the loss of privacy

While Americans bemoan their loss of privacy — and allow me to ululate right along with you — it is helpful to recall our own role in this gradual process of, shall we say, regurgitative knowingness.

That is, our apparent willingness to show and tell every little thing in the quest to be known. Fame and Celebrity are, by comparison, higher callings than whatever compels strangers to display, say, their tongues (or other points of anatomical interest) in the public forum of social media. These acts of baboonery, not so feigned after all, are unsubtly reminiscent of chimpanzees who, unconsciously aware of the camera’s hostile intrusion, try to offend it with grimaces, grins and lingual extrusions.

Now, suddenly we’re offended that national security operatives are following our behavior patterns?