It is one of my main beliefs that we are fast approaching one and/or the other of these two scenarios, with transhumanism being the most likely first step.
It’s inevitable that we will at some point enhance our abilities to directly process information through technology. Simply put, we will at some point be able to merge our technology with our brains, the same way we have done with our bodies. Some would even argue that we are already doing this.
In the future, I hope to free up enough time to write more about this, but for now I’m satisfied with re-posting Building Gods (1:20:23), the quintessential documentary about transhumanism, AI, robots, the singularity, and the 21st century.
If you want to know what the future may hold, this is the documentary that you need to watch. It is definitely food for thought.
Through declassified documents, Wired.com has revealed that “a fast-growing FBI data-mining system billed as a tool for hunting terrorists (sic) is being used in hacker and domestic criminal investigations, and now contains tens of thousands of records from private corporate databases, including car-rental companies, large hotel chains and at least one national department store.”
“‘We have a situation where the government is spending fairly large sums of money to use an unproven technology that has a possibility of false positives that would subject innocent Americans to unnecessary scrutiny and impinge on their freedom,’ said Kurt Opsahl, a lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. ‘Before the NSAC expands its mission, there must be strict oversight from Congress and the public.’…
“The ever-growing size of the database concerns EFF’s Opsahl, who has pieced together the best picture of the FBI’s data mining system through other government FOIA requests.
“Opsahl cites a October 2008 National Research Council paper that concluded that data mining is a dangerous and ineffective way to identify potential terrorists, which will inevitably generate false positives that subject innocent citizens to invasive scrutiny by their government.”
This should not only give rise to concern to the citizens of the United States of America, but also anyone travelling to the United States, especially considering that those who are in charge of these data mining organizations do not even know their own Constitution, hence the limits of their powers, as Sen. Al Franken recently pointed out.
“Just in case he wasn’t familiar with it, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) decided to read the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution to David Kris, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, who was testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee today to urge reauthorization of expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act.
“Franken, who opened by acknowledging that unlike most of his colleagues in the Senate, he’s not a lawyer, but according to his research ‘most Americans aren’t lawyers’ either, said he’d also done research on the Patriot Act and in particular, the ‘roving wiretap’ provision that allows the FBI to get a warrant to wiretap an unnamed target and his or her various and changing cell phones, computers and other communication devices.
“Noting that he received a copy of the Constitution when he was sworn in as a senator, he proceeded to read it to Kris, emphasizing this part: ‘no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.’
“‘That’s pretty explicit language,’ noted Franken, asking Kris how the ‘roving wiretap’ provision of the Patriot Act can meet that requirement if it doesn’t require the government to name its target.”
In 2006, I wrote one of my first, and in my opinion, one of my most important pieces to date. It was an attempt to warn us about the folly of the above policies, and an effort to mimic the warning about the dangers of political apathy which Martin Niemöller did with his poem 'First they came...'
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one left to speak up.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Considering recent events and the fact that we continue to travel on a path that promises only enslavement, not necessarily us personally, but most definitely our children, I thought it would be a good idea to re-post the following piece (originally posted in 2006):
A common definition of an anomaly is "a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form." This definition, however, can be simplified by stating that an anomaly "is a deviation from specific parameters." The defining characteristic of an anomaly is that it can only exist in a comparative setting, implying that it can only be detected within a certain data set. Once a data set is obtained then parameters can be specified to filter out so called anomalies for evaluation. Depending on the type of data collected, these parameters can be specified to be anything occurring in any combination. If there is no data set, then there are no anomalies.
A prison can be defined as "a place of seeming confinement." It is a place to incarcerate people who have lawfully or unlawfully stepped outside the parameters set in their society. This implies that inmates are anomalies within a community. However, these anomalies, unlike eccentrics and aristocrats, are deemed to be a threat to the establishment or the citizenry. Hence prisons are locations where we hold anomalies that we fear.
Geophysics "is a branch of science that deals with the physics of the earth." Equipment is used to collect and interpret data from our surrounding world and, if required, to locate anomalies within a region. User defined parameters needed to find anomalies are usually inputted into computer programs, which extrapolate data, providing a detailed representation of a situation. As long as there is sufficient computer processing speed, good data, and a competent interpreter, anomalies can be flagged. In general, the more data acquired the better the controls of an investigation.
It should also be understood that anyone involved in a geophysical investigation, from the data collector to the interpreter, can create anomalies at will, anywhere at any time, either deliberately or erroneously. It is relatively easy to change certain parameters to obtain the anomalies that are desired. The isolation and/or extermination of any number, such as 2 or -5 or 600, can be achieved by running filters through a data set. In most cases, to compensate for any errors in data collection and to assure that the desired number is isolated, the number will be flanked. For example, to isolate the number 2, any number between 1.5 and 2.4 will be flagged. This will assure that any number that might be confused as a 2, or has the possibility of becoming a 2, will be removed from the community.
