Regularly Expressing

Category: politics

  • Privacy is Dying

    Privacy is becoming an increasingly problematic concern for everyone. With the advent of drones, inexpensive cameras, etc., surveillance is becoming easier for governments and corporations. Inevitably, the temptation for governments and industry to acquire intelligence on all of us may become (or already is) irresistible. Most of us fear the “surveillance state” and feel that it represents an unjustifiable encroachment on our liberty.

    The question is, what can be done about it? My theory is that the struggle to maintain privacy will only cause governments and corporations to be secretive about what they’re doing. Data is power. If we want to equalize ourselves with the collectors of data, we should accept our lack of privacy, and work on legislating the means by which the data is accessed, used, sold, and protected. Our data should be stored in distributed trusted servers, possibly in encrypted form, to defend against it being withheld or tampered with. Data on politicians should be public, since most of their misdeeds seem to come from efforts to cover things up. Anyone wanting to run for office should be required to air their dirty laundry at the start, and should accept that as the price of running for office.

    Eventually, I think, we are going to be watched every moment of our lives from cradle to grave. As frightening as this is, many benefits might accrue from making this step. Crime will be reduced. Not simply because it will make it easier to catch criminals, but because most people will behave better if they know they are being watched.

    In addition, we will be able to prove we are innocent. While “innocent until proven guilty” is supposed to be a basic right, it only applies to criminal proceedings. Simply being accused of rape is often enough to end a person’s career, or take their money through lawsuits. Indeed, the fact that this is possible gives the unscrupulous a tool by which they can defeat any honest person. A deeper embrace of the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” could remedy this situation, but make it easier for rapists to escape justice. Only removing privacy solves both problems.

    In addition, our health will be improved. Once medical data is more widely shared with researchers, the diagnosis, and treatment of numerous diseases should be improved.

    Yes, we might be judged for mistakes we’ve made, but if we do our hypocrisy will be exposed. I think the end result will be that everyone is more tolerant of failures, and many of the things we suffer for trying to hide our failings will go away.

    Is there really any serious downside to our coming loss of privacy?

  • A Modest Healthcare Reform

    If you read my posts at all you know that I don’t wear my political views on my sleeve, nor post about how everyone on the other side is an idiot. In fact, I think such posts are counter-productive. I want to win people to the cause I believe is right, not deliver an insult that makes me feel superior.

    So this post isn’t for or against Obama’s healthcare legislation. This is about one simple issue on which maybe, just maybe, there can be bipartisan agreement. Here it is: Healthcare providers should not have the right or ability to take back money for a treatment, unless they can prove fraud.

    I’ve had some personal experience with this. We obtained treatment through Humana. We talked to the providers, went to the place they recommended and saw the doctors there for several months. Eventually, Humana came back and told us they shouldn’t have paid, and they took back all the money. I appealed the decision through my employer, and the decision to take back the money was upheld. After the appeal, a person from Humana called me up to talk about the problem. He all but called me an idiot for not reading the laws and coverage terms more carefully.

    In my case, the cost was several thousand dollars. It was painful, but it didn’t break me. I know other people with similar experiences for whom it was much worse. Think about this means. We all have the responsibility for knowing all the rules about our medical coverage spelled out by our state and by providers, or we can be made to pay the full amount for any medical procedure at some later date. As far as I can see, all of us are vulnerable. We should do something about this.

  • You Are Being Watched

    I recently chanced upon a minor flame war about whether atheists or believers in God are more moral. Clearly, belief in God is not required for morality, and many who profess belief in God are less moral than many who don’t.

    A study was done which reached the unsurprising conclusion that people behave more ethically when they believe they are being watched. It occurs to me that any person who really believes a god or gods or whatever is watching them would behave more honestly. So remember, even after you clear your browser history, your Higher Power knows what websites you were visiting. 🙂

  • Every News Station is a Political Party

    The Max Headroom television series provided us with a dystopian vision of the future in which credit fraud was a more serious crime than murder, turning the television off was illegal, and network executives would do anything to increase their ratings for a few minutes. Oh, and every television network had its own political candidate. At first, of course, I merely thought this was as clever and funny idea. But now I think they may be on to something. (more…)