Why the EU and UN Despise Israel?

 

Why do the European Union and the United Nations and so many others hate Israel? It is obvious, it did not fail. When the victorious powers of World War I decided to include forming a Jewish State in the ancient homelands of the Jews, they fully expected to be able to send all their Jews to this land where nobody had succeeded in forming a viable state. Not the Greeks, not the Romans, not the Byzantines, not any of the different Islamic rulers and thus it was expected the Jews would meet a similar fate. The expectation was the Jews would meet misery and hopelessness and surrender and need to beg the rest of the world to allow them to return to their subservience and being a kept people who lived at the mercy and generosity of others. After the Holocaust the Western World did feel the guilt for not at least taking even the most basic of attempts to stop the slaughter by bombing the rail lines leading to the concentration camps or taking the better option of allowing the Jews to emigrate from Germany and following it up with taking the Jews from the expanding Nazi controlled areas. The British may have had the greatest guilt, though their actions would never reveal such, as they refused to take the Jews and shut down entry for the Jews to the Mandate Region from which they had been tasked to allow the formation of a Jewish State by cutting the number of Jews to immigrate between 1933 to 1939 to a maximum of seventy-five-thousand each year and made even meeting that number as difficult as possible. The Nazis offered to force their Jews to be sent to the Mandate lands under British rule which the British refused claiming that the German Jews were the problem of the German government and the British had no concern on what the Germans did with them as long as it did not foist them on the British. The United States showed their colors by refusing to permit additional Germans even if they were Jewish as they had quotas, which were never filled but still the State Department, and Immigrations refused to accept the German Jews and when the MS St. Louis was refused to disembark the nine-hundred-thirty-seven Jewish refugees at Havana despite their having passports and complete paperwork as the Cuban government reneged on their offer and while the doomed ship slowly returned to Germany traveling slowly along the east coast of the United States continually petitioning for entrance pleading in radio messages, the United States government refused to permit them to enter the United States and provided the MS St. Louis with escort vessels to assure that nobody attempted to jump ship and swim to the shores of the United States. Eventually, the United Kingdom agreed to take 288 of the passengers who disembarked and traveled to the UK by other steamers. After much negotiation by Captain Schröder, the remaining 619 passengers were allowed to disembark at Antwerp; 224 were accepted by France, 214 by Belgium and 181 by the Netherlands. Unfortunately for the ones accepted into European nations ended up the fate of those nations falling before the Nazi war machine.

 

 

Mandate of San Remo for French and British including actual treaty demarcations for each nation

 

 

The reasoning that the Jews would fail in making their nation work was based on two opposing principles, the first was the seemingly unyielding lands which had foiled every attempt to tame the land and make the land produce by every previous successful and highly advanced for their ages that had made all the lands under their rule into productive lands but the area set aside for the Jewish State had foiled every attempt to tame it, let alone make it support a peoples. Secondly, the Jews were inferior people scorned by every civil society and considered inferior and incapable of acting at even a normal level as compared with normal people so how would these pathetic Jews ever succeed where all others had failed before them. So, by allowing the incompetent to be gathered to work lands that were impossible was the formula for only one comprehended result, complete and utter failure where the land itself would be the death of the vast majority of the Jews allowed to emigrate there and make the remainder so appreciative of whomever took them back in and cared for their needs would receive such praise and appreciation that the Jews would finally be humbled and accept their fate as the condemnable and damned people everyone knew they were. So, it was an adventure which could only work to make the rest of the world able to validate their superiority over the Jew after they failed to make the land produce sufficiently to support the Jews and were forced into begging for somebody, namely their European superiors, to save them before they all perished. Somewhere something did not quite go as expected. But before that there was more which was committed which should have made the failure all the more probable as within the first decade the Arab world cast out almost another million Jews leaving most of them without any of their wealth and even only the remnants they could shove into suitcases and trunk lockers leaving such things as family heirlooms, their businesses, their bank accounts, and whatever else that could be stolen as at least they were allowing them to leave with their lives. This addition of almost one-million all but destitute Jews were to be an additional and unsustainable addition to what was already presumably doomed to failure. As said earlier, something went awry and things did not turn out as expected.

