One of the most important issues in the modern struggle between democratic and Fascist ideals is the rising trend of institutions de-valuing personal privacy and autonomy. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep information about oneself from the government or influential corporations, and it is becoming nearly impossible to maintain financial autonomy. Two of the most potentially dangerous developments along these lines are computerized monetary exchange and mandatory identification.
People are continually encouraged by the media to dispose of cash-based money by switching over to credit or debit cards. Television advertisements constantly broadcast the message that "credit is the money of the future." There seems to be an informal campaign to inundate the public with a view of a future world in which money is obsolete. Far too many people seem to take for granted the freedom and autonomy that actual money permits, and the potential cost of switching over to a more convenient electronic money system.
Electronic money is clearly quicker and easier to use than the real thing. Purchases or debts can be paid instantly, with little to no work on the consumer's part, and people never have to worry about keeping tack of change; computers do all the work for them. The drawback is that the concept of a financial system based on centralized data networks poses a great threat to citizens' privacy and personal freedom. At the moment, this threat isn't palpable enough that people pay much attention to it, but with this sort of thing, it's never to early to start. I believe that we haven't seen anything yet; if we don't protect our right to use cash money, and to keep our transactions private, those freedoms will slip through our fingers.
Few people seem to realize the degree to which their activities are monitored and analyzed when they rely on electronic transactions. Credit card corporations' measures to protect the privacy of individuals only apply on a small scale; it is difficult for other people to access one's financial records, but many loopholes exist which allow corporations and government agencies the "right of entry" to this information
When a person makes a credit purchase at a major supermarket, for example, a computer reads the UPC codes of the products purchased. The credit card company, and often the supermarket as well, stores the information. The data is recorded, and is sold through revolving doors between credit card companies and corporations. Those companies then use a combination of advanced data processing and marketing "thinktanks" to compile this personal data, noting which products a person bought. This information is corroborated with general characteristics of the customer, such as height, weight, race, and financial standing. All of this data is pooled into an overview of the person's spending habits, and used to determine the preferences of a broader consumer constituent with the same characteristics.
At best, the resultant statistical figures are used to improve marketing related to specific segments of society. At worst, it provides corporations with a greater knowledge of social consciousness, from specific types of people to society as a whole. This gives them a superior ability to influence, reinforce, and capitalize on the behavior of segments of society, so that they can shape people in ways that suit their own aims.
It is a well-known fact that the central goal of most major corporations is to maximize profits, in both the short term and the long term. Concurrent with this goal, however, is a more insidious agenda of manipulating social consciousness to suit the corporation's aims. This often involves subverting the progression of social awareness; for instance. Someone who is insecure is more likely to obey commercials which say that certain products make a person more appealing. People who are often dissatisfied buy things that they don't need, ingest legal drugs that alter their perceptions, and watch television, which exposes them to advertisements. People who aren't very aware of their own thought processes fall victim to knee-jerk marketing tools such as sexual stimulation. The information gained from credit databases helps corporations to understand the populace, allowing them to take advantage of people's most vulnerable points.
In addition, political agencies can use data gleaned from computerized records. This knowledge can serve to shape economic and political strategies, to develop more effective methods for social control, or possibly even to monitor the activities of individuals who oppose the aims of those in power.
A common response to this is to say that such thinking is pessimistic, or simply paranoid. Some people argue that they control their own destiny, so they are exempt from commercial influence. Others say that credit systems the next step in economic evolution, and despite the drawbacks, will ultimately serve the advancement of human civilization. Both of these arguments have valid elements, but the drawbacks of using these systems are not to be taken lightly. To make the most responsible approach, we must weigh the personal benefits of electronic monetary systems with the intrinsic erosion of individuals' right to privacy and economic autonomy. Choosing comfort over personal freedom is one of the greatest modern threats to the future of democracy.
copyright Lucius Richards 1999.
Lucius Richards is an author who lives in the United States. If you'd like more information, you can contact him at philosubversive@hotmail.com, or go to the Paradigm Explorer Web Site at www.olywa.net/para_explorer.