????根據(jù)皇后大學(xué)的另一項研究，日本員工據(jù)說對國家的窺探采取了一種聽天由命的態(tài)度，盡管一些人在小組討論會上聲稱非常討厭雇主侵犯自己的隱私。典型的反應(yīng)是，“如果是出于安全目的，我真的不在意政府收集我的數(shù)據(jù)?！?/p>

????對當局的信任，以及公開辯論的缺失，無疑促成了一個胸有成竹的政府。日本政府最近強行通過了一項必將顯著削弱言論自由的法案。這項已于上周正式生效的法律規(guī)定，泄露任何被日本政府視為國家安全機密的信息即構(gòu)成犯罪行為。政府官員拒絕詳細說明這項法律所指的機密包括類別，進而使得調(diào)查性新聞報道和舉報幾乎面臨絕跡的可能，因為違法者將面臨10年刑期。同時，來自反對黨的激烈異議來得太晚了。

????日本首相安倍晉三認為，就堵塞泄密丑聞頻發(fā)的政府機器而言，這些新的安全措施非常必要。此前，因日本政府的保密工作不力，美國一直不愿意與日本共享情報。

????但正如關(guān)西大學(xué)的小島清所言，與朝鮮和中國持續(xù)發(fā)酵的冷戰(zhàn)讓日本陷入新的道德恐慌之中，導(dǎo)致政府尋求通過技術(shù)手段獲得安全感?，F(xiàn)在，外國人進入日本國境時需要接受電子拍照和指紋采集。一個未獲權(quán)公開談?wù)撨@些議題的消息源透露稱，NEC公司目前也在開發(fā)一種將讓“美國堡壘”看起來像是玫瑰花環(huán)的邊境控制技術(shù)。小島清說：“因此，日本的監(jiān)視市場對NEC、索尼(Sony)和松下( Panasonic)等電子公司極具吸引力?！?/p>

????對于戰(zhàn)爭、恐怖主義和普通犯罪的恐懼猶如烏云一般籠罩在日本國民的心頭。推銷全面監(jiān)控，再也沒有比現(xiàn)在更好的時機了。盡管日本是全球最安全的國家之一，但有違事實的是，日本人聲稱他們擔(dān)心許多事情。在日本生活了15年的研究員伊萬?波普列夫說：“日本傾向于使用兩個層級評估風(fēng)險，即‘安全’和‘不安全’，通常沒有介于二者之間的層級。”

????事實上，過去60年來，這個國家原本就已經(jīng)非常低的犯罪率一直在呈下降趨勢。日本特別成功的社會凝聚力品牌促成了許多類似東京這樣的人口密集型城市。東京街頭顯然非常安全，我們時?？梢钥吹侥陜H6歲的孩童一個人步行回家。然而，這些孩子往往也是電子監(jiān)控的對象——焦慮的父母通過移動網(wǎng)絡(luò)提供的專用GPS軟件跟蹤自己的子女，這種現(xiàn)象在全世界可謂絕無僅有。

????NEC公司的宣傳口號是“創(chuàng)新帶來力量”(empowered by innovation)，但鑒于關(guān)心自身權(quán)利的日本國民少之又少，事實或許恰恰相反，日本有可能成為第一個“被創(chuàng)新奴役”(enslaved by innovation)的國家。無論本意如何，這種窺探都給濫用大開方便之門。目前并沒有任何旨在阻止這種行為的措施。有一句格言說嗎，日本是一個“被狼統(tǒng)治的綿羊之國”，如今看來似乎再貼切不過了。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：葉寒

????In another study from the University of Queens, Japanese employees reported feeling fatalistic about snooping by the state, although some voiced distaste for employer breaches of privacy during focus group discussions. "I don't really care about the government collecting data on me if it is for security purposes," was one typical response.

????Such faith in authority and a lack of public debate no doubt encouraged a confident Japanese government to recently railroad a new secrets bill into law that will significantly curtail free speech. The law, which went into effect last week, makes it a crime to divulge any secret the Japanese government deems vital to state security. Officials have refused to elaborate on what categories of secrets they are referring to, rendering investigative journalism and whistle-blowing nearly impossible, with offenders facing 10-year jail terms. Spirited dissent from the opposition came too late.

????Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has argued that the new security measures are necessary to plug a notoriously leaky government machine, which prevents the U.S. from sharing intelligence with Japan.

????But, as Kwansei University's Abe points out, a burgeoning cold war with North Korea and China has thrown Japan into new moral panic, sending the state to look to technology to make itself feel safe. Foreigners are now electronically photographed and fingerprinted at Japan's borders. NEC is also currently working on border control technology that will make "fortress America" look like a ring of roses, according to one source who was not authorized to speak publicly on these matters.

????"So the market for surveillance in Japan is very attractive for electronic companies like NEC, Sony (SNE), and Panasonic," says Kwansei University's Abe.

????Gripped by fear of war, terrorism, and crime in general, there has never been a better time to sell total surveillance to what is one of the safest countries in the world. Yet Japanese people contend they have much to fear, contrary to the facts. "Japan tends to evaluate risks using two level scales: 'safe' and 'not safe.' Often there is nothing in-between," says Ivan Poupyrev, a researcher who lived in Japan for 15 years.

????In fact, the country has a very low crime rate that has been declining over the last 60 years. Japan's particularly successful brand of social cohesion has resulted in densely crowded cities -- like Tokyo -- where it is common to see children as young as six walk home alone in apparent safety. Although those same children are often subject, like nowhere else in the world, to electronic surveillance, tracked by special GPS software provided by mobile networks to anxious parents.

????Rather than being "empowered by innovation," as NEC would have it, Japan might be the first nation to be "enslaved by innovation" given that so few of its citizens care about their rights. No matter the intentions, such snooping opens the door to abuse. Nothing is being done to stop such behavior. The maxim that Japan is a "nation of sheep ruled by wolves" never seemed so apt.