It appears that DARPA is going forward with a prototype of a system that can monitor every purchase made in the United States. The people behind this are exactly the kind of vermin that I expected to crawl out from under the woodwork when 9/11/01 hit.
I have a huge problem with this kind of all-encompassing database. It allows the government to go snooping around in our private lives without any resonable suspicion that we've done anything wrong. This goes against everything that our system represents. Because of the abuses they suffered at the hands of the British, our founders established a system that requires the "authorities" to get a warrant if they want to dig through my life (although the courts have carved out some exceptions based on exigent circumstances). The warrant must be based on some resonable evidence that I may actually be involved in some kind of crime. I contend that this is in effect a search of our private financial records without a warrant (especially if the system is mining the data looking for patterns). Further, I don't give a damn how many so-called safeguards and reassurances that they make, the government is not trustworthy enough to have this level of access to our private information.
Further down in the article some lawyer (I'm not sure how he's involved in this, but I find his trust in government disturbing) had this to say:
I find it somewhat counter intuitive that people are not concerned that telemarketers and insurance companies can acquire this data but feel tremendous trepidation if a government ventures into this arena. To me it just smacks of paranoia," said David Rivkin, an attorney for Baker & Hostetler LLP.I hate to break it to you, Mr. Rivkin, but not all of us are sheep. I was already deeply concerned and upset that telemarketers and insurance companies and a whole host of other malefactors had access to this data. The government concerns me even more because they could use innocent transactions to brand me a terrorist¹. Once that happens, it'll be damn near impossible to undo the damage. If you think you can trust the government, just remember all the illegal wiretaps and surveillance done by the FBI during the J. Edgar Hoover years. I can hear the objections, though: But we can trust the government now, it's all under control. I don't trust them and I don't trust any so-called "safeguards." But even if you could trust them, what about the next administration or the one after that? The American people were promised in the 1930's that the Social Security number would never be used for anything but Social Security. Now you're required to give up your SSN for damn near everything. Government, like kudzu, expands into any available space and is darn near impossible to remove once it gets there.
And don't give me that old crap about if you don't have anything to hide, why would this bother you? If you know or care so little about freedom that you can't comprehend my objection to this, then you don't belong to be a citizen of this country. Harsh? Damn skippy! I'm sick and tired of this crap. I've had enough.
¹ Think I'm kidding? I collect firearms. Last week I withdrew $2000 before I went to the gun show over the weekend. I purchased two guns there. Consider this:
Aldridge said the database, which he called another "tool" in the war on terror, would look for telltale signs of suspicious consumer behavior.I guess that makes me a suspicious character under their scheme. I object to them even knowing about this because it's none of their damn business what I do with my money or what guns I buy unless they can cite some actual evidence that I'm involved in some kind of wrongdoing. I don't want government agents to show up at my door everytime I make a purchase at a gun show (or anywhere else for that matter). Of course, some statist will probably scurry out to say, "But we all have to sacrifice some of our freedoms so we can be safe." Once again, this is utter crap. Any society that values safety over freedom will have neither (that's not just some catchy slogan, it's cold hard truth, which has been demonstrated time and time again). It is impossible to guarantee total safety. I'd rather live free and cope with danger than be shackled in safety. Posted by Aubrey at November 21, 2002 09:33 AMExamples he cited were: sudden and large cash withdrawals, one-way air or rail travel, rental car transactions and purchases of firearms, chemicals or agents that could be used to produce biological or chemical weapons.