Friday, April 10, 2009

Big brother is watching

"We have met the enemy…and he is us" from the comic strip Pogo
Maybe what he was trying to say is at times; we are our own worse enemy. If we aren’t our own, we are our neighbor’s.

The feeling that I am being watched started some time ago. I don’t feel any fear or dread. It’s just that someone is watching my every move. Over the years I’ve become convinced that it’s not just a feeling, it’s a fact. Big Brother is alive and well in the 21st century and your neighbor’s, maybe even your children are working for him.

At one time if you saw a crime, you did your civic duty and called the police, giving them all of the details that you could remember. Now, Big Brother has set up a slush fund to pay people to spy on each other and when they witness a crime, call and be paid for their information.
Do you suspect that a neighbor may be abusing his children? Become part of the Big Brother network and call it in. Don’t worry that what you heard might have been the child abusing the parents, there is no way the neighbor can trace the visit by child welfare services back to you. It’s the law. This also works if your neighbor is a jerk and you want to give him a bad time. After all, all you have to have is a "feeling" that something isn’t just right.

Did you just toss that half-lit cigarette or gum wrapper out of your car window? Watch out, Big Brother’s volunteer force may be watching. All your neighbor has to do is take down you car’s plate number and call it in a littering complaint. You will be receiving a call from law enforcement officers.

Have you ever had friends over and they brought their dog with them? You better hope that their dog and your dog don’t start to mix it up. You friendly neighbor might call the animal abuse or suspected dog fighting hot line and turn you in. Again, proof isn’t needed to have members of Big brother’s hit squad knocking at your door.

Have you every bragged about a tax loop hole that you found? You’re not 100 % sure it’s 100% legal but what the heck, it saved you over $ 500.00 in taxes. Have you ever done an odd job on the side for cash? Your ex-friend or unhappy neighbor can call in Big Brother to report you tax evasion and receive 10% of what you owe as a reward.

Did you use the same software on a business and personal computer at home? Did your IT technician load a program without you having to pay for it? You may be guilty of software piracy. There are big bucks to be made by turning your boss in if he didn’t give you the raise that you thought that you had coming.

There are hotlines to call in suspected poacher, arsonists, insurance fraud, etc., etc. etc. They just came out with one if you heard that there was going to be a party where underage drinking was going to take place.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t support any of these actions. My point is "our right to privacy" is rapidly slipping away. You can’t go anywhere today, scratch your butt without it being preserved digitally for future generations to watch and make fun of.

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