 

That is where the world was delivered a surprise beyond imagination, the Jews succeeded. The Jews not only succeeded but thrived and actually performed what was considered not only impossible but could only be classified as miraculous as the nascent Jewish State survived, though they did technically lose some of their lands (though they gained areas to be under their complete control in rural areas in the Galilee but lost half of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount and the Old City to Jordan. Gaza to Egypt and the Golan Heights to Syria) but managed to survive an invasion by seven Arab nations and a number of militias including one of Arabs under the banner of the Mufti of Jerusalem, the same Mufti who spent most of World War II in Berlin as a guest of the leaders of the Third Reich producing propaganda broadcasts to be transmitted into the Arab world to turn them against the allied powers. The Jews not only met every challenge and survived but thrived and brought the dessert and swamps into a land blossoming with produce, made strides in irrigation such as drip irrigation which uses water even more sparingly than normal irrigation, invented new fruits and vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, and then started winning Nobel Prizes as if growing them in their greenhouses, and finally became a tech leader in the world in nearly every science all while fighting a number of wars brought upon them by aggressions by their neighbors as well as from terrorist groups targeting them both from within and without. The challenge of draining swamps, an immediate assault by seven neighbors, and becoming a leading nation in the sciences, economics and virtually every imaginable endeavor their people decided to pursue. Basically, as far as Europe and the world bodies were concerned the impossible is what the Jews managed when returned to their ancient homelands.

 

This success of Israel, the Jewish State, and her people, blossoming in so many fields was simply something beyond possible and completely unimagined. Somehow the impossible people were thrown into a complete wastelands which many thought to be an impossible land and then the impossible happened; the lands bloomed and brought forth riches and produce beyond what anybody might have imagined and grasses that supported flocks of sheep and herds of cows, impossible but that is what came to pass. The Bible could have advised the Europeans that this would be the case as it was stated that Israel was the lands which belongs to Hashem and that He trusted the Jewish People to bring forth its wonders and for whom the land would release its fruits and blossom. The land was promised not to produce for any other peoples other than the Jews. The Europeans had to know of these predictions from in the Old Testament but their faith in the Old Testament was no longer as they had replaced it with a New Testament and a new covenant which replaced the old covenant. Well, apparently the old covenant has some life left in her and the Jews are still getting the benefit of their Promised Lands giving up her yields and abundance which this land denied all others. The land and the Jewish People radiate great benefits and wealth and even now has provided great fields of natural gas just off her shores and even potentially within her lands as well as oil, Baruch Hashem. Many might call this a miracle; I like to think of it as a promise kept by Hashem whose promises should never be doubted. There is a reason for much of two-thousand years the Jews always finished their Seder meal and prayers those special nights with the phrase, “Next year in Jerusalem” (לשנה הבאה בירושלים).

 

 

Haggadah Final Prayer and finish of Seder with Next year in Jerusalem לשנה הבאה בירושלים

 

 

The surprise may have initially been seen with a bemused amazement mixed with perhaps a small bit of admiration. But as many nerds have felt when they also show prowess at some physical or sports effort besting one of the letterman in multiple sports at some time, there is a degree of indignation and angst fueled animosity when those considered inferior prove proficient outside their textbooks, the little State of Israel has also received some less than warm regards as their successes continue and things just continue to get brighter and brighter. There are other considerations but why complicate the matter. The truth is the reasons behind much of the animosity shown towards Israel by the European Union and United Nations may never be fully understood. Granted the United Nations with its predominant Arab and Unaligned Nations voting as a single block in the General Assembly and having large representations in virtually every United Nations agencies and NGOs and the oil monies invested in souring any relations others may choose to show to Israel, the United Nations is already dangerous when it comes to all things Israel. Perhaps the United Nations single minded hatred for Israel influenced the European Union with many deciding it was easier to go along to get along and sacrificing Israel in order to improve relations with such a large majority of the rest of the world is a sacrifice seemingly worth making, especially since Israel shares her advances freely without attempting to deny even her worst enemies the use of her discoveries. Israel has even offered to instruct and work with a number of Arab nations installing and teaching them how to build, install, maintain and otherwise utilize their drip irrigation and other discoveries in agriculture which make irrigating the dessert and growing crops feasible. Unfortunately most have refused such assistance as apparently it is better to not have the capacity to conserve water while also raising crops using irrigation more efficiently is not sufficiently tempting to ease a relationship with Israel. The problem with many Islamic nations is that Israel was presumably lands which as once being ruled by Islam must, according to their interpretations of the Quran, always remain ruled by Islam. Perhaps it is a good thing that the British and Spanish never adopted this rule or they would feel they should own most of the planet between them.

