Event+From+The+Present

Everyday Spies

 * Wire Tapping:**

Ever since September 11, 2001, ordinary people’s phone calls have been tapped into, and records kept by the government; mainly the Bush administration. AT&T, Verizon, and Bellsouth have all turned over tens of millions of phone records to the government. However, the government claimed there would be no disturbance of privacy without judiciary consent. It was said that the NSA was behind all of this eavesdropping. At first they had been listening in on conversation on international basis, yet now they have been spread to almost all conversations.


 * Chat Rooms:**

Amidst all the flirting, talking of movies, argument of politics, and etc., there is a possibility that terrorist could be plotting their next move. This is an account that the government for sure did not miss out on, and is watching. How could they not be? For there have been accounts of hackers trading passwords, software, and even credit card numbers over the internet. Yet the government does not focus on all chat rooms, just persistent ones. And to be even more precise, the government takes surveillance to those who talk one on one, even while in a chat room with others around. Since they are observing public chat rooms, there are no legal issues or violations of constitutional rights.


 * Recruiting/Drafting Spies:**

The United States of America is planning to recruit one in twenty four citizens as spies. The Bush administration aims to have millions of domestic informants. People are mainly being recruited primarily from among those whose work provides access to homes, businesses or transport systems. Letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors are among those named as targeted.

Mark Twain gave a subtle emphasis on the use of spies. However, he did use the point that getting information is easy. How the common people can easily let out details. Also, how the common people can be simply fooled. Lastly, the allusion that anyone could be a fake and almost no one can be trusted.
 * Significance:**

He shows this through how Huckleberry is allotted to leak information out of some middle-aged woman. Also how Huck was able to fool the townspeople of being a girl, then later on mislead the woman into thinking he was a runaway farmer’s apprentice. This proves that Mark Twain believes the public are fools. In the same thought process, the government and George Bush treats the United States citizens. It is as if he thinks that the public does not notice his meddling into our private and personal affairs.



main page