Volunteer Prisoners (Living in the Global Panopticon - Part 1) (1/2) By Ann R Kist

(1/2), (2/2).

Many of us, if not all to a greater or lesser degree, are prisoners. We've allowed ourselves to become such, locking ourselves in our homes for fear of the night, sealing ourselves in metal boxes to move from A to B. We don't need Big Brother, we do quite readily give ourselves over to be watched, tracked, measured, assessed and put under constant surveillance. Think about it. The best kind of mass surveillance is not CCTV cameras on every corner, it's not spy satellites tracking our every move, mapping our faces and scanning our irises. It's us freely informing anyone willing to listen where we go, what we do, when we fart, and how many loaves of vegan organic soy and linseed bread we bought this week.

The most common form of mass surveillance is the store loyalty card. Many people join these schemes without a second's thought. Sign up and get the freebies, is all they think. So what if they track my shopping habits. So what if I get a load of junk mail through the door. It doesn't mean that you'll suddenly run out and put the shit they post through your door, does it? You're not that stupid, you're in control. Yeah, whatever! How stupid are you?!

Have you never considered the fact that all this information is up for sale to the highest bidder. Okay, so anyone can find out what your shopping habits are, that's the easy bit. It becomes all the more scary when you consider how they may analyse that information. What conclusions may be drawn from such innocuous data. For example, they will know that a load of frozen burger buying, lager swilling, white bread lovers are likely Sun readers. They can even cross reference to be sure. They know their 'political' market, they know how to sway these people, how to influence them. You could argue, they could even influence they way such people vote. As if voting ever mattered! But that's something I'll save for another rant.

Now I can see you sat there, all high and mighty. The thought process goes something along the lines of… You're too clever to be taken in by such blatant manipulation. You've got a degree, you've been travelling, you've been on anti-war protests, you know that Big Brother is a reality. You're not fooled, but you accept that you have to still live within the constraints of the 'so-called' democracy that is presented to you, within the current socio-economic conditions of the country. It could be worse, you could be living in one of those African countries, you know the ones, with dictators and all that poverty, disease and stuff.

Oh just fuck off! You pathetic fool. At least the burger munchers are not pretending to be more than they are. You are as much a prisoner as everyone else, face it, you've got a Tesco's loyalty card or one for Boots at the very least. Go on, check your wallet or purse, you know the one, woven by blind Peruvian children, made of llama wool and dyed with crushed beetles and sacrificial sheep's blood. I knew it, I knew you had one, you bloody slave to consumerism, you just couldn't help it could you?!

Continued.... Next Page (2/2)

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