Increasingly, our
freedom and autonomy are threatened by those who seek to monitor and control
every aspect of our daily lives. George Orwell’s “Big Brother” from the novel
1984 is a pale threat in comparison to the dystopian reality our leaders
which have created for us since that book was published more than six decades
ago.
Orwell clearly foresaw
a future in which the state watches over and micromanages the lives of its
subjects, but even he could scarcely have imagined the degree of surveillance
and control that technology would make possible.
I also believe that
he hoped we would avoid allowing this to happen — it seems clear that the
book was designed as a warning, as were many others that were published in
the 20th century. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit
451 and Huxley’s Brave
New World are just two famous examples that come to mind.
One of the problems
is that our freedoms are taken away incrementally, in small units and in the
name of “national security” or “technological progress” — we don’t see the
cumulative effect until it’s too late to do anything about it.
The latest encroachment
on our privacy and daily actions comes in the form of what is being called
“smart grid” technology.
UK utility company
Northern Powergrid Holdings Co. (which is owned by mega-billionaire Warren
Buffett) is cooperating with Siemens AG
towards a planned test of a smart grid which will be able, according to
Bloomberg.com, “to control when consumer appliances will be used in the home.
“Being able to better
manage when electricity flows allows utilities to lower consumer costs by
reducing the need for new equipment, and to better handle surges and gaps
from intermittent sources such as wind and solar. The pilot program, known
as the Customer-Led Network Revolution, involves just 12,000 households in
the U.K. and is one of only a few such projects being tested worldwide.”
It seems clear that
the term “Customer-Led Network Revolution” is designed to give the impression
that consumers are somehow behind the implementation of this technology,
which is highly unlikely indeed.
The truth is that the
smart grid will not only allow
the providers of electricity control over consumer usage but will also provide
a detailed picture of the customer’s energy consumption habits.
This may seem innocuous
enough on the surface, but it’s not hard to imagine this ability being used
to invade privacy and keep an even closer watch over the daily activities of
citizens.
Soon, the authorities
may be examining your behavior at home in detail: “What’s he doing in his
workshop at 3am? Could it be criminal activity?”, etc.
It’s interesting
how the Warren Buffetts of this world seem so intent on helping us manage
our lives. It seems very considerate, but I often wonder what the real purpose is.
And, as Melissa
Melton of The Daily Sheeple
points out, why is it that the powers that be are so concerned with helping
us save money on electricity, when they actively discourage any efforts
towards independence of the grid on our parts?
In Melton’s words: “Smart grid technology is one more rung on the ladder to
a complete technocratic slave grid where austerity and artificial
scarcity rule the day.”
In some states in the
U.S. (including Florida and Texas), it is virtually illegal to live off the
grid. There have been several cases where those who have managed to live independently
off the power grid have been treated as criminals.
We once lived in a
society where self-reliance and independence were considered positive
qualities. It seems that nowadays these traits are deemed not only as out of
fashion, but as direct threats to the central authority.
Related Posts
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http://agenda21news.com/2015/01/home-appliances-will-soon-remotely-controlled-government/
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