineers are constantly working to increase the value of their technological wizard -- the iPhone -- by helping it to track our movements, our purchasing choices through mobile apps, aggregating data on what shows we watch or the music we listen to.
Yet, somehow in the feeble minds of Apple leadership it's OK to collect, without our permission and until relatively recently even without our knowledge, about all the tools that are built-in to the iPhones to help corporate America know how to pitch their products to all of us 24/7.
And when we do find out about the systems within our iPhones that collect and disseminate this critically important and valuable date, it’s not easy to disable these systems because that might cut into their corporate profits.
In fact, in a recent Rossin Report on NBC's "Today" show, the investigative reporter had to walk us through the laborious process of disabling one of the systems that tracks everything we do with our smartphones! And he had to show us twice how to do it so as to not confuse consumers on how to make this personal data collector ineffective.
I’m all for personal privacy, though I may not be as vigilant about it as some others in our society who worry about Big Brother watching our every move. In some respects, I wished government was able to do just that because they might be able to thwart more crimes and if that’s the trade-off we need to make our society safer, I am willing to make the deal right now.
No, Apple has now gotten on its high horse and is supposedly taking the moral high ground to save us from government while they simultaneously make us vulnerable to business intelligence.
Hey, Apple, what’s the difference? You’re just changing one poison that doesn’t make you a profit for another that does make you a profit.
Heck, I believe in a free enterprise system and I always will.
But don’t think all of us are so stupid as to believe your b.s. that you're protecting us when you’re really not.
When it comes to the national security of this country, there is NO EXCUSE for not stopping the next 9/11 attack, or Columbine massacre, or Sandy Hook killing.
That’s exactly what law-abiding citizens expect our government to do.
I know many of you felt like you were stabbed-in-the-back by Snowden’s exposure of government spying, but if you’re not doing anything illegal, why worry?
Oh, I know. Some are afraid that our conversations may end up in some database.
Well, have at it. Because you can listen to all of my conversations you want and you’re not going to find me doing anything that would undermine our country, and for 99.9 percent of our citizens the same is patently true.
So Apple, quit preaching privacy because you’re as guilty as the government that you're trying to sell out.
National security trumps just about anything in my simple mind. I know there are many people who think waterboarding is morally reprehensible, but I wholeheartedly agree with former Vice President Dick Cheney when he says he’d support it again if that’s what it takes to protect our country and our way of life.
Now before all you left-wingers start having a hissy-fit, just remember that we all exist because our military and our government’s first and foremost responsibility is to protect us from those who would do us harm.
And I know all of you libs believe it can only be done in a politically correct way, but for me it’s really simple: Do whatever you have to do to protect us. Not from ourselves but from the enemy, and most Americans can identify just who the enemy are.
For me, I hope Apple gets their clock cleaned in court. And if I could get rid of my iPhone I would, but the problem is, all of the other digital technology companies have the same perverted view of privacy.
What Apple and the other technology companies are really saying is, our privacy is supreme so long as they can mine our data to make money for themselves. But if it’s about helping to stop terrorists or finding out the motive of what led domestic terrorists to take action, then they have to draw the line.
How sick and pathetic these tech wizards really are.
Can you imagine if corporate America had taken a similar stance in World War II? We might now all be talking German or Japanese.
No, Apple you’re very wrong. And I just hope you never have to be proven wrong because that might mean our national security is indeed at dire risk.
I know, I know, the rule of law must prevail.
Just don’t hide behind your transparent justifications and then try to tell me it’s raining when you’re really peeing on my leg; I’m not that gullible.
Barney Bishop III, one of the most familiar faces within the state business community, is CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting LLC in Tallahassee.
Comments
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... so then if that is done
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Mr Bishop NO you
Good commentary, not sure I
Mr. Bishop,
I have only one thing to say.
Steve is rolling over in his
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