George Orwell’s 1984 Becoming a Reality in New York
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is bragging about the latest police state technology.
The “Domain Awareness System,” aside from its blatantly Orwellian title, is a super surveillance database possible through a partnership between Microsoft and the city of New York. The system allows NYPD 24/7 access to closed-circuit TV feeds from around the city while simultaneously cross-checking criminal and terrorist databases.
Speaking of the importance of security over freedoms, Bloomberg stated at the unveiling Wednesday, “The bad guys have everything that we do. And if you really want to worry about security and freedoms, that’s the first thing. We are not your mom and pop police department anymore. We are in the next century. We are leading the pack.”
According to CBS New York, the system gives police the power to:
– Identify whether a radiation alarm was set off by actual radiation, a weapon, or a harmless medical isotope
– Track where a suspect’s car is located, and where it has been in the past few days, weeks or months
– Instantly see a suspect’s arrest record, and 911 calls related to the crime
The system will also use CCTV from about 3,000 cameras around the city to allow police to “travel back in time” and see how certain crimes were committed.
Although the threat of a terrorist attack is miniscule, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly cites “terrorism” as one of the reasons such a system is needed. “We realized that we had the opportunity to create a powerful system to help combat both terrorism and conventional crime, city-wide.”
Despite Microsoft providing the majority of technology, equipment, and experience needed to build powerful high-tech computing machines, the Commissioner would have us believe his officers actually helped create the system, saying, “This system was developed by police officers for police officers.”
Kelly further attempts to sell the technology as “for the good of the people,” saying, “It’s a tool that meets the needs of the Department, one that will help protect New Yorkers and keep us safe from crime and terrorism for years to come.”
Bloomberg is eager to see the project succeed and be implemented across the country, especially since New York City will be getting a kickback on revenue from future sales: “I hope Microsoft sells a lot of copies of this system”¦because 30 percent of the profits will go to us”¦I think we can recoup all of our expenses, and maybe even make a few bucks.”
The new technology is reminiscent of the Minority Report-style “Intellistreets” talking surveillance camera system being implemented in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh; a system that records your conversations and barks orders at you.
Rest assured the rush to deploy the technology is more profit-driven than “for the good of the people,” as defended.
Under the guise of public safety, the creation of this technology represents the frantic determination of the upper-crust megalomaniacs to micro-manage and control every aspect of our lives”¦the public is the enemy.
Source: CBS Local