Surveillance Policy and Critical Arguments A Guide for the Debater

FIVE KRITIKS OF SURVEILLANCE POLICY 1. Kritiks of surveillance. 2. Privacy rights are absolute. 3. The kritik of terror talk. 4. The kritik of rights being absolute. 5. The kritik of Islamophobia.

KRITIK OF SURVEILLANCE  The government will exercise power over its citizens.  The government will surveil minority communities.  Surveillance allows control over its citizens.

ANSWERING THE SURVEILLANCE KRITIK 1)Surveillance is inevitable 2) “Sousveillance” will combat surveillance 3) Surveillance will benefit minorities and the general population

PRIVACY RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTE  Privacy is the right to be left alone  Privacy rights are key to all other liberties  Rights should be protected absolutely

ANSWERING “PRIVACY RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTE”  Many limitations have been placed on privacy  Privacy rights harm women.  Privacy rights are classist.

THE KRITIK OF TERROR TALK  Surveillance is justified by an irrational fear of terrorists  Terrorists are just freedom fighters by another name  The term terrorist is racist and should be rejected.

ANSWERING THE KRITIK OF TERROR TALK 1)Terrorism should always be rejected. 2)Terrorism can be defined. 3)The US does not engage in terrorist acts.

RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTE 1) Rights are a “trump” to other actions 2) The only way to give meaning to rights is to make them absolute 3) Consequentialism is impossible

ANSWERING THE ARGUMENT THAT “RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTE” 1)Rights always come with limitations 2) Rights conflict with each other 3)Rights should be evaluated in context 4) Competing interests can outweigh rights

ISLAMOPHOBIA 1)Surveillance is justified by an irrational fear of Muslims 2) Islamophobia is racist And should be rejected 3) Islamophobia only fuels radical Islam

Answering Islamophobia 1)Challenge the thesis: Americans are very tolerant of Muslims. 2) Islamic radicalism is different than ordinary Muslim actions. 3) Islamophobia only increases when we are afraid to challenge radical Islam.