[pp.int.general] Of State and Main (I can't come up withabetter subject)

[Per von Zweigbergk]

8 jan 2009 kl. 11.01 skrev Reinier Bakels:

> In my perception, it is (therefore) much more useful to address  
> specific, concrete issues rather than (indeed) philosophical  
> arguments from human rights? To give just a handful examples 1) ex- 
> post analysis of actual terrorist attacks shows that thety would not  
> have been prevented by more surveillance - actually the 9/11 attacks  
> could have been prevented if the various agencies would have  
> cooperated more closely to evaluate the *available* data 2) unlike  
> proponents of mass surveillance usually argue, innocent citizens are  
> likely to suffer, not just because of the intangible discomfort of  
> "being watched", but also due to the risk of "false positives", by  
> fraud or mistakes.


These are useful arguments, yes, and no strategy should ever be based  
on a single argument known to be incomplete or possible to counter.  
You don't win a sea battle with only cannons. But you also don't win a  
sea battle with only ships.

That doesn't mean that pirates can't use human rights arguments as  
well. If we don't use human rights arguments, and politicians working  
against our interest use them, we'll have lost on that issue. We have  
a different interpretation of what a proper balance should be, that  
does not mean we should entirely abandon the human rights argument  
because some politician might come with a different interpretation. We  
can't be afraid of confrontation, then we can do nothing.

Different arguments are useful in different scenarios. Practical  
arguments like the ones you suggest are useful when debating specific  
laws and specific types of laws, but I believe human rights arguments  
are vital to establish an ideology. It's not either human rights or  
practical arguments -- both should be used, and the correct argument  
chosen for the appropriate situation.
-- 
Per von Zweigbergk

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