The drones (unmanned & armed remote control aircraft) are widely used by the US against foreign targets outside of the USA. However, there is a growing concern that use of drones inside the USA would be the final straw in completing George Orwell’s 1984 with big brother watching everything. Cities have already adopted cameras monitoring people on the streets, yet those same people criticize Singapore as a police state because of their use of cameras.
Cameras are routinely mounted at traffic lights and are used clearly for revenue purposes. If you go through a red light, you receive a ticket in the mail but it will not go on your driver’s license unless you are stopped by a cop. After the last two crazy people with guns turned out to be police, obviously cameras maybe safer.
Nonetheless, privacy advocates worry that drones in America’s skies will result in a surveillance society. It is already here. When they take your picture for photo ID, guess what! They are now in New Jersey using those photos in facial recognition software to arrest people for traffic tickets and assorted crimes. What’s next? DNA samples to make sure terrorists do not have their face changed to look like you?
According to foreign press outside the USA, the City of Charlottesville has banned the use of drones in its airspace. You can see the judges now figuring out how to call that an act of terrorism against the Federal government to remove all those people who voted for such a thing. Who owns the airspace above everything? Is it city, state, or the Feds. My bet – it is the Feds. The definition of that sort of stuff is easily changed. My bet is clearly with the Feds and how dare a city try to dictate no drones – they obviously must have something to hide! Sounds like just cause to invade. They too might have weapons of Mass Destruction.
I owned a house on the beach. My taxes jumped because they redefined my property and I suddenly owned 200 feet into the ocean on which I was to be taxed. Of course I now owned it, but I could not do anything with it including building a dock. But hey! They didn’t raise the tax rate, they redefined the size of my property. Here is another solution to solve the economic crisis. Redefine airspace. We all own 1 mile high, but of course we cannot preclude drones, commercial aircraft, or space travelers. Might balance the budget at last! Obama can say he is not RAISING the tax rate, just you now legally own more than you had before. New Jersey got away wit it.
