DATE=4/22/99
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-31887
TITLE="THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY," BY DAVID BRIN 
BYLINE=DAN NOBLE
TELEPHONE=202 619-1014
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=NANCY SMART

CONTENT=

(ATTN.: TECHNOLOGY)

HOST:    IN 1997, NEW YORK CITY SET UP 24-HOUR REMOTE 
         SURVEILLANCE IN CENTRAL PARK.  BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, NOW 
         HAS MORE THAN 100 CAMERAS SET UP TO SCAN DOWNTOWN 
         INTERSECTIONS.  AND, SUPERMARKETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY 
         AUTOMATICALLY RECORD PURCHASES.  AS DAN NOBLE REPORTS, A
         NEW BOOK DISCUSSES SOME OF THESE HIGH-TECH DEVELOPMENTS.
           

TEXT:    "...NEW COMMUNICATION ARTS PROVE AT ONCE BOTH EMPOWERING
         AND POTENTIALLY MANIPULATIVE OF THE COMMON MAN OR 
         WOMAN."  THAT'S THE PREMISE OF "THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY:
         WILL TECHNOLOGY FORCE US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PRIVACY AND 
         FREEDOM," BY DAVID BRIN. 

TAPE:    CUT ONE -- DAVID BRIN (0:24) 

         IN BRITAIN TODAY CRIME RATES HAVE PLUMMETED DRAMATICALLY
         BECAUSE THERE ARE HALF A MILLION CLOSED CIRCUIT TV 
         CAMERAS ON STREETS IN ALMOST EVERY CITY AND TOWN. THESE 
         CAMERAS REPORT TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND STREET CRIME 
         HAS DEFINITELY GONE DOWN IN THESE PLACES.  THE PROBLEM 
         OF HAVING EVERYTHING YOU DO OUT IN THE PUBLIC GOING TO 
         POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS A BOTHERSOME ONE."

TEXT:    MR. BRIN SAYS HE IS CONCERNED  THAT THE  USE OF 
         HIGH-TECH CAMERAS LINKED TO A POLICE NETWORK LEAD TO 
         MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SURVELLIANCE OF CITIZENS.  BUT, HE 
         NOTES THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING THESE 
         SOPHISTICATED MONITORING DEVICES.

TAPE:    CUT TWO -- DAVID BRIN (0:22)

         "ONE IS THAT ALL THE CAMERAS REPORT TO THE POLICE.  THE 
         OTHER IS BEING TRIED IN SOME AMERICAN CITIES, LIKE 
         CHICAGO, WHERE EVERYONE CAN USE THE CAMERAS AND 
         ESPECIALLY, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, USE THE CAMERAS TO 
         SUPERVISE THE POLICE SO THAT THE POLICE CAN'T GET AWAY 
         WITH BEATING ANYBODY.  THEY HAVE TO BE ON THEIR BEST AND
         MOST PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING 
         WATCHED."

TEXT:    THE TREND TOWARD A LOSS OF PRIVACY IS ONE THAT DAVID 
         BRIN SAYS IS TOO LATE TO CHANGE -- BUT NOT NECESSARILY 
         BAD.  

TAPE:    CUT THREE -- DAVID BRIN (0:54)

         "LET ME GIVE YOU A PARADOX HERE.  THROUGHOUT HUMAN 
         HISTORY NO GOVERNMENT EVER KNEW MORE ABOUT ITS PEOPLE 
         THAN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT KNOWS ABOUT ITS 
         PEOPLE.  HERE IS A SECOND FACT: IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY,
         NO PEOPLE HAVE EVER BEEN SO FREE.  NOW, AT FIRST SIGHT, 
         THESE TWO FACTS CLASH.  THEY CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.  
         THEY CAUSE YOUR BRAIN TO SPLIT.  HOW CAN IT BE THAT WITH
         THE MOST KNOWLEDGABLE-ABOUT-THE-PEOPLE  THAT'S EVER 
         BEEN, THE PEOPLE ARE SO FREE?  IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE 
         MISSING A THIRD FACT THAT MAKES THE PARADOX MAKE SENSE. 
         IN ALL OF HISTORY, NO PEOPLE EVER KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT 
         THEIR GOVERNMENT.  WE JUST WENT THROUGH IT WITH THE 
         WHOLE MONICA-GATE THING AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE PEOPLE 
         LEARNED, PERHAPS, MORE THAN THEY WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT 
         THEIR GOVERNMENT.  BUT, THAT IS HOW WE'VE KEPT OUR 
         FREEDOM.  NOT BY KEEPING THINGS SECRET BUT BY DRAGGING 
         THINGS INTO THE OPEN."

TEXT:    "SECRECY," EXPLAINS MR. BRIN, "HAS NEVER BEEN VERY 
         HELPFUL TO THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM."

TAPE:    CUT FOUR -- DAVID BRIN (0:

         "IT'S USUALLY A TECHNIQUE USED BY ONE ELITE OR ANOTHER 
         TO KEEP FROM BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.  LOOK AT IT THIS 
         WAY: WE HAVE FOUR GREAT INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE 
         RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 
         DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE SYSTEMS, SCIENCE AND FREE MARKETS.  
         ALL FOUR OF THESE ARE ACCOUNTABILITY ARENAS IN WHICH 
         COMPETITORS COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER TO SEE WHO IS RIGHT.
         THEY ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.  IN THE MARKET IT'S BY WHO 
         GETS TO SELL MORE, BY PROVING THAT THEY HAVE BETTER 
         MARKETS.  IN DEMOCRACY IT'S BY YELLING AT EACH OTHER A 
         WHOLE LOT UNTIL PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR MINDS.  IN SCIENCE 
         ITS DONE MORE PRIMLY.  BUT IN ALL FOUR OF THESE SYSTEMS 
         THE KEY WORD IS ACCOUNTABILITY."

TEXT:    AND, CONCLUDES DAVID BRIN, AUTHOR OF "THE TRANSPARENT 
         SOCIETY," THE REAL ISSUE "FACING CITIZENS OF THE NEW 
         CENTURY WILL BE HOW MATURE ADULTS CHOOSE TO LIVE 
         TOGETHER.  WILL WE," HE ASKS "BE ABLE TO WATCH THE 
         'WATCHERS'?  OR WILL WE FOOL OURSELVES INTO THINKING 
         THAT WE CAN'T BE WATCHED?" (SIGNED)

NEB/DN/NES   

22-Apr-99 10:58 AM EDT (1458 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.