Santa Hired by NSA

I confess to enjoying the TV show, “Person of Interest”.  The premise is timely: the government via a super computer is capable on monitoring all of us all the time.  The good guys find out who is at risk and intervene to save them.  It is fun.  It is action packed.  It works because we believe the good guys are in fact benevolent, they are good guys. 

What if we do not trust those who monitor us to be the good guys? 

More frightening to me is the notion that if you have nothing to hide you do not care if you are monitored.

I see myself as a “good guy”.  I am plotting nothing.  I am not funding any group who would undermine this country.  If we were attacked, I would volunteer to serve, though that may be self-deception as I doubt the armed services would need the help of a little old lady.  Regardless, I love America.  I love our freedom and our way of life.  I am good guy.

Could I survive surveillance 24/7?  No, I could not.  We are all human, we are all precious and we are all flawed.  There is not a sinless person among us.  What we do when we are totally alone and off the grid is very private, very personal.  My beliefs, my thoughts, my desires are all sacred to me and I hold them near and dear in my heart of hearts and do not want them monitored.  Whether those who monitor are good guys or bad guys does not matter to me.  I do not want to be monitored.  And, I do not believe there is a monitor who is sinless.  For the Christians who bask in fear rather than grace, such surveillance is a huge motivator assuming the Almighty like Santa does in fact monitor us all the time.

At what point are we willing to sacrifice our personal freedom to be safe from attack?  Should we be able to run a red light when there is no one around?  Not anymore, we have traffic cams.  Should we be able to send an email that remains confidential?  Should we be able to explore the world of terrorism via Google without negative consequences?  We have become a monitored society.  Sadly, as we feel more at risk we sacrifice more freedoms to ensure our safety, all the while we must believe that those who monitor us are really good guys, they understand the human condition, and will forgive us if we make a simple, non-threatening mistake.

So, the perfect person for the NSA to bring on board is Santa Claus.  There are few figures that are perceived to be as totally benevolent as Santa Claus.  And yet, he may be the largest monitor of all.  Since 1934 we have taught children to accept his monitoring.  He knows when you’ve been sleeping.  He knows when you’re awake.  He knows if you’ve been bad or good, he making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.  Santa is the perfect consultant for NSA.  He already has the list!

If Santa can do it, why not the NSA? 

Duh, Santa is a fictional character, that’s why. 

Scary.