How about Rahm Emanuel? You think it is a good idea for the State to watch your every move? Should the FBI, the ATF, the IRS and Customs and Immigration be able to track you wherever you go? Wouldn’t it be nice if every municipality was able to issue speeding tickets retroactively without bothering to have a cop present? How about when you apply for that government job, since they’re the only ones hiring, and they get to look up every AA meeting you’ve been to? Well, holy Stalinist autocracy, Batman, this is what we got coming unless a hell of a lot of people start saying Fuck No right now. I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter what the intent is, what kind of legal “restrictions” are placed on the data. This isn’t a slippery slope, this is a sheer cliff off into the Abyss. Once they have a mandatory GPS chip in every car, what makes anyone think the state will limit it use to gouge our taxes when it could be oh so more helpful.
We can thank Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood for being the asshat to float this particular trial balloon, one the Obama administration immediatly deflated. The problem is, individual states are still considering it. You think the Feds won’t take advantage of that data?
5 Comments
S Andrew Swann · February 21, 2009 at 3:47 pm
And, by the way, if you’re one of those who say “oh, there’s nothing sinister here, they only want mileage for a different tax model, they’re not interested in the GPS location data.” I have a question for you:
Wouldn’t it be cheaper, less invasive, and more easily implemented to just take monthly/quarterly/annual odometer readings without plugging a new federally mandated electronic monitoring device in every single vehicle on the road? Why bother with GPS unless you are really interested in the location data?
A.R.Yngve · February 23, 2009 at 7:43 am
But Andrew… we MUST love Big Brother. Anything else is doubleplusungood.
😉
Mary Turzillo · February 23, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Steve, I think they do the speed ticket thing already in Canada. In fact, I think there are some limited access highways where you get a huge fine if you get on it accidentally.
And as far as electronic monitoring of vehicles, so what’s new? The more expensive new cars have a tracer so if it’s stolen or you call for help, they can find it (you), but other uses do suggest themselves. And if you have a toll booth pass, they know every time you go on the highway, when you get off, and how much over the speed limit you did to get to the exit booth in too short a time. In fact, I think several major crimes have been solved because the perp was too stupid to remember to take down his toll pass. That’s the good side, of course. The bad side is that it’s sooo easy to hack these things and stalk — anybody! I’m not worried about Big Brother, I’m worried about crooked cops who work for Big Brother. (Well, I’m a little worried about Big Brother, but — )
Your movements can also be traced by where and when you buy stuff with a credit card, and let’s face it, use your cell phone. The question is not if they should do it, but how the heck we can stop Them from abusing it worse than they do already.
S Andrew Swann · February 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Thing is, with most of those (outside the Canada example) you opt into the process. This is the State saying you MUST record your every move. This is like having the phone carriers record all voice communications and saving them, just in case Big Brother needs them.
But I’m sure the government will only use its power for good.
Genrewonk » Or, do you want Rahm Emanuel to know where you surf? · February 23, 2009 at 8:02 am
[…] as the Republicans, just with different rhetoric. Example, you ask? Well, the Democrats want to know your every move so they can tax you more efficiently, the Republicans want to know your every move so they can protect us from “criminals […]
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