How we cite our quotes: (Book.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"You know what I say, right? In situations like this, I agree with the Hague, with human rights activists the world over. There needs to be accountability. Tyrants can no longer hide. There needs to be, and will be, documentation and accountability, and we need to bear witness. And to this end, I insist that all that happens should be known."
The words dropped onto the screen:
ALL THAT HAPPENS MUST BE KNOWN. (1.8.65-67)
The Circle's Eamon Bailey puts all of his stock in knowledge. According to him, unlimited access to information will help to build a better world. But what's to stop people from using their newfound knowledge in unwise—or even dangerous—ways?
Quote #2
"Instead of searching the web, only to find some edited video with terrible quality, now you go to SeeChange, you type in Myanmar. Or you type in your high school boyfriend's name. Chances are there's someone who's set up a camera nearby, right? Why shouldn't your curiosity about the world be rewarded? You want to see Fiji but can't get there? SeeChange. You want to check on your kid at school? SeeChange. This is the ultimate transparency. No filter. See everything. Always." (1.8.79)
We're pretty sure that if any Circler ever uttered the words "curiosity killed the cat" in Eamon Bailey's presence, that person would be fired on the spot and would find him- or herself unable to land a job anywhere ever again.
Quote #3
"Now let's experiment a bit, using all of this together. I'm sitting at home. I log on and want to get a sense of the world. Show me traffic on 101. Streets of Jakarta. Surfing at Bolinas. My mom's house. Show me the webcams of everyone I went to high school with."
At every command, new images appeared, until there were at least a hundred live streaming images on the screen at once.
"We will become all-seeing, all-knowing." (1.8.85-87)
Eamon Bailey is a churchgoer, so it's a little surprising that he never realizes how closely his career is playing out the biblical story of the Fall. Eve didn't taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because she was super hungry—she wanted to see and understand the world in just the same way that her creator saw it. Sound like anyone we know?