Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras • Hacker News Board

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#211

Post by jibal » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:52 PM UTC

hirako2000 wrote: post #193

ryandrake wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have believed that before 2020, but after COVID, I fully believe that if the food ran out, half the country would say it's a fake hoax. People would be on their death beds actually starving, and deny it was happening with their last breath.

Could also say that over half the population finding such ridiculous mandates justifiable: lockdowns and demands that employers enforce vaccination compliance for all employees, ordoned non democratically by a senile; in a country with constitutional rights likely meant we would not see activists engaging in vandalism anytime soon.

[flagged]

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#212

Post by mothballed » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:52 PM UTC

yardie wrote: post #178

wrs wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What confuses me is that no revolution is required. All we had to do to avoid this was to vote. Voting would still (probably) work.

Not sure if you are aware but we rarely directly get to vote on these things. You vote for a representative and hope they vote in a way that serves your interests. But now, we have omnibus bills. And it's 50/50 loaded with things we want and things we don't. The same bill that funds Pre-K will also have a section to fund a kitten shredding machine. But if you vote against it all voters will hear is how you don't want…

IIRC FDR pioneered the contemporary use of this to ram through progressive legislation, in particular social security by essentially packaging it up so the needy would get nothing in other programs if social security wasn't passed.

Though I wouldn't be surprised if the idea goes back to Roman times.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#213

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:52 PM UTC

reilly3000 wrote: post #96

Doesn’t that just mean Flock makes more money from making replacements?

[deleted]

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#214

Post by margalabargala » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:52 PM UTC

mothballed wrote: post #150

chasd00 wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i'm not a fan of lawlessness but on the other hand, i'm 100% ok with the government living in fear of the governed.

Lawlessness is superior to the law of the tyrant. Having lived or spent time in a lot of 3rd world shitholes, including a civil war, I've only really felt freedom in places with lawless lack of government, never places with 'rule of law' -- that always gets twisted for the elite. Of course the same happens in lawless regions, but power is fractured enough, there is a limit on power they can wield against the populace…

This is a personal preference and not some universal axiom.

Living under a tyrant at least tends to provide predictability and stability of a sort. The kind of violence that exists in a lawless society tends not to exist. State sanctioned violence, sure, but that's more often than not targeted.

Basically, given the choice of Somalia or North Korea, there will be a diversity of opinions as to which someone prefers. I'm not saying I prefer one to the other, just that "Somalia" is not an objectively correct choice.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#215

Post by prh8 » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:52 PM UTC

wonnage wrote: post #61

nvesp wrote: post #53

Kind of weird all of those people weren't all up in arms about it before the whole ice thing, why would you be mad that they're tracking somebody else but not mad that they have been slurping up data about your movements and habits this whole time, then monetizing said data by selling it to industries like insurance companies etc.

You should be glad they came around instead of lamenting why it didn’t happen earlier

I don't think OP is glad people came around on it

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#216

Post by overfeed » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:53 PM UTC

unclad5968 wrote: post #95

wrs wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What confuses me is that no revolution is required. All we had to do to avoid this was to vote. Voting would still (probably) work.

Who can I vote for that will stop flock cameras from being installed?

Badger your city council, work with like-minded residents in a way that can credibly threaten their re-elections, find and support privacy-conscious candidates who won't sign-onto Flock's agenda, create ads based on council meetings when councilors support surveillance in a way most voters will reject. Put their quotes on billboard with their picture, etc

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#217

Post by duskwuff » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:54 PM UTC

palata wrote: post #77

0_____0 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have worked with watt class lasers before and I implore you not to do this. Even if it's tempting. Most places where there are surveillance cameras are places where there are also people, and unless you want to hand out OD5 goggles to everyone in eyeshot... a pellet gun would be safer.

Unrelated, but I really want to take the opportunity: How can one know what is dangerous for the eyes or not? Years ago I got an "IR illuminator" (from aliexpress, probably) that I wanted to use with my raspberrypi NoIR camera, for fun. Say filming myself during the night to see how much I move while sleeping, or making my own wildlife camera trap. But I was scared that it could be dangerous and never used it (I test…

IR illuminators are not lasers. Their purpose is to cast light across a broad area, not to deliver it all to one point. They should not be harmful to vision.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#218

Post by hirako2000 » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:54 PM UTC

jibal wrote: post #211

hirako2000 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could also say that over half the population finding such ridiculous mandates justifiable: lockdowns and demands that employers enforce vaccination compliance for all employees, ordoned non democratically by a senile; in a country with constitutional rights likely meant we would not see activists engaging in vandalism anytime soon.

[flagged]

I was probably one of "you". My comment is simply calling out the liberticide episode we attended rather quietly.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#219

Post by jeffrallen » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:54 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #18

the__alchemist wrote: post #10

This breakdown in rule of law is unfortunate. Ideally, this would be handled by, in order of desirability: - Flock decision-makers and customers holding ethics as a priority, and not taking the actions they are due to sense of duty, community, morals etc - Peer pressure resulting in ostracization of Flock execs and decision makers until they stop the unethical behavior - Governments using legislation and law enforcem…

> It is not ideal, but it is necessary when the higher-desirability options are not working. What has worried me for years is that Americans would not resort to this level. That things are just too comfortable at home to take that brave step into the firing lines of being on the right side of justice but the wrong side of the law. I'm relieved to see more and more Americans causing necessary trouble. I still think th…

General strike! Close the ports, close the airports, steal dozers and park them on railroad tracks, teachers on the streets in front of their schools to protect their students, blockade the grocery distribution centers, so that the shelves go bare, just stop everything, everywhere.

When it hurts the billionaires, they will tell their politicians to invoke the 25th.

It's the only way, we've lost our democracy, but we still have economic power.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#220

Post by NBJack » Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 9:55 PM UTC

N_Lens wrote: post #153

giantg2 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"All we had to do to avoid this was to vote." Every time I hear this I cringe, whether this subject or any other. The people did vote and this is what they got - not necessarily what they specifically voted for. Different people hold things in different importance. Flock security cameras (or similar) generally don't even get noticed by the people voting on taxes, guns, abortions, etc.

Besides, establishment Democrats aren’t exactly for the common man, they’re just not as cartoonishly evil as the Republicans. Democrats would likely still be in favor of Flock cameras.

The age old tactic of vilification. It's easy to overlook all the nuances on all sides; it's a whole spectrum with plenty of overlap.

My hope in the US is that folks at least take the time to evaluate their options and/or candidates; voting a straight ticket just because someone calls themselves something can lead to undesirable outcomes.