Post #8: EOTO False Flags

    I chose to do my second Each One Teach One on the topic of false flags. False flags have been surrounded with a history of deviousness, conspiracy, and overall a whole lot of deception. So what is a false flag anyway? A false flag is when an individual or group of people commit an act and cover it up by making it appear to have been committed by another individual or group. This is usually a tactic for war but it can be utilized on a much smaller scale.

    The first historical uses of false flags were privateers and pirates during the 16th century. These groups would fly the flag of another group to lure in ships associated with that group. They would then wait for the enemy ship to come close enough and attack. This is how the name false flag came about for this tactic.

    Modern uses of this tactic are more-so for wars and disputes between countries. In the 1950's, the U.S. and the U.K. began to bomb mosques in Iran. They then went on to blame these attacks on communist who were sympathetic to the government of Iran. This false flag campaign was set in motion because Iran's Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, had nationalized the country's oil industry. Mosaddegh was taken out of his position and the nationalization was reverted.

    What exactly are the implication of false flags? Are they a good or bad thing? Well, the implications are very tricky. When used, false flags can severely misrepresent reality, leading hundreds of thousands of people to believe a lie. This is just one of the reasons for why false flags are ultimately a morally bad tactic. Another reason for why the morals of false flags do not stand is that it usually targets a group of people that will suffer for the gain of another group or individual. This tactic is only good for one reason and that reason is that it is immensely useful for those who wield it. It is a sound tactic that will usually yield favorable results. This reason does not justify the negative effects that it places onto the world.

    As we have seen in the past, false flags are an incredibly powerful tactic that can sway the opinion of the masses and grant you what you wish. The granting of the wish comes with a price that is too high to justify morally. This horrible tactic negatively affects the entire world to the point of certain historical moments being questioned with conspiracy and innocent people unjustly paying a price. While effective, this tactic does nothing but hurt innocent people for the gain of those who wield it. 

Blog #7: Online Privacy

     

    Our privacy is something that we all hold dear. Even those of us that are more casual with our privacy still wish to have it. So obviously, when this privacy is violated or ignored, we become irritated and uneasy. With technology having such a large impact in our modern lives, it is upsetting to learn just how often they are used to violate our privacy.

    While watching these TED Talks on online privacy, there was one that shocked me the most. Learning how police officers are using cameras to track certain people was shocking and scary. Unfortunately we live in a time where we almost expect for big tech companies and the federal government to invade our privacy, but learning how your local police force may know when and where you go anywhere is truly terrifying. We discussed in class how this could lead to cases of sensitive information becoming shared. Examples such as going to a mosque and being put on a watch list simply because of practicing your religion. That example is mild in comparison to some of the possibilities.

    When it comes to government interference in these matters, sometimes they would have to interfere with themselves and their own actions. This leads to nothing happening because they know what they're doing and want to continue their actions. Besides that point, I do not believe that, in the current state of outdated laws, the government can do much of anything on these issues. Most of them lie within areas like the terms and conditions when downloading an app. Technically, we agree to our privacy being violated and there is not much that the government can do about that.

    What we can do to help ourselves stay safe in our technologically advanced world is decently simple. A very easy way to keep our information safe is to use pseudonyms instead of entering our real information on the internet. Staying anonymous through fake information is a very valid way of staying safe. This is just one way of keeping your information out of the hands of those who don't need to know it. While there are many who wish to use our lack of privacy for their own gain, we can combat them with good habits that keep our information safe.