Hello,
I was with my brother and his group of friends, and one of his friends was talking about various drugs. My brother told him, “Shut up, you’re going to put us on a watchlist,” and he said it in a serious tone. It felt pretty dystopian when he said that; honestly, it was a bit eerie, mostly because he’s being controlled and self-censoring without anyone there, and he seems to be aware of the freedom he’s giving up, yet he continues to act this way. I’ve talked to my brother about privacy and why it’s important many times, but he would rather live this type of controlled life and doesn’t care because “they already know everything about me anyway.” He’s in his early 20s.
Has anyone else had moments like this?
It’s funny you mention that. I had a blog during the W years and often posted questionable content about the administration. One day while reviewing logs, I noticed a LOT of traffic that resolved to Arlington VA. I toned it down after that, as I wasn’t keen on spooks crawling up my ass.
Self censorship is a topic that turns cold when you realize you’re making yourself a very real target.