'Five Eyes' intel alliance ties up with Japan over N Korea

commanteerJan. 30  09:55 pm JST

So, do Democratic nations "spy" on their own citizens. Yes of course they do. Does that pose a threat to the average citizen? No, not really.

Just have to make sure you don't stick your neck out and remain suitably average. Sounds like paradise.

If "remaining suitably average" means not engaging in criminal or terrorist acts, or anything that would draw a red flag, yes, it's pretty easy. What it is that you are doing that makes you "not average"?

So, do Democratic nations "spy" on their own citizens. Yes of course they do. Does that pose a threat to the average citizen? No, not really.

Just have to make sure you don't stick your neck out and remain suitably average. Sounds like paradise.

@commanteer

Firstly, please do not mistake my views as indicative of some blind trust in my county's government. No government on Earth can be trusted 100%.

In Democratic countries, to varying degrees, a government in power can change through the political system. Sometimes from bad to good, other times from good to bad, but either way through some form of voting process. This reduces the threat to the government in power in the form of a violent evolution or coup. Whereas in authoritarian regimes where the populace has no say at all in their government, such extreme action becomes the only way that a change can be brought about. Here, the government in power is as concerned with keeping tabs on their own people as much as they are of foreign nations. So it is not a matter of good or bad, it's a matter of the type of government and what it would consider necessary.

So, do Democratic nations "spy" on their own citizens. Yes of course they do. Does that pose a threat to the average citizen? No, not really.

And we have been "spied upon" for quite some time. The issue is how is that used; to detect terrorism or geopolitical strategic activites, as in Democratic countries? Or used to detect citizens who openly express views and sentiments critical of the current government in power, such as the CCP?

I had to catch my breath here at the trust you have in your government.

Yes, we are losing our privacy and being spied on (with governments leading the way) and there seems to be no way to stop it. That doesn't mean it's not a problem. The solution must be found though.

You speak of governments as good guys and bad guys, when in truth the lines are much more blurred. I can promise you that even in your most beloved government, their primary concern is not with terrorists, but with their own people. You may figure this out before too long.

Since we can't seem to stop the loss of privacy, maybe we should take another course and try to reduce the power of people and governments to use our personal information against us.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”- Voltaire

 “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”  ― George Orwell

It's true. All of us have private information already available through digital means. Don't believe me, just do a very thorough search of yourself on the open internet. And we have been "spied upon" for quite some time. The issue is how is that used; to detect terrorism or geopolitical strategic activites, as in Democratic countries? Or used to detect citizens who openly express views and sentiments critical of the current government in power, such as the CCP?

In democratic countries, unless you are doing something that poses a threat of some kind and triggers a red flag, being "spyed on" is no big deal

If enough people believe that, they won't be living in a democratic country for long. Nor would they deserve to be.

To be fair, it was NSA spying that resulted in the sacking of UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in May 2019.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-politics-williamson/uks-may-fires-defense-secretary-over-huawei-leak-idUKKCN1S74ET

Williamson's conversation with the Daily Telegraph contained so many key words it was picked up by the NSA, who then informed their UK equivalent, GCHQ. They were very surprised to find the flagged converstaion was between a government minister and a journalist. Williamson was then fired by Teresa May.

Yeah, thank gawd democracies never ever fall into dictatorships.

Exactly.

In democratic countries, unless you are doing something that poses a threat of some kind and triggers a red flag, being "spyed on" is no big deal. 

Said like an obedient citizen.

theFuToday 11:34 am JST

....

China should be able to easily spy/prevent all the cyber attacks from NK to the rest of the world, since only China provides NK with internet connections. When it comes to dealing with NK, China must be part of the solution.

China is part of the problem, it how it is.

Five Eyes being officially six eyes is obviously necessary!

And probably we need other actors, like Germany, France

Although 5 Eyes has been monitoring all the developed world for many years, it can't hurt to team up, as Russia seems to be doing with China, to make a united and more powerful alliance.

So far, no one has tried to seriously check China's expansion, who also backs NK.

Also, no one speaks of the other six militarised man made islands, only The Spratlys, in the South China Sea.

China's military expansion is massive, across all platforms, and is unrelenting.

Soon, it will be 'fait accompli', China will call the shots!

Time to learn Mandarin methinks!

Just because you and I might not be doing anything wrong, that doesn't mean we deserve to be spied on.

For the good of society, I'm willing to allow my govt to spy on me in public locations, provided that data is deleted within 30 days if it isn't currently benig used in a major, active, investigation. "Major" means loss of life, not jaywalking or political revenge.

Further, I would want the local rules of privacy for each country to apply to the foreign govts spying there too. If it is illegal for the British govt to do X spying in Britain, than it needs to be illegal and prohibited for the US govt to spy on British people as well. Currently, that is a loophole that all those govts abuse. Basically, they can't legally spy on their own people, so they get the data from a partner doing. Magically, that data isn't illegal to have. The Snowden leaks showed this.

China should be able to easily spy/prevent all the cyber attacks from NK to the rest of the world, since only China provides NK with internet connections. When it comes to dealing with NK, China must be part of the solution.

@OssanJapan

In democratic countries, unless you are doing something that poses a threat of some kind

Every country poses a threat to another country.

In democratic countries, unless you are doing something that poses a threat of some kind and triggers a red flag, being "spyed on" is no big deal. Of course under a dictatorship, merely expressing anti-government sentiment on a public forum alone could easily be considered a threat.

Yeah, thank gawd democracies never ever fall into dictatorships.

Invalid CSRF (exclusively on JT)

In democratic countries, unless you are doing something that poses a threat of some kind and triggers a red flag, being "spyed on" is no big deal. Of course under a dictatorship, merely expressing anti-government sentiment on a public forum alone could easily be considered a threat.

A U.S. government source has said Japan has become nearly the "sixth eye" for the five-nation alliance, given its proximity to China and North Korea and capabilities of collecting relevant information through satellites and signals intelligence.

Japan has been the "sixth eye" for years now. The NSA operates massive facilities at Misawa Air Force Base, Yokota Air Force Base and in Okinawa, all largely paid for by Japan. The NSA also spies on Japan and Japanese people.

https://www.rt.com/news/386016-snowden-intercept-nsa-japan/