General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I am getting the odd sense that some don't like Snowden because he made the establishment look bad [View all]Blanks
(4,835 posts)Carried all of our written correspondence from us to our loved ones, our banks, the utility companies etc.
They could have kept track of who we were writing to at any time when this was the primary method of communication. Did you not use the US Postal service? Do you think it was never abused? Were you upset that you had to turn these sealed envelopes over to a government employee?
I think you're getting a little carried away with some of your examples. Sure, we should always fight government over-stepping; particularly when it comes to invading our privacy, but there's a difference between the government being aware of who you're corresponding with and the government scrutinizing your correspondence.
Surely to goodness you don't let merchants manipulate you based on interests you've expressed in an online environment. That seems especially bizarre if you are aware that it's happening and their marketing methods are still successful.