Is this the future?

[lisztisforkids]

Scary stuff.

 


http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

 

[pianochick93]

I sure hope not!

[arensky]

It's now. They just don't tell you. When you use your savings member card at the supermarket it records everything you buy. Health insurance providers can (and do) have accsess to this personal information, so if you buy cigarettes they can use it as an excuse to not cover you or raise your premium. It's the same if you use your credit card. And double meat and cheeze pizzas are probably next on the health police's list.

In one of the recent American Presidential debates Mitt Romney said that his national health insurance program ( such as it was  ) would require citizens to pass a physical to be eligible for coverage. That situation is not far removed from the original link in this thread, and will probably be adopted by the Democrats for their national health plans, if they gain leverage in November.

This raises an important question. Mr. Romney says healthy people should not have to pay for the infirmities of the unhealthy (those genetically inferior freeloaders  ) through a national system. I think everyone should have accsess to medical care when they need it (like in the rest of the world ). But this requirement of "wellness" could easily become another way for the government to keep us in line. Today, cigarettes. Tomorrow, double meat and cheese pizzas. Next month... ?

At some point we have to stop this tidal wave of behavior modifying legislation and take personal responsibility for ourselves and our actions. Double meat pizzas are delicious, but as a steady diet are unhealthy.

Balance, balance... 

If we don't take care of ourselves the govt. will do it for us. Sprout subs for all! 

Broke the law, been to court? It's easy to find out if you have, and what for and how often... "Click here for our Public Accsess to Court Information". I can look up anyone who's been in court in my state. And so can your employers, teachers, and neighbors.

http://www.supreme.state.az.us/publicaccess/notification/default.asp

If someone or something wants to know about you, there's no way to stop them, except to live off of the grid, and that's a lot of trouble and time consuming. And then they will come around and want to know WHY you're living outside of society. "What's wrong, citizen?" 

Welcome to the brave new world. 

OTOH, don't give governments too much credit; look at everything they screw up. 

[gyzzzmo]

Privacy Laws in many countries prevent stuff like this to happen. At least i hope it does :p

gyzzz

[term]

At present, this is not reality. But the data is already there, only the structures to utilise it on a high level dont exist.
Privacy laws crumble away, always in the same way: silently pushed through the parliament.

[richard black]

The answer's simple enough - do as much stuff as you can in cash and avoid loyalty cards like the plague. Keep your mobile phone switched off when not in use (even better, don't use it.) And drive an old car (no trip computer, no toll tags, no GPS).

The funny thing is, I don't really care much about people tracking my habits but I get a perverse pleasure out of defeating any attempts that may be made to do so!

[arensky]

If someone or something wants to know about you, there's no way to stop them,

Welcome to the brave new world.    

More.

http://www.publicbackgroundchecks.com/DefaultSearch.aspx?view=NM

[Bob]

Use cash.

[mattgreenecomposer]

Yes this is crazy.  The second one really freaked me out.  Thanks for the info.

[chopininov]

Pssh. Most Americans were bought and sold a long time ago.

[•ÇØM]

Nope, I used that where I currently work.