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May 23, 2006
High-tech Fences in Urban Corridors?
President Bush's immigration address May 15 was mined with privacy and civil liberties bombshells if you read between the lines. His call for "high tech fences in urban corridors" to nab undocumented aliens was particularly chilling, and suggests his administration is planning some kind of national Identification system that would demand the electronic equivalent of "your papers please."
See http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060515-8.html for the offical transcript of the President's address.
How else would his high-tech fence system work? There couldn't be gaping holes in the fences that would allow people to pass through without scrutiny. To be effective, every one of us would have to prove we have the government's permission to pass through the "gates."
The President offered no details about how his high-tech fences would function or how we would prove our identities to the system, but I suspect he would prefer this proof to be quick and automatic so as not to create long lines and constantly remind citizens that the state is watching. This could be facilitated by grids of biometric and RFID readers stationed at choke points in key cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Houston.
The President's recent statements should be red flags to citizens who value their privacy and civil liberties. While he didn't spell out the details of his plans, it's clear he wants to know "who is in our country and why they are here."
I spoke with John St. George about "high-tech fences" on FMNN World News (starts at 4:10): http://www.fmnn.com/eTVLaunch.asp?rid=630
- Liz McIntyre
Posted by liz at May 23, 2006 3:11 PM
Comments
In Orlando, the high tech fences are already being built. The SunPass (e-toll) device readers are being installed at most major intersections. Why? "To monitor traffic flows for transportation planning." Orlando is surrounded by toll roads, and all the freeways, except one, are tolled. So one can infer that a large number of drivers are equipped with the e-toll transponders. They do know who is going where. (Also, the FDOT is installing traffic cams all over the state, again to "monitor traffic volumes". This used to be done by in-road pressure devices)
Posted by: Wily at June 14, 2006 11:40 AM