Imagine that it is 10-20 years in the future and you need to do some grocery shopping. No longer do you pay with cash; in fact, there are no longer any cashiers in stores; everything is almost entirely computerized. To enter the store, you either scan your wrist (which has an RFID chip in it) or scan an ID card that identifies you; allowing you to enter the store. You grab your cart, which has sensors that identify the goods you put into it; providing you with a running total of how much you are spending. Then, when you check out, you scan your wrist, or ID card again, and the amount of your purchase is automatically deducted from your account. No fuss, no muss; in and out without having to wait in long lines with slow cashiers who can’t count the correct change, right?
That all sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it; pretty far-fetched and futuristic. Well, welcome to the future friends and neighbors, Amazon has a chain of stores in Great Britain that operate very similarly to what I just described. In fact, the only difference between what I described and these stores is that you scan a QR code on your phone to enter and pay, instead of an RFID chip in your wrist; but that is something that they could easily go to, if they wanted.
While some people might welcome that kind of convenience with open arms, it disturbs me on a level that is hard to describe. I’ve seen the changes in the way we buy things; both in how the stores ring us up when we check out, and in the way we pay, and I don’t like the path we’re on.
I remember going into stores where your goods were rung up on a massive cash register where the clerk had to manually enter in the amount, then calculate the sales tax to give you your total. I also remember that these cash registers only totaled your goods; the clerks had to be able to count how much change to give you. I also remember that most people paid for their day-to-day purchases with cash; checks were used to pay bills, or make big purchases; such as a new appliance. Of course, back then, you didn’t need to take out a second mortgage to go grocery shopping either!
Then, along came computerized cash registers that, not only calculated your total, they also told the cashier how much change to give back. Those were soon followed by those bar code scanners; replacing the price tags that sometimes fell off. Now, a good number of people don’t even use cash; preferring instead to pay for their transactions with debit cards. I’ve even seen people by a soda or a candy bar with their debit cards. On top of all that, you have stores, like WalMart, that are eliminating cashiered lanes for checkout and going to debit only.
Like I said, I see where all this is headed, and I don’t like it very much…
For one thing, I don’t like that these stores keep computerized records of my shopping habits; which they often sell to advertisers. But it’s not just the fact that they sell that data to advertisers that bothers me; it is the idea that they are keeping records of how what I buy, how much of it I buy, and how often I buy it. Let me explain why I don’t like that.
When I was stationed down at Eglin AFB in Florida, I had a friend who was a drunk; a big time drunk! His choice of beverage was Jim Beam, and he used to go to the Class Six store (the base liquor store) every day to buy a fifth of it. To make a purchase there you had to show your ID and a Class Six card as well. In any case, after a month or so of buying a fifth of whiskey a day, my friend was called into the commander’s office; they had been keeping tabs on how much whiskey he was buying, and they turned him in for excessive drinking. Not only did they turn him in, he was ordered to report to the hospital; where he was given an injection that made him violently ill if he took even a sip of alcohol.
That is why I don’t like them keeping tabs on how many beans, bullets, or band aids I buy; it’s nobody’s business but my own! I’ll get back to this shortly, but for now there is something else I wish to discuss.
I don’t think people truly realize the extent to which they are surveilled, monitored, and spied upon, or if they do, they don’t care; they accept it as part of living in the modern-day world. Those who watch us (Big Brother if you will) know more about most people than they know about themselves. That’s scary, if you think about it…unfortunately, most people don’t think about it.
People laugh when someone begins talking about RFID chips; calling them conspiracy theorists and nutcases. Yet these same people take their pets into the vet to have an RFID chip implanted under their pet’s skin in case they get lost; so that they can be identified with a scanner by any veterinarian. There have even been cases of people having RFID chips implanted in them; containing identification, medical records, and even financial records. People worry about having their debit card info, or ID stolen, yet they put all that info on a chip under their skin, where anyone with a scanner could access it? What the hell are they thinking? Oh, that’s right, they aren’t thinking; forgive me.
