MovieChat Forums > The Wire (2002) Discussion > Propaganda for Mass Surveillance?

Propaganda for Mass Surveillance?

posted 8 years ago by Lycian
3 replies | jump to latest

The show always depicts the state officials trying to use "surveillance" on black mafia. But officials most of the time fails to do surveillance for various reasons starting with "law."

Don't get it wrong. They do their thing. But there is a constant issue in the series. State trying to conduct surveillance and being precluded by the law. As if state officials would catch the "bad guys" if they could!

A message is given:

Let the state have more resources and regulations to conduct "electronic surveillance" !!

The series started in 2002. Now it's 2016. Now it's a post-Snowden world.

We are now living in a world in which we all know powerful-enough states, especially the USA and its English speaking kin-states (Five Eyes) conduct unprecedented mass surveillance on the world including their own citizens.

So... What do you think? Was that show a tool for manufacturing consent?

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[–] BigBadDolemite 8 years ago

No, I don't think so. Mass Surveillance was well underway before the show started. In fact its one of themes of season 1. Just about every episode has someone being filmed on some type of surveillance camera.

So definitely not to manufacture the consent. Maybe to reaffirm the consent...

[–] andy5868 8 years ago

That made me instantly think of this program they have been doing in Baltimore. It has come under scrutiny for being too intrusive but could certainly help. Their murder rate just hit the highest of all time. They need all the help they can get.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-baltimore-secret-surveillance/

[–] Lycian 8 years ago

Interesting paper.

But I doubt surveillance will stop murder or at least decrease murder rate.

Criminals are not stupid. They won't murder in front of cameras, if there is one. It seems that surveillance has nothing to do with high profile crimes like terrorism, drugs, murder, mafia, human trafficing, etc.

Those criminals who do those kinds of stuff are smart people who use sophisticated techniques to succeed. All the technology and surveillance system governments have for decades... Those crimes didn't disappear.

IMHO, surveillance only hits normal people. You are being watched, recorded, profiled, assessed etc. You become a "file" for the state.

Crimes and criminals don't disappear but our files get bigger and bigger.

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http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=15227539