Some liberals are trying to make a big deal about how the NRA is good at making a database of who has guns for its mailing list like it’s hypocritical about gun registries. Of course, it’s a big difference when some private entity knows information about you versus the government which likes to think it can wield power over you. I don’t want the government to know what guns I have or even if I have any (well, of course I have guns; I’m an American), because who knows what it will do with that information. Actually, in a more perfect world, I’d want the government to have pretty no information on me. I fund the government — not the other way around — so while I should know every detail of its budget, there’s no reason it should even know my income. Or where I live. Or even my last name. A government completely in the dark about its fellow citizens is one that will have a lot of trouble oppressing them.
A little late now, though. Maybe a good principle to write into the next Constitution.
Not to mention the fact that a large portion of the information the NRA got, it got from the government itself.
If I remember rightly, the Mosaic law prohibited ancient Israeli rulers from conducting a census specifically to prevent them from gauging whether they could raise armies or taxes for their own ends. Interesting thought.
Frank, you’re striking a chord.
Privacy is at the heart of sovereignty.
I’m a sovereign citizen of a Republic based on laws, and not of men. I obey the law. As such, people may know of me what I permit them to know.
I, for one, know that the government isn’t aware that I am a deep undercover sleeper of the KGB, my grandparents having been cunningly planted here in the US by the Czar’s secret police. I hope they don’t find that out.
Good progressives know that the only right to privacy is when you want to kill your baby. Other than that, you’re only trying to hide something.
I agree that we have a right to know every detail of a government’s budget. I also agree that they should have a budget.
Well the government doesn’t know much about how to run a business, how to take care of veterans, how to run the military properly or how to loan money to students and homeowners. Maybe if they continue to find out things about your average American who pays their bills, goes to work and acts responsibly they might learn something. Then again most likely not……..
As far as I know the NRA only guessed that I had guns when I signed up as a member.
Actually this touches on something I’ve been thinking about. Why should anyone else have my medical records? It just makes it easy to snoop on the most private information I can think of. At one time it sort of maybe made a little sense because you needed a big storage capabiliity. These days anyone could have a thumb drive that holds all your medical records from birth to death, no problem. If someone, hopefully a doctor, needs it the you can let them use it. Or even add to it. Then take it back. Screw them. No records for you. Take your explanation of benefits and shove it up there with the pre-existing conditions insurance boy.
I hope nobody from the NRA ever emailed that list…….