Peekaboo Crime Prevention

The city of Los Angeles is installing a bunch of cameras to cut down on trafficking of pirated DVD's on the mean streets of the L.A. garment district.

One of the most disturbing things about this is that the RIAA has contributed $186,000 for the system. I dunno, maybe I'm just being persnickety but it seems to me that when a private corporation finances the tools for enforcing crime to which the contributor has a vested interest there is a hint of conflict of interest. Say it with me kids - Corporate Statism. Don't know what it means? Go look it up. That's your homework. I expect a full report in the comments section.

The other disturbing thing about our march toward a surveillance society is our old friend Mr. Slippery Slope.

Where does it end? When are they going to mandate that cars driving on public roads must be equipped with cameras for 'public safety' reasons? Even if they're pointed outward that's a problem. I don't want to be giving any pubic, ...sorry, public official any ideas but if you coupled a GPS unit with an on board camera that automatically turned on when driving on a public road you would greatly increase safety because everyone would drive as if a cop was trailing them. The insurance companies would back this as well because it would be easier to determine who was responsible for an accident. It should go without saying that the lawyers would love it.