reply to post by HappilyEverAfter
Absolutely. Freedom is the ability to choose your destiny. The chip is just the method by which they can read your activity. It's no different
whether I carry it in my wallet or have an intra-muscular implant. If you don't think the government can't get information from what you currently
do, you'd probably be surprised. Those of you with fertile imaginations though, won't be.
I'd participate in the plan knowing that I could get out at any time by having the implant removed, but would then give up all the benefits bestowed
by it.
Make no mistake this IS the direction technology is going. The same warnings were given about bar codes back in the 70's and everything is barcoded.
I doubt you'll ever see mandatory chipping, but you'll see incentives for people to do it. Over a fairly short slice of time, maybe 15 or 20 years,
there will be more people chipped than not and there may even turn out to be a "class-gap" where you'll see the people who are chipped have more
than people who aren't. But this won't be discrimination, as people will still decide if they want to participate or not. The same BASIC rights will
be available to everyone, but for those people willing to give up a bit of their privacy, yes, it will involve a small loss of privacy, they will end
up getting all the benefits that are extolled by having a chip.
Here's a few things about RFID that you need to know. It needs a strong magnetic field to charge the chip to broadcast information. Latent ambient
fields aren't enough. The broadcast range is anywhere from a few inches to a few dozen meters depending on the type of RF it's using. They can't be
tracked if they aren't powered. The chip would likely not contain the information, but would have basic info like an ID number or possibly name,
birthday, security information to protect your ID and possibly a picture.
The information required to track you is already out there. You don't need to wait for a chip for that to happen. Nor do you need to wait for it to
be centralized. Unless you use cash or barter for EVERYTHING including being paid in cash, you're being kept track of right now, even. This isn't
some nefarious scheme, it's just data mining and gathering. In the future, all that info, no matter how insignificant will be used to do things like
plan traffic light patterns, and police patrols, and electrical peak requirements, and even find cures for diseases and causes of incidents and
accidents yet to occur.
People afraid of change will continue to be afraid. The paranoid will still continue, even though the quality of the majority of lives will be greatly
increased through these changes.
Yes, some people will probably use this power inappropriately, and there is only so much power that people will give up.
I'd participate in the chipping plan under the conditions specified by the OP though. In my eyes, I'm only giving up inconveniences and picking up a
few efficiencies along the way.
[edit on 25-3-2010 by grahag]
