When Edward Snowden publicized his revelations, I was one of the people shrugging and "yawning." I've mentioned my background as a child of people the gov't would consider "radicals" several times in response to people asking me why I felt like that. But it isn't just that reason that makes me so cynical. I've been steeped in literature, video gaming, television, and film that's... I dunno, "prepared" me for the notion that the NSA (or whatever alphabet agency) is watching everything I say and do. follow me over the fleur du kos for some examples.
last night I was watching a rerun of Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom. a fantastic show. I'd already seen the episode I watched last night but had somehow forgotten this:
that's an NSA whistleblower telling the president of a news company things exactly like Snowden told the world. this was aired a solid year ago.
and did you see how he told him? he used a pop culture analogy, assuming the newsman would know the reference. "you know that machine Batman used and Morgan Freeman said went too far? it's real."
ok, so first of all I was gobsmacked at how Aaron Sorkin predicted the future, in a way. then I started thinking about the analogy he used, and how he could have used all kinds:
"you know The Bourne Identity?"
"you know that show on CBS, "Person of Interest?"
"you ever see "Enemy of the State?"
"did you watch the X-files?"
"ever read any Robert Ludlum novels?"
"have you played GTA 4?"
it goes on forever.
tinfoil time: has hollywood been deliberately mentally and emotionally preparing us for the rise of the surveillance state for decades? is that why this particular pop culture junkie is not as upset about this as I maybe should be?