This summer on the road, I started noticing, beyond the almost obscene proliferation of cell / mobile phone towers, the trappings of science fiction-turned reality in policing. It took weeks to find out what these mobile communication towers were called, but I finally found out at least one name for them: Sky Watch.
What is their purpose? To secure and protect shopping center parking lots and crime infested areas. Are they staffed with people, or merely computers, cameras and other surveillance equipment? Frankly, I'm wary of them even though doing nothing wrong, so I don't know yet. A little intimidating, with a potential for abuse, I'm guessing. Anyone else seen these towers of power? Pretty soon the powers that be might be deploying drones like the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq and Pakistan.
What more can I say? I renewed my ACLU membership.
By the way, there's supposed to be a new Robocop coming out in 2010. It would be hard to beat the biting satire of the dystopian original, from 1987, set in Detroit.
Today's Rune: Flow.
7 comments:
The revolution will not be televised...it will be digitalized.
Hey, it's only there for your safety, and your protection, and the protection of your property! What are you concerned about? Just keep shopping and move along, there's nothing to see here...
I haven't seen these yet down here. we do have a lot of cameras set up at stop lights, though.
There are many more of these types of eyes in Geat Britain. Like anything there is a double edge, useful when used for good purposes, frightening when used for evil purposes. Sci fi here before we know it as reality.
Those Nose Picker Unions better be leary -- Sky Watch will catch'em in the act, so turn your back, dig deep.
Looks like there might be a person in there. Why else would you need dark glass, y'know? Unfortunately people can no longer be trusted to act humanely. Oy gevalt!
I'd consider joining the ACLU but for the fact that they have entire division devoted to promoting policies that reward and punish people solely for their skin color without any consideration of due process.
Back to these portable towers, imaigine if they put guns in them (remote controlled). And if they end up common, a certain percentage will be dummy-decoy. It's cheaper that way.
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