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A worrying tech shift in the EU

The European Union has ramped up pressure on its citizens to adopt the digital ID now being rolled out by member nations.

In Austria a 100 Euro payment is being offered to those who sign up and teachers have been warned that without adopting the digital ID they will no longer be able to meet their employee obligations and could face dismissal.

As usual, the politicians are claiming that this ID system is voluntary yet, as happened with vaccinations during the CV19 pandemic, it appears that those who don't conform to "recommendations" will find themselves severely disadvantaged.

Even pensions are being tied to this "voluntary" digital ID system such that those who don't sign up may not be able to claim their entitlements -- but it's not compulsory eh?

One might wonder why governments around the world are so eager to roll out digital IDs and what the next step might be.

Not only does a digital ID make it far easier for governments to keep an eye on their citizens and surveil their activities, it also lays the groundwork for the abolition of cash and the introduction of things such as government controlled digital currency.

As mentioned previously, Australia is planning to link their voluntary digital ID to internet access. Nobody will be forced to sign up to the digital ID system but, on the other hand, if you want to use the internet you will need that ID to go online -- all under the guise of protecting children from online dangers.

Australia is also at the forefront of trying to delete cash.

Once cash is gone and we have things like the digital Euro, governments then have total control over their citizens and can safely forget about the fact that they are elected to servve, not to surveil and dictate.

Many commentators have painted a dystopian future in a world where all transactions are digital and the government controls that currency.

Imagine how easy it becomes to use access to your funds as a way of punishing dissent or behaviour that may be considered harmful to society (or perhaps just the ruling party). At any time, in a world of government-controlled digital currency, the balance of your bank account could be frozen or highly restricted in terms of what it can be used for.

If the tree-huggers gain power we could see such restrictions as a limit placed on the amount of carbon you generate by way of your purchases. Maybe each citizen will be given a carbon quota and every product/service accorded a carbon value. Once you've reached your monthly consumption quota your funds are frozen and only carbon-neutral goods or services can be purchased.

The government of the day may restrict you to a limited number of flight-miles or perhaps choose to limit your sugar intake in the name of health. All these things can easily be enforced using digital currency controlled by a central bank and linked to your digital ID.

Sounds like fantasy?

Well these are just some of the plans of the WEF and their "you will own nothing and be happy" mantra. The technology to support this model is already in place and ready to go -- as we're seeing with the increasing number of subscription-only software models and the loss of our right to repair or modify the things we supposedly own.

A digital ID and linked digital currency will spell the complete end to the priviacy rights granted under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is so sad that so many people can't see the wood for the trees and are freely handing over the very rights that so many have given their lives to protect.

Here in New Zealand we're only slightly behind the rest of the world in respect to the shift from government being a servant of the people to government seeing itself as the controller of the people.

Or maybe I'm just an old hippy, half a century past his best-by date.

Carpe Diem folks!

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