More and more we are into communications; and less and less into communication.
Studs TerkelRead
Having been blacklisted from working in television during the McCarthy era, I know the harm of government using private corporations to intrude into the lives of innocent Americans. When government uses the telephone companies to create massive databases of all our phone calls it has gone too far.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the dangers of government overreach through collaboration with private companies, particularly in monitoring citizens.
Studs Terkel reflects on the chilling effects of government surveillance and the historical context of the McCarthy era, where individuals were persecuted and privacy was compromised. He warns against the alarming trend of using corporate resources for state surveillance, suggesting that such actions infringe on personal freedoms and threaten the integrity of democracy.
Themes
SurveillanceGovernmentPrivacyCorruptionFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about privacy rights, this quote can emphasize the risks of government surveillance.
More from Studs Terkel
All quotes →When it comes to the news, the corporate view is `objective,' all else is propaganda.
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Think of what's stored in an 80- or a 90-year-old mind. Just marvel at it. You've got to get out this information, this knowledge, because you've got something to pass on. There'll be nobody like you ever again. Make the most of every molecule you've got as long as you've got a second to go.
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Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better. Interweave all these communities and you really have an America that is back on its feet again. I really think we are gonna have to reassess what constitutes a 'hero'.
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We are the most powerful nation in the world, but we're not the only nation in the world. We are not the only people in the world. We are an important people, the wealthiest, the most powerful and, to a great extent, generous. But we are part of the world.
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I read somewhere that when a person takes part in community action, his health improves. Something happens to him or to her biologically. It's like a tonic.
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