Most people never stop to think that they are carrying a tracking device on them; in the form of their smart phone. Thanks to the GPS identifier inside those phones a person’s location can be found almost instantly; not to mention where they have been, how long they spent at each location, and, how frequently they visit certain locations. Not only that, the GPS tracker can be used to pinpoint your location should they wish to call in a drone strike on you. Oh, you think I’m joking?
A former drone operator for the military’s Joint Special Operations Command told reporters, “Rather than confirming a target’s identity with operatives or informants on the ground, the CIA or the US military then orders a strike based on the activity and location of the mobile phone a person is believed to be using.” What if the target loaned their phone out to their wife, or friend? I wonder how many Iraqi’s were killed by mistake because they had borrowed an intended targets phone, or were simply collateral damage when a drone strike was called in on a suspected terrorist? Did special ops just say ‘oops’ and move on to the next target?
The point is, the capability is there; so, don’t laugh at me when I say that the possibility that it could be used against American citizens on American soil exists. You say that could never happen in America. Well, your grandparents probably thought the same thing about almost everything that you take for granted as part of life today either; so, don’t laugh. If you put your trust in mankind, that people in your own country would never do anything like that, you are both naïve and a fool; especially if you are aware of even a portion of the evil things your government is guilty of!
How many of you have ever watched any of the movies about professional hitmen; movies like The Jackal, or The Mechanic? In those movies, the hitman monitors the activities of their target; they watch them to find patterns of behavior so that they can choose the best place to pull off the hit. Now I’m not saying that government is planning a hit on anyone; but I’m not saying it couldn’t happen; just ask Vince Foster.
The point is, they track, monitor, surveil and spy upon their target to identify patterns of behavior. Think back to my friend in the Air Force; was his behavior not being monitored to determine that he was drinking too much Jim Beam, and this was back in 1984. I once had a supervisor, when I was a civilian contractor for the military, who had been involved in the Air Forces spy plane programs for most of his career; both as a civilian and an active-duty service member. He once told me that if I see something in the movies regarding how the government can spy upon people, the truth is that they government is probably 10-15 years ahead of what you see in the movies.
With that in mind, find a copy of Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman, and watch it. Better yet, find a copy of the movie, Jason Bourne, with Matt Damn and Tommy Lee Jones; watch that for the technology being used to track Bourne. When you do (assuming you do) keep in mind that the government is 10-15 years beyond what you see in the movies.
I hear people refer to government as Big Brother; as if it were a joke. If Orwell could hear them, and see the extent to which we were spied upon today, he’d probably shit a brick!
As I’ve said, we all (well most of us anyway) carry trackers around on us; giving government the ability to determine our travel patterns; who our friends are and how often we go to this location, or that location. There are cameras everywhere, and with the advancements in facial recognition technology, they can pick you out of a crowd easily. The NSA tracks all your electronic communications, and your cell phone’s camera and microphone can be turned on without your knowledge; so that they can listen in on your private discussions.
You would be wise to dive down the rabbit hole of the Echelon Program. Since its inception it has grown to a global monitoring program that listens in to millions upon millions of electronic communications; targeting certain key words and phrases for analysis to determine if further investigation is warranted. The refer to that in another Jason Bourne film, The Bourne Supremacy; when Echelon catches reporter Simon Ross using the term, Operation Blackbriar.
This isn’t science fiction or conspiracy theory people; this is a real surveillance program. Check it out if you don’t believe me! Of course, nobody cares. In fact, when Edward Snowden tried to expose how much government spies upon the American people, those he was trying to warn called him a traitor. And for all you die hard Trump fans who thought Trump was your personal savior, even he called Snowden a traitor; calling for his execution. So much for the 4th Amendment, right Mr. Trump? I don’t recall who said this, but someone once told me that ‘When exposing a crime becomes a criminal act, you are governed by criminals.’
The point is, there is no escaping Big Brother; he has his watchful eye (and ear) on you all the time; he probably knows you better than you know yourself. You see, you just do things, while he watches you to determine patterns of behavior, or identifying traits that may cause you to be labeled a threat; a danger to society.
Oh, you don’t believe that either?
What about the MIAC Report; which identified supporters of Ron Paul, or those who called for the repeal of the income tax and the abolishment of the FED as domestic terrorists? What about when Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, labeled returning vets as possible dangers to society; possible domestic terrorists? What about Joe Biden’s speech last week, calling MAGA Republicans dangers to society?
