Must-Read: Ted Koppel's NYT Op/Ed Piece Today

Koppel says in his “Take My Privacy, Please!” column that the Patriot Act and its potential for abuse is very small potatoes compared to the potential for abuse of OnStar, TiVo and the VeriChip. After I saw the new version of the “Manchurian Candidate” movie, I said that since we all were going to have to live under the Bush administration fascists for four more years, a brain implant making us docile and compliant would be a blessing. Now, apparently, the VeriChip, which is a tiny implant inserted under a pet's skin and allows owners to track the pet if it gets lost, can be used on people with Alzheimer's syndrome. Can compulsory ID chips and mood elevators be far behind? Any political party that routinely abuses the privacy of citizens, such as the current GOP, would not be above using seemingly benign microchips and tracking devices for its own nefarious ends. Read Koppel's piece (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/opinion/13koppel.html?th&emc=th). He's right. The Patriot Act is the least of the abuses of our privacy just waiting to descend on us--particularly with the immoral bunch inhabiting the White House now.