In the last few years certain governments around the world have passed laws to legalize the merging and collection of data for their populations. From credit card information, to medical records, to travel destinations and phone calls, it is all being recorded, tabulated and interpreted. Parameters are being set to flag people as anomalies who have stepped outside of specified boundaries. Those deemed to be existing outside of the limits set by the controllers, are investigated and in some cases removed from the community. The interpreters are so confident in their collection and evaluation of the data that they are passing laws to assure that those deemed to be a threat are unable to question their investigation or incarceration. Since most anomalies occur in batches, laws have also been passed to allow the controllers to have the ability to extrapolate information from captured anomalies by any means necessary, including torture. These laws will also protect government and private organizations from criminal prosecution.
At present the parameters set by those involved in these investigations are tight enough to allow the general public to feel relatively free. However, as time progresses and less anomalies are identified, wider parameters will be used in the analysis of the data to assure that no one will accidentally turn into an anomaly. Anyone associated with or related to an anomaly will find their private and public life scrutinized to convince the investigators that they have not been influenced or misdirected due to their close proximity to an anomaly. Fear of certain anomalies, justified or not, will become a prison for most of these societies and fascism the end result (pdf).
It is extremely important for us as a population to fully comprehend the power that this sort of broad data collection gives our governments. Those who control and interpret the data will have the ability to not only remove unwanted people, but also to restrict the movement of the entire populace. For example, it is relatively easy to place a location marker on all credit and bank cards, which when activated, will only allow the cards to be used within a certain area. If governments decide to restrict travel, then all they need to do is activate the location markers to restrict the use of financial activity to within a few kilometers (or miles) of a residence, creating a jail without physical walls. When this scenario is carried out, special permission will need to be obtained for anyone travelling outside of their zone.
There are numerous ways to gain freedom from these organizations whose purpose is to identify, isolate, incarcerate and even eliminate what they deem to be undesirable elements from society. The machine running these filtration programs can be halted if people stop providing governments and corporations with data. Reducing the number of transactions that are automatically fed into the databases will produce gaps and uncertainties in the data set, creating erroneous interpretation. If enough errors are made, a population loses confidence in the controllers and the system should correct itself. Providing these organizations with large quantities of false or distorted data can also reduce the efficiency of their system. Other methods may include the retraining of law enforcement officers, using cash whenever possible, disassociation and/or protection from insecure electronic activity, and private inquiry into the reasons for government acquisition of personal data. It is very important to grasp the concept that if there is no data set, then there are no anomalies.
The best way, however, to stop these entities is to make fundamental changes to the system itself. This requires us to be educated in the methods in which we are controlled, allowing us to understand the problems that exist in the current system so we can avoid its pitfalls. Placement, at the highest levels of government, of ethical civil servants that are accountable to the people and regard the privacy of individuals as the most important aspect of their duties is an essential starting point. It is crucial that during this transitional period alternative choices for leaders are present to avoid a power vacuum. By decentralizing our government and localizing our communities we can avert chaos during this process.
As a collective we must understand that democracy can only exist in a society with an educated populace, and the right for self-governance can only be obtained through knowledge. When a society embraces ignorance and forfeits its right to control its destiny, it has succumbed to apathy and can only deteriorate.
In science, the analysis of anomalies contributes to our understanding of the physical world, improving our lives. In contrast, identifying anomalies in our society based on political doctrine has created fear and misunderstanding, restricting our lives. The lack of accountability from our leaders and our indifference to the consequences of their actions is diminishing our civil liberties. But it is not too late, we can prevent this from happening. We still have the ability to reclaim our future if we begin to educate ourselves.
I have been consuming an exorbitant amount of graphic novels and comic books this summer, as the last update to the About Page must have indicated. I have been a fiend of sorts, and loving every minute of it.
My justification for this indulgence has been to incorporate some of my finds into my work on this site. Depending on the theme and flow, different finds have been linked at different times.
Considering our most recent topics of discussion and our current geopolitical situation, I thought the following 7-pages from “Ordinary Victories” by Manu Larcenet would be appropriate to share, not to mention extremely relevant considering the number of countries that are presently occupied by foreign powers.
The pages deal with the consequences of atrocities committed for lies. Ignore the period referenced if you wish, project to the date of your choice, and adjust the scale of the atrocities accordingly.
To help put the pages into context, you may wish to watch the following movie first, The Battle of Algiers, embedded below. It is a cinematic masterpiece and “the only film in Oscar history to be a nominee in two separate non-consecutive years”.
You could, of course, read the pages first, and then come back to the film. They complement each other quite well and the message will not be lost either way.
Marco’s father has recently committed suicide. While going through his belongings, Marco has found a war photo. He has tracked down the person in the photo and now seeks answers. (click images to enlarge)
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