The “Break it Down” Blog

The Washington Times is reporting that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expressed “great interest” in a “safety bracelet” that all air-travelers would be forced to wear if implemented.

This information was from a promotional video (Link Dead, they have removed the movie after all the attention it got) over at the Lamperd Less Lethal website.

The “ID Bracelet” would of course replace a boarding pass, because with every new good invasive technology that has to further degrade our privacy, there has to be an element of convenience associated with it to get us to adopt it.

Naturally, I’m sure down the road as people stop rejecting the technology, an option will become available to permanently purchase the bracelet and take it home with you. $100 says that somewhere in that multi-page contract you sign to take it home, it will say something to the effect that you agree to be monitored at all times by taking this device home.

The way the bracelet works is:

• Contains a GPS transmitter so individuals can be tracked at all times
• Contains a chip flashed with the individual’s complete personal information
• Contains a shocking element that can be remotely triggered to disable the wearer, just like being Tasered can do.

This isn’t the disturbing part, the disturbing part is that the DHS is actively interested in deploying this technology according to a letter from DHS Official Paul S. Ruwaldt. He was quoted as saying:

To make it clear, we [the federal government] are interested in…the immobilizing security bracelet, and look forward to receiving a written proposal.

Just to clarify, this is not a pure hypothetical what-if, the DHS is looking to get some quotes for this and are already sold on the idea.

When you consider how ridiculous air-travel has become and look at the number of actual incidents that have been stopped by all this bullshit “security” compared to all the mistakes, it’s unfortunate that the solution, from the government’s perspective, is to raise that bar higher and higher until privacy is a thing of the past. Only that will keep us safe… safe from what I’m not sure; safe from each other I suppose… or ourselves.

Apparently waiting in 2hr long lines and rarely there being incidents at airports is just too risky, we need to lock down on the already non-existent terrorism problem in US airports even further.

My gut-reaction is that making air-travel a nightmare was intentional. After a decade of that and then having someone say to you “You can buy this ID bracelet and walk right through the terminal without waiting in line”, you would of course jump on the opportunity now and happily oblige. No need to up-sell you on the benefits of wearing a remotely activated Taser device.

I feel bad for our government when they view the citizens of the country they preside over as a security liability and nothing more. I can’t wait until it’s declared that with your driver’s license, you now get the option of an embedded chip that can be used as a boarding pass… I’m expecting to see that in 2020.

By 2050 we should be pretty much fucked.

Thanks The Washington Times!