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Privacy Has Become an Anachronism Geoff Metcalf Who could deny that privacy is a jewel? It has always been the mark of privilege, the distinguishing feature of a truly urbane culture. – Phyllis McGinley I've been talking about subdermal biochip implants for a decade and writing about them for eight years:
The rationale is to enable them to scan an arm and obtain that person's identity and medical history. The chips would replace the metal dog tags that have been worn by U.S. military personnel since 1906. This is the camel's butt in the tent. It has long been observed that on the road to mandatory subdermal biochip implantation, incrementalism would be the key. First you implant those who can't say no: the prison population, the military, government workers, etc. Then the universe is expanded to those who want/need government services, then those who want/need to travel, buy gasoline, etc., until the unbranded minority is compelled by necessity to accept the 'accepted.' VeriChip has already established a robust business in Latin America, where kidnapping is a boutique industry.
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VeriChip spokeswoman Nicole Philbin says, "The potential for this technology doesn't just stop at the civilian level." Company officials have touted the chips as versatile, able to be used in a variety of situations such as helping track illegal immigrants or giving doctors immediate access to patients' medical records. Several years ago I wrote about a discussion I had on my radio talk show in San Francisco: "I made a passing reference to the Sylvester Stallone-Wesley Snipes movie 'Demolition Man.' In it, everyone in the future is required to have a sub-dermal biochip implant. The device held an individual's entire personal history: medical, financial, health history, criminal record, etc. I noted that although it was science fiction, the technology exists NOW. "It has been 'suggested' that sub-dermal biochip implants could/would assist the military in locating downed pilots. After all, it costs a lot of money to train a jet jockey and if or when they crash, they are a valuable resource that should be recovered as soon as possible. Parents could/should have them implanted in their children to aid in locating them if lost or kidnapped. If or when that estranged spouse kidnaps your child, GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) could track the child's exact whereabouts. Heck, cars and cell phones now have GPS units that offer help on demand road assistance at the push of a button – even if YOU don't know where you are." VeriChip's heavy political clout is accented by having the former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, on its board of directors.
Thompson assured reporters that the chip is safe and that no one – not even military personnel, who are required by law to follow orders – will be forced to accept an implant against his or her will. Yeah ... for now. Not everybody agrees with Thompson. The idea of implanting the chips in live bodies has some veterans' groups and privacy advocates worried, big time. Liz McIntyre, co-author of "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," said that VeriChip is "a huge threat" to public privacy. "They'll start with people who can't say no, like the elderly, sex offenders, immigrants, and the military. Then they'll come knocking on our doors." In other words, to rewrite Ben Franklin, it is necessary to sacrifice a whole lot of freedom for a little security. Big-Flipping-Brother knows where you are ALL the time. The very concept of privacy becomes an anachronism. The myopic hubris of bureaucratic sphincters is sufficient to gag a maggot. Those of us who still intend to defend and protect the Constitution against ALL enemies foreign AND domestic are, by the definition of "The Controllers," "social misfits, kooks, and rebels." However, according to the FBI definition, they are terrorists: "Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against person or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian populace, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."
Geoff is an author and talk show host. He is a ninth-generation commissioned officer in the U.S. armed services, a former Green Beret, and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Geoff hunts down the stories the rest of the media ignore and exposes them for public scrutiny. He is also Editor of CalNews.com.
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