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Personal
Freedom...And What You Can Do About It, that Califoracle®
pondered how best to show MUCH RESPECT to the creator
of such great work.
It
all began one morning when Califoracle®
was reading the local paper. Califoracle read a story about
a group of activists who had made a very clear statement
to State law makers: our personal information is treated
as public domain by far too many private, corporate interests
without our being given a choice. Remember that thingey
called the Bill of Rights? Or may be the Constitution?
The
activists, staff from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer
Rights (FTCR), had been working tirelessly to pass laws
that would better protect private information of California
citizens (such as social security numbers). State lawmakers,
who showed that they represent the interests of corporations
who profit off of the trade of such private information,
voted against these stricter privacy laws and thereby denied
their passage. FTCR acted accordingly. They bought the social
security numbers of those lawmakers (much the same way as
a corporation would) and published the first four digits
on their web site. Shocking! Ain't it? Yes, we agree. But
it's true: under current law you can purchase anybody's
social security number for a mere $26 (well, for some of
us $26 is not "mere" but you get the point).
The
lawmakers were flabbergasted! They cried foul louder and
faster than it took to deny me...uh, Califoracle®...a
platinum credit card. They felt that the same point could
have been made through less "extreme" means. They
called the act "extortion."
The
irony is that because of their refusal to pass more stringent
laws, such private information is readily available. Extortion?
It was a demonstration of how sensitive this information
is to lawmakers AND non-law-makers alike. It demonstrated
that simply because a certain kind of information is profitable
to some, it does not mean that it is profitable to society
at large--that is who lawmakers are here to protect.
Those who voted against the public's safety were making
it clear that the default receiver of protective rights
was not the public, but corporations who depended on such
information for bigger profits--as if the corporation were
an actual being who had inalienable rights.
Okay,
to put your minds at ease, it is the last four digits of
a person's social security number that have any real significance
(NOT the first four). So, the act was not as extreme as
the victims wished to portray it. It was, however, a perfect
way of demonstrating how easily our privacy can be invaded--we
need tougher laws protecting ALL of us. Not corporate profit
interests over human interests but vice-versa.
After
reading this article Califoracle®
looked into the FTCR and found that their Executive Director,
Jamie Court, had recently published a book. So, Califoracle®
ran out and bought the book. Okay, now we've come full-circle…the
book...yea...THE BOOK!
Califoracle®
respects the way the author refrains from merely labeling
specific corporations "good" or "evil."
Court effectively articulates the problems with current
levels of corporate power. He gives so many tangible examples
that it's easy to feel like an authority on the subject
after reading the book. Learning to articulate a problem
is a big help in solving a problem. It's worked for Califoracle®!
Court
describes that in the past there was a normal push-and-pull
between corporate growth and human life (a type checks and
balances). He states that the "push" by corporations
was kept in check by the "pull" of legal regulation.
This maintained a healthy balance between the two. Court's
book vividly illustrates that the once normal level of regulation
has been completely obliterated. Not only have most regulatory
laws been destroyed, but corporate entities are actually
being represented now as actual living organisms--very POWERFUL
organisms. Organisms which possess rights and protections
over human beings.
As
Court explains, while corporations are made up of people
the entity itself is not a living, breathing thing. Therefore,
it should not possess the rights of one-especially over
real living and breathing beings. The problem is that they
have-irresponsibly-attained that very position in our society.
Finally, Court's book acknowledges that the corporate entity
can bring many positive things to us. But with the power
large corporations can possess comes a great responsibility
and, ultimately, answering to those living, breathing human
beings they serve: us.
Now then, go buy the freakin' book for g-d's sake! If you
have, great, then definitely join us at the "Califoracle®
Discussion Board"™.
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