Posted on 05/23/2012 2:28:02 PM PDT by Evil Slayer
Each week a global thinker from the worlds of philosophy, science, psychology or the arts is given a minute to put forward a radical, inspiring or controversial idea – no matter how improbable – that they believe would change the world.
This week science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon argues that everyone should be given a barcode at birth.
“If I were empress of the Universe I would insist on every individual having a unique ID permanently attached - a barcode if you will; an implanted chip to provide an easy, fast inexpensive way to identify individuals.
It would be imprinted on everyone at birth. Point the scanner at someone and there it is.
Having such a unique barcode would have many advantages. In war soldiers could easily differentiate legitimate targets in a population from non combatants.
This could prevent mistakes in identity, mistakes that result in the deaths of innocent bystanders. Weapons systems would record the code of the use, identifying how fired which shot and leading to more accountability in the field.
Anonymity would be impossible as would mistaken identity making it easier to place responsibility accurately, not only in war but also in non-combat situations far from the war.”
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Can’t IMAGINE how that system could be abused by either hackers or government. Nope. Can’t imagine.
I’m sure such in the hands of an Obama type ethical regime would be a great thing. Yup...
I’m inclined to think of the Revelation passage as a spiritual reference. People will be required to pledge their allegiance to the Beast — a desperate imperfect counterfeit of the perfect God — in order to conduct their affairs. It will become a social necessity. But who knows — it could play out physically like this.
Anyhow, anyone who thinks that troops will tag themselves to be identified as the foe is dreaming.
Let me guess that Elizabeth Moon is proudly pro-abortion and a socialist too?
She wants that Brave New World so bad.
Utopianists have never been the most rational thinkers.
Her one supposedly positive example is on the battlefield, where it most assuredly could and would go wrong.
“Battle is a highly fluid situation.” — Vic Deakins (John Travolta), Broken Arrow
Let’s see how gung ho she is when she finds the New State likes her books so much it takes over the copyright and she gets no more royalties (that would be very capitalistically bad of her as a New Citizen).
It shocking is that people would entertain such a notion, for even an instant.
It is as if some terrible madness is sweeping the planet.
The UK is leading the death of West so seeing this is not a surprise at all. When the UK adopts it we will follow right along.
If it was by the nipple would it be the
Mark of the Breast?
Frankly I already have too many identifying marks,
mostly scars.
Given the direction of modern technologies, the barcode sounds quaintly old fashioned if anything. The killer app would be a registry of all DNA. There might even be a way of telling identical twins or tuplets apart due to mitochondrial DNA (or fall back on fingerprints for that case). Getting DNA could become as easy as getting some dead skin with some Scotch tape lightly applied.
- Mommy where does tyranny come from?
-Dreamers honey, dreamers
(like almost everything else)
I see a big run on the services of Amish midwives...from outside the Amish community.
Yeah, our enemies will be quick to send us their IFF codes so we can tell the Taliban from Afghan civilians easily, especially when the only difference between some of them is whether they have had a chance to hide their weapons.
When men shrug off what has ordered their lives in the past, something else no matter how crazy sounding will fill the vacuum. We’ve had the blessing of living in a more or less Christianized society, and now have the curse of seeing its virtues fall by the boards.
bump
Where does tyranny and slavery come from?
Utopia?
Ya know how you can tell if someone was in the service, ask if they know their social security number.
Secondly, we know that many, many people will get the mark, not all will refuse.
I don't know if the 'mark' is a literal number or something else. Just look at RFID in animals. Also called animal ID, or 'beast'. I have my own theories but, I don't think this barcode is one.
Never been in the service, but I still know what mine is. Put in for enough jobs and you have a reason to know. :-(
Sad to hear it. Perhaps, you should try a different number. I hear Connecticut has various numbers that can be used.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.