Cool or Creepy?

Technology is helping fight the coronavirus, but does it come at a price?

Transcript of Episode 29 of the PODCAST Big Sky Writer.

Thank you, Mark.
And thank you for dropping by to listen.
Today I would like to share a topic with you that I think is pretty important. It has to do with technology.

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We live in a world where we almost expect technology to come to our rescue when we face problems.

TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE
Does it take too long to download a movie on your phone?
Don’t worry, 5G is coming to the rescue. You’ll be able to download a full movie in less that one minute.

Want to know the weather?
You don’t need to check the newspaper or even look out the window. Just ask Alexa.

Do you have a body part that isn’t working properly?
No problem. Get a replacement. You can take it out of someone else’s body and put it in yours. Or you get a brand new one made in a factory that works even better than the one you started with.
Isn’t technology amazing?

THE VIRUS
During the coronavirus pandemic, many people have been concerned about spreading the virus.
Oh sure, we’ve tried not going to work or school … hiding inside our houses … wearing masks … staying six feet away from other people … just to name a few of our efforts.
But still, some people got out and potentially spread the virus.
We need help.
What can we do?
Technology, where are you?

NOT TO WORRY
Drumroll …
Once again, technology has come to the rescue.
Apps have been created that can be installed on your cell phone to protect you and the rest of us.
The apps have the ability to let you know if you get near anyone who has the virus.
That way you can get tested to see if you’re okay.
It’s called contact tracing.
Isn’t that cool?
And if, for some reason, you contract the virus, and still go outside where people are … the app can keep track of everywhere you’ve been and everyone you’ve been near.
So they can be protected.
How cool is that?

COOL OR CREEPY?

Well, cool might be the wrong word.
Apple and Android are making the apps part of their operating system so you don’t even have to download them.
And what again can our smartphones do?
They can track every website you visit.
They can track every web search you’ve made.
They can track which apps you use.
And it isn’t just phones.
A number of government organizations are using facial recognition to identify people and track where they are and what they are doing.
Some government agencies even use drones above our heads to identify and track us.
So … is this technology really a good thing?
Think about it.
If you know history and have an understanding of human nature … and I recommend you become a student of both … you should have a very good idea of what will probably happen in a society that has these … what should we call them … “tools”?

A GLIMPSE
We can get a glimpse of what what such a society could look like by taking a brief visit to China.
You see, China has some of these tools, and they have chosen to use them.
Today.

They call it the “social credit system”.

It tracks what they do, who they interact with, what they post on social media, if they break any law, they don’t obey government orders, if they don’t display the correct interactions.

Your score in the system can bring you perks – discounted energy bills, being able to rent items without deposits, getting better travel deals, having easy access to doctors and hospitals, even having better visibility on dating websites.

If your score is low, however, you can pay the price. You might not be able to travel. You might not be able to get a good job. Your children… I mean your child might not be allowed to go to a good school. And people might avoid you because being near you might bring down their score.

The Chinese system is designed to “allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven, while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step.”

Do you really want the government to decide what you can or cannot do?

DEFYING HITLER by Sebastian Haffner

I have a book that I strongly recommend you read.

I know I’ve recommended it before, but in our world today, this is a book everyone should read — or, if you’re like me — listen to on Audible.
It’s called DEFYING HITLER by Sebastian Haffner.

It’s the true story of a young man who grew up in Germany and the experiences he lived through.

He was a young boy when his country lost the Great War – the War to End All Wars. That event certainly had a big impact on his growing up.

He was a youth when his country went through the Great Inflation … something that is probably coming our way in the near future. Do you want to get a “feel” for what it is like when a country’s economy collapses?

And he was a young man when he experienced the rise of Naziism and the coming to power of Adolf Hitler. As you read his description of those times I think you will recognize many of the things he saw that exist in our world today.
This book is worth reading.

I’ll include a link to it in the podcast description.

Words Worth Thinking About from Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I have a quote I’d like to share with you from a famous guy.
I wonder if you have to be famous to have people quote you?

Anyway, this famous guy told a story about his youth.

“When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing. I told him I wanted to be a real Major League baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he’d like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish.” – Dwight Eisenhower

How famous was this guy?
He became a five-star general. That’s pretty famous.
He was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War II.
He was the military governor of the American Zone in Germany after World War II.
He became the Chief of Staff of the Army.
Then he became the President of Columbia University.
He had to take a break from that position to serve as the Supreme Commander of NATO — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Oh, yeah … and then in 1953, he became the 34th President of the United States.
Dwight Eisenhower.

Before I go I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.

“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)

Until next time … be the reason someone smiles today!