Want to see the least efficient way to do just about anything? Look at the federal government...

My understanding regarding speed cameras (and red light tickets, etc.) is that they are reviewed and signed off on by a police officer of that jurisdiction (sitting in front of a computer someplace), as citations need to be issued by an officer... Probably makes it even easier since they can just check a box saying "plate was too blurry" or some crap like that whenever they see whatever logo or type of plate they are lax about. Makes it easier to fake a plate and get out of it, but I'm sure that when you have the plate and get pulled over by the cop and can't produce the card that goes with it, or produce the name/phone number of the cop that gave you the PBA card, or whatever, that you're going to get it and get it HARD (seatbelt tickets and everything else they can make up) to make sure it's not worth it...

RTFA.

they rent the space in the mine...

So what sector radar do you get handed off to when you go 250 miles off shore?

Not just the anti-oil people, but the people who own those railroads you speak of... Oh, right, Warren Buffet...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/...

I think they key there is newspaper... I may be completely backwards on this, but I thought you didn't need a release when used for news reporting... That same photo on a billboard advertisement is completely different. (Again, I think it has something to do with profiting from the image)

You don't get it... This is the recycling you speak of! My town used to have a couple days a year you could drop off electronics and they would "recycle" them by giving the gear to companies where it would be sent to less developed nations where "outdated technology could still be used". They just don't tell you that when they were done with it (or if they had no use for it) that this this is how it would be used...

Yup, these people are greedy, they would rather burn this stuff, risking personal injury, to extract what little value is left from this "junk" than starve to death... Those greedy bastards!

I do at least agree with your last point, that not every news story requires action as a response, because there is no easy or quick answer on how to deal with this problem... But knowing about it will hopefully help us make better decisions in the future. Still though, planned obsolescence and disposable everything will probably continue to be "the norm".

A few reasons I can think of:
- The only thing better than information about your target/citizenry is more information about your target/citizenry
- Lets you see how much/what type of information is collected by your counterparts/competition in other countries, which can give you a good idea about their capabilities
- To make it appear that they don't have that information already (works for both other countries and your own public)

You need to be in possession/show valid government issued ID to:

- board a plane
- rent a car
- drive a car
- hunt
- enroll in college
- buy alcohol

These requirements are imposed by entities ranging from government to private companies, and nobody has ever deemed it a problem before. Now people try and require ID to vote in an effort to curb voter fraud and it's suddenly a problem. Tell me there's no voter fraud? Tell me that the "11 million" illegals in the country currently have no reason to vote (illegally) for politicians who support giving them amnesty. Or should I sell you a bridge?