Total surveillance is sold under guise of preventing terrorism, but the main effect is simple: it allows the status quo to become entrenched and permanent.<p>You are rendered economically exploitable and politically neutered. There is a reason the state and intelligencies, from the Pinkertons to the FBI, have had a historical obsession with extensive spying on political movements and economic assembly. Both have real potential to change society.<p>Would the civil or labor rights movements be possible under these conditions? Both threatened the bottom lines of powerful people. The FBI tried to persuade MLK to commit suicide by digging up dirt from his love life. He was considered a national security threat[0].<p>[0] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.nytimes.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;11&#x2F;16&#x2F;magazine&#x2F;what-an-uncensored-letter-to-mlk-reveals.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.nytimes.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;11&#x2F;16&#x2F;magazine&#x2F;what-an-uncens...</a>