'Struth.
If you're going to be a hero, you'd better be damn sure of your ground. And you'd also better resign yourself to going to jail or worse.
True. Sacrifice is traditionally part of being a hero, no?
But in the 21st century we have a process for changing those laws we find sucky. It's long, tedious and hard, but it's there.
Heh. That same process was in place in the US during the time of slavery; does this make those who ran the Underground Railroad criminals in the eyes of history?
It is facile to compare the ownership of one human being by another with the diaphanous "right" to be anonymous in public.
Is it? I think that that depends on how strongly one believes in anonymity, and privacy. I believe that privacy and anonymity are ENORMOUS issues given the communications technology we have today - given the technologies involved, the social issues may indeed grow to be as large to the human race as slavery. I'm prepared to use the political system as much as possible, but I have no illusions as to the effectiveness of my own efforts in the face of those with true power; those that can influence the media AND have immediate/intimate access and influence over lawmakers. I suppose the 'Net can provide some voice to the people now; but watch as the web-publishing options for the private citizen are restricted in order to cut down on 'piracy', 'child pornography', and 'viruses'. Even micro-payment schemes can kill a lot of private publishing. If a lot of people read your work, you could be ruined financially, if you are a private citizen.
My point? There are many ways that political/corporate efforts can stop efforts to retain individual freedoms that the 'powers that be' find inconvenient - even within the framework we have for changing laws in our society. There ARE times when illegal action is justified by history.
One must be prepared for the consequences, however.
And if after all that you still don't like it, then you're free to go and live somewhere else.
Uh-huh. Interesting assertion. Where? Where is there a place where privacy and anonymity is a given right that cannot be revoked (except under certain extenuating circumstances, like specific legal investigations)? Mars? THERE ARE NO MORE FRONTIERS ON EARTH. EVERYPLACE HAS BEEN CLAIMED. WE CAN NO LONGER 'ROLL OUR OWN'. Everywhere you go, you will be a subject of a government, and it's laws - so THIS assertion is indeed 'facile'.