New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the operation and installation of biometric cameras at New York City bridge and tunnel entrances for the purpose of scanning the faces of people driving in and out of New York City and entering them into a biometric data base. In addition, they are scanning license plates to check for outstanding warrants They station police at the end of the bridge or tunnel to arrest anyone whose plate comes up as a match. You might think that if you have nothing bad in your past you have nothing to worry about, but history suggests you are wrong.
If They See Something, They Do Something — To You
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
14 Comments. Leave new
No, no Ted ! Surely that sort of thing only happens in «Communist» regimes, like that of China ? As the New York Times pointed out back in July, China has «four times as many [surveillance cameras] as the United States» (what for some odd reason the newspaper of record neglects to name here is that China has more than four times as many inhabitants as the United States)….
Henri
! March in Washington !
!!! Close the surveillance camera GAP !!!
With all due respect: “Pre-” ??? fascist — my ass!
A problem cannot be addressed, much less fixed, unless and until it’s identified and acknowledged.
Below is Britt’s list of the 14 characteristics of historical fascist societies.
ALL characteristics are immovable pillars of the exceptional American society.
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism.
5. Rampant sexism.
6. A controlled mass media.
7. Obsession with national security.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together.
9. Power of corporations protected.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption.
14. Fraudulent elections
«2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.» Keep in mind, falco, that the US government and media hardly disdains human rights issues in foreign lands ; they are way too useful as excuses for bombing countries one dislikes, bombs being the particular «human right» that the US is best equipped to bring to others….
Henri
Hi Henri,
A new human right, perhaps: the right to be atomized into red mist to further enrich the already unfathomably wealthy?
The US is truly exceptional — in a single, glaring aspect. That is, the vast chasm that separates what it SAYS it is in comparison to what it actually does. It is a meticulously maintained hypocrisy of cosmic proportions.
In this, negative, aspect aspect it is, without quibble, NUMBER ONE!!!
And ALL firmly established and busily (& profitably) tormenting people across the globe WELL BEFORE His Hairness
meh, Orwell was off by a few years.
This is an interesting subject for me. Consider traffic cameras – they allow me to see what my commute will be like and avoid congestion. If everyone avoids congestion, there will be less congestion – who could object to that?
Stop light cameras – well, driving is a privilege, and not a right. People who violate the law can harm other people … but it is starting to get creepy.
Full time facial recognition? Only the criminals have anything to fear, right? For me, that crosses the line, (even though the statute of limitations has run out.)
I’m kinda split over the stop light cameras. I could argue those either way.
OTOH, most citizens have cell phones which allow them to film police atrocities. Is that a good thing? I think so, but I could just as easily be filmed doing something embarrassing … and I think that’s a bad thing.
I’ve read that painting yourself up as a Juggalo fools facial recognition. I’m willing to do my part …
The criminal ruling class in Chicago shortened the traffic signal yellow light time to enhance revenues.
Plus, quicker stops for red lights results in more rear-end collisions and their associated physical injuries.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/how-to-claim-a-refund-for-your-chicago-red-light-or-speed-camera-ticket/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/redlight/ct-yellow-light-timing-met-20141223-story.html
Another thought on facial recognition – there hasn’t been an official photo of me taken w/o a beard in over thirty years, possibly forty. (driver license, passport, security screening, any alleged mug shots … )
Obviously, I wasn’t thinking about computerized facial recog when I first implemented this policy – but still & all, it’s turned out to be the *right* policy.
Off topic:
Happy May Day!
Only in stupid America do we have our May Day in September.
And a happy Labour Day to you as well. You inspired me to go look up the history.
Turns out that the first ‘labor day’ was indeed celebrated in September. Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.
While the current International Workers’ Day commemorates the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on May 4, 1886.
So it seems the September date has precedence.
I’m not looking for an argument, here. I suggest we take *both* days off to drink beer and burn burgers on the BBQ.
Oh, yeah, and occasionally remember the labor of the “common man” contributes far more to society than the wealth of a few men.
May Day is actually an ancient day of celebration predating the events in the 1880s.
May Day in the labor related sense began later in honor of the 8-hour-workday activists.
“In the U.S., that holiday came in for particular contempt during the anti-communist fervor of the early Cold War. In July of 1958, President Eisenhower signed a resolution named May 1 “Loyalty Day” in an attempt to avoid any hint of solidarity with the “workers of the world” on May Day. ”
http://time.com/3836834/may-day-labor-history/
> May Day is actually an ancient day of celebration
Oh, hell yeah! Virgins dancing around my pole! oh, sorry, of course I meant “Maypole”
Hooray, Hooray!
It’s the First of May,
Outdoor fucking begins today