If they can tell people whom to be afraid of, then they control how you act; your behavior patterns. If they control that, they control YOU; for you are not thinking, you are reacting to the stimuli they provide you with! Look at how effective they were with their Covid propaganda. I can’t recall if it was Portland or Seattle, but one of those two cities was getting so many calls into the 911 call centers about unmasked people that they had to make a public announcement for people to stop calling in to report people who weren’t wearing face masks!
When they can generate that kind of fear over a supposed virus, what do you think they would be able to do if they identified a certain category of people as domestic terrorists? Oh, you’re pro-life? You’re a domestic terrorist. Oh, you PREP (store goods in case of emergency)? You’re a domestic terrorist. Oh, you own more than one gun? You’re a domestic terrorist. You’re a fool if you don’t think that there are those around you, friends, co-workers, and even family members, who won’t turn you in. Hell, Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber) was only caught because his brother turned him in. I’m not saying that I support the idea of sending off mail bombs; I’m just saying it was a family member that turned him in.
If they can create enough fear for you to turn on, and turn in, your friends, co-workers, and family members, what do you think would happen if they threatened you; told you that you better do this, or they would do that in response? What better way to control people than by threatening them; telling them that they will comply, or else…
Now think about all that I have said, and then tell me that you’re free…with a straight face!
One final thing. You may be asking why I brought up the new Amazon stores in England. Well, what better way to control people than by denying their ability to buy food to feed their families? Look at how ridiculously people reacted during Covid; with it being almost impossible to find things like toilet paper, rice, and other essential goods. Imagine how people would react if there was a complete breakdown of the supply chain, or if they were told that they could not purchase certain goods because of something they had posted to Facebook.
Fantasy, you say? Why does Facebook monitor people’s accounts and suspend people who post things that go against the official narrative, or are in violation of their ridiculous community standards? If the NSA can spy upon your FB account, don’t you think they also know who is posting things that the government might later use to identify them as possible domestic terrorists?
So, imagine that it is 20-30 years in the future, and you go to the grocery store to buy some food. Only, when you get there, and try to scan your wrist, you get the message, “Access to this store has been denied due to comments you made on Facebook on ‘such and such’ date.” What if you wished to go on vacation somewhere, but when you went to buy a ticket, or board a plane, you were told you were on the no-fly list due to your having been identified as a possible domestic terrorist?
You think it’s fiction? Look into how China has implemented a Social Credit system; where people are given a social credit score, and based upon that score they are either allowed, or restricted, from traveling, attending certain events, and even getting certain jobs.
That’s why I don’t like the idea of fully automated/computerized stores. It isn’t here yet, but you can bet that they are considering it. And, with the ignorance, apathy, and love of comfort that exists in so many people these days, you can bet your ass that people would be lining up around the block to get that RFID chip implanted into their wrist. C’mon, look at how many people lined up to take the Covid vaccine; don’t you think they’d do the same for an RFID chip that make shopping more convenient?
I suppose the real question should be, how many would not take the chip if they were told that they could not shop without it, attend a concert or sporting event without it, go to a bar, or enter a public building without it? That’s the real question.
If you do that, it’s game over; you are officially, and irrevocably, a slave. Not only that, once the chip is universally accepted, it will be put into your children at birth; just like they get a Social Security Number at birth now. If you do not resist this, if you accept this, then you, your children, and their children, will never ever have any hope of being free; not unless you rise up and tear down the system that enslaves you; and I don’t see that happening anytime soon; not with how apathetic and complacent people are.
But, do not worry, there is a bright side to all this; you won’t have to listen to me anymore…I’ll be dead; for you can mark my words, if that scenario does come to pass, they will come after people like me; the last remaining members of society who know what liberty is, and who refused to comply with the will of tyrants!
September 15, 2022
~ The Author ~
Neal Ross, Student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Send all comments to: NealRoss@outlook.com.
If you liked Neal’s latest column, maybe you’ll like his latest booklet: The Civil War: (The Truth You Have Not Been Told). Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history.