I am not sure I agree with you on this in terms of police manipulating things to justify heightening security with an aim to imposing tighter laws.... but maybe it is just that I don't want to believe it. I will accept that there is likely some truth to the idea that some people are definately almost parinoid about so called homeland security. I remember when all the cameras moved in on London and how concerned people were about the violation to privacy issues with Big Brother watching. Now they seem pretty accustom to the cameras and no doubt it is just a matter of time before cameras are here too.

It may be a wave we can not avoid. Ever since 9/11 our world has been changed. The fear that dominates people's thinking has cost us our freedom and right to privacy. People responsible of security are naturally going to look for easy fixes and no doubt cameras make a lot of sense to them even if it feels like and is in a real way an invasion of our personal privacy.

I think both security and privacy are a illusion anyway. No amount of security will prevent bad people from doing bad things. Youtube and social media is doing more to erode our privacy than any public cameras will ever do. One never knows who is filming them with a phone camera only to discover it on youtube.