 

Whether the driving animosity is a reflection of jealousy or going along with the majority to get along with the majority, ethics be damned, it matters little. The reality comes down to garner the hate of the Islamic world and the oil flow may stop; earn the disapproval of Israel is a no thrills, no chills, no downside as Israel does not hold back or victimize others just because they may not act in a friendly or respectful manner and spend too much time being critical as there can be cooperation in many areas even if the political arena is presenting difficult challenges. There are those who are critical of Israeli generosity and refusal to hold those who actively attempt to undermine and subvert their standing as a nation and consistently apply a double standard holding Israel to what might be termed a ridiculously higher standard than they hold other nations or even themselves.

 

 

Five beautiful, glorious and holy Torah Scrolls which carry near infinite wisdom and are the foundation of all Judaism and their culture and the Jewish civilization is built around the Torah and the teaching of Torah

 

 

There is a reason for holding Israel to a higher standard than other normal nations are held and it is because of the successes Israel has enjoyed, earned as they may be, and that Israel expects excellence from their people, their military and in all things the nation as a whole in order to earn their name as the chosen people for whom the swamps and rock strewn hills and desert all bloomed and produced great production beyond anything other nations had achieved. When the Jewish People proved theirs was a special relationship with these lands which had lain fallow and unproductive for nearly two-thousand years and also rose to the top in virtually every field of the sciences and humanities as well as becoming the “Start Up Nation” and a technological giant and in all these fields, to borrow a phrase often used by President Obama, punching well above their weight, with great achievement comes great expectations and the world of nations should expect more of Israel and the Israelis because they have proven that there is a society which can meet or exceed such expectations. Is it completely fair? No, of course not but who promised things would be fair. Were the years of persecutions stretching back over three-thousand years fair, of course not. So, now that the Jews have been returned to our natural lands should we expect things to be fair. We should expect things to be even more unbalanced and the world to expect things of magnificence from the state of Israel, from the nation who claims to want to be a light unto the nations. You expect to be an example for the rest of the world whether they desire it from you or not then you need to have them expect perfection or near as human beings can reach to perfection and to always demand you do better than all others and just be that light unto the nations because you meet or surpass every expectations. Our Torah tells us that we should strive to be the best that each of us can be and that we are to hold ourselves to the highest of standards so we should take any expectation raised by others as their challenge to us to accomplish such deeds. The only place where we need not listen to those detractors who would not be pleased no matter what is when they demand our surrender from the lands that were promised us by the world at the end of World War I. The world claims we must give up lands so the Arab Palestinians can have their own nation and to that we must ask then what is Jordan if not that nation. The lands east of the river were to be for the Arab Palestinians and the lands west of the river were promised for time immemorial for the Jewish State and this was the promise from the British and agreed to by the rest of the world otherwise all of what was the British Mandate should be the Jewish State. Who knows, after Islamic State decides to set their sights on Israel as their next target they will need to swallow Jordan and whatever of the Arab Palestinian PLO remains on their way to Jerusalem and Haifa and once Israel dances with the Islamic State the Russians and United States will both have one less worry on their plates.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Will Europeans Answer Call to Salvation

 

Western culture, science, development, priorities and history are on the line and that line is in danger of breaking. Once the last line breaks there will be little possibility of rebirth in not only our time but the times of our children and their children as visited onto four generations are the sins of the father. That is the punishment described in the Bible, in Torah, for bowing to false gods and forsaking Hashem. Whether that sentence upon the generations that follow a civilization which lost their faith and believe that there is no entity that is Hashem or simply is the result due to the morals and the reason for preservation and child rearing falls upon tin ears and being rejected simply lends to the collapse of the civilization due to influx of peoples with completely different beliefs or an invasion by same. It is the reality currently infecting European culture which has led to a destructive form of hedonism which had forsaken religion and replaced it with the cold truths of science. The problem with basing your entire existence solely upon science is this gives no moral conviction for life and the continuation of life through having children. Science alone will lead many, as we have witnessed, to believe that mankind is a blight upon the earth and thus should be sacrificed in all things for Ghia, their new god, replacing Hashem who had preserved their societies in some form for the past five thousand years since the birth of Abraham and the first in the line of peoples following Hashem as described by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Whose laws were transcribed by Moses. These laws guided the greatness which brought society to this point and their protection died just assuredly as the people chased false gods rejecting Hashem because of the commandment of “Be fruitful and multiple.” This was the commandment that gave purpose of each generation to reproduce such that their societies would have the necessary youth to care for the aged and the society would remain viable.

 

 

The Lord’s Stare

 

 

Alexander Hamilton was quoted as having said, “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” That could just as easily be the condemnation on modern Western society and culture. All one need do is to study the news cycles and there in plain sight is the result of modern Western public’s rejection of Hashem and any religion which claims to believe in Hashem. Never mind that it provided Europe with the faith in their fellow man to persevere through some of the most tumultuous times the world has ever known, but such is often what drives invention and development. Many will claim that it was just those faithful who almost brought civilization to its knees and the answer is that perhaps one bending one’s knees and returning to Hashem and belief that mankind has a higher purpose than selfish pleasures at the sake of the society. One more reason the Bible may teach us to be fruitful and multiply is so as to have the youths necessary to defend one’s way of life even if it has been corrupted by the sins of the flesh, and trust I know of what I speak. No matter how great and fulfilling one believes living in the moment and only for the moment will give them lasting satisfaction, the proof this is a false belief is in those moments between fulfillment of the moment what feelings are left, what fills the vacuous times between pleasures? The problem is that there is nothing which carries one into the far future, the living beyond one’s self and propagating a legacy which lasts beyond one’s life. The only thing which is capable of doing such is renewal of life. But if we refuse to believe in a higher and better source and implementer of a grander theme in which we are but the functionaries to fulfill a greater destiny, then all is for naught and the self becomes all-important and the serving on oneself becomes a goal in and of itself. Any society which emphasizes the self above all else is a society stricken with a fatal disease similar to the worship of idols. Idolatry does not require a stone or metal figure for one to believe upon as it can just as easily be a false ethic formed around the immediate and holding no finer goal than self-satisfaction above all else.

 

One of the worst nightmares which follow the loss of belief in Hashem is the sacrifice of children. This was something Hashem made clear in the most primitive and brutal of ways bringing His most faithful of servants, Abraham, to the very brink of committing such a sacrifice and only then intervening and forbidding such sacrifice unto forever for those following Hashem and His ways. Modern times have great difficulty understanding this passage because they can only see it through their modern precepts which they claim they do not sacrifice children or other humans to false gods and have not done so for centuries. If only such were the truth. But first to understanding Abraham and the testing and altering of the way life was in the times of Abraham. In those days one of the most prevalent of gods was Ba’al, a vengeful god which often required the sacrifice of children to appease his anger. Ba’al was not the sole god making such demands of their worshipers. We know through the study of anthropology that the Aztecs had human sacrifice and even in modern times there are those who proactive the ritual sacrifices of the wife when her husband dies by her throwing herself upon his burning corps and being consumed in his funeral pyre. This practice was most likely adopted in dire times of scarcity of resources, particularly food and water such that a woman with no man to provide would likely have been too great a strain on her tribe so this was a manner of dealing with this inconvenient person. When Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham would have thought such could very well simply be a test of faith and that this was going to continue as a form of acceptable sacrifice. Making such an offering was not all that unusual in those dark days of idolatry and Abraham had no actual proof that such was not to continue on forever into the future and such would be the requirement of any god, even Hashem. After the redemption and prevented from such a sacrifice, Abraham came to learn that Hashem loved life above death and it is this belief and concept which is vital in any society which follows Hashem.

 

 

Crescent of Arms

 

 

Modern Western society has strayed from Hashem. Even many who believe they follow Hashem and go to services every week, be those services on Sunday or Saturday, Saturday is called Shabbat in places in this world and in certain languages that the day of rest is so important that it became the name of the day so as none could ever forget. Still, there are those today who deal in and accept child sacrifice. We have had a recent series of videos laying out for all to see where the sacrifice of our children leads us to committing, the dividing the portions and selling these portions for silver and gold and other trinkets of trade. Of course we are not so heartless as to call such a child sacrifice; we call it the right to choose. Whatever one names it and how much we sanitize it, an abortion is still the taking of a life and the proof is in our laws. If one murders a pregnant women and by doing so the child she was carrying also dies the murderer is charged with two counts of murder, one receiving special additional punishment as it is listed as committing infanticide, a worse form of murder than murdering a grown person as it is the murder of the most innocent and helpless. But we in a modern society have reached a point where the life and convenience of the young woman takes precedent over the child she carries. The infant under the consideration of the law in almost every other legal definition becomes merely a choice, a lump of cells causing an inconvenience, a threat to the mental health of the adult person, or at least sufficiently adult to have conceived most likely in a consensual engagement. Many will claim that any conception should be brought full term and if still rejected by the mother then given up for adoption and that adoption is always preferable to any form of child sacrifice, of infanticide, abortion, choice. We give it so many different terms and names because we are not completely united on the issue and there still is some amount of stigma on abortion that such was not even discussed in anything approaching polite conversation. With the ‘Planned Parenthood’ videos we have been introduced to the industry that begins with such a choice, with an abortion, a murder, the termination of a precious gift. The abortion has become the safe extraction of the organs for sale to the highest bidder. For this reason there need to be a fetus which has developed to the point that there exist the organs which science wishes to study more closely. That is our new idolatry, science, and all that serves science had benefits for us.

 

Hashem Creating Adam Filling him with Breath and a Soul

 

But who are the ‘us’ that science serves if our small piece of science results in reproductive rates falling below replacement levels, below the level for a healthy society. Europe from the westernmost tip of Ireland and Portugal to the eastern tip of Europe be it in Russia, Finland, Norway, the Ukraine or Georgia; is experiencing the result of being celibate, or at least childless. The result of lower than healthy reproductive rates makes one’s entire society vulnerable to fight off societal threats, today we just yell, scream, stomp our feet and hold our breathe until we turn blue and it still does us no good. Europe is slowly being conquered by Islamic transfer of sufficient youth to be able to take demographic control unless Europeans waken real soon. But far too many in Europe have decided to live their lives to the maximizing of their own personal pleasure whether such pleasures require their climbing the ladder to success like any man does or whether pleasure requires living largely for carnal pleasures or, as was once a popular phrase which sums this all up nicely, whatever floats your boat. This self-centric societal outlook will soon find itself challenged by the followers of Islam which are infiltrating in ever growing numbers and they bring a separate culture and foreign religious beliefs, but beliefs they do bring and those self-same beliefs will be imposed. The only solution which might work, if it is already not too late, would be to return to Hashem; be it Catholic or Protestant or Judaism and through that choice one must from that point onward choose life as life is precious before Hashem.

 

 

Direction Defined

 

 

There are those who will claim that there can be no Hashem, there is only science and in time science will reveal the reason behind everything. Even was this remotely possible, there are always going to be questions we have not yet answered; there will always be the next star, solar system, galaxy or even alternate universes and alternate realities. Simply put, we will always have unknowns and questions and we may even have such a question astrophysicists are asking today, what came before the ‘Big Bang?’ Hashem was before the ‘Big Bang’ and will remain after the cold silence of an emptiness is all that remains of what we once were which has ceased its existence. Meanwhile, those who once used to fight over such things as how was one to best serve Hashem, they now face a greater foe than ever as this foe has its own religious beliefs and claims they supercede Judaism and Christianity and believes it is tasked in converting the entirety of the world to their faith. Their belief in something which defines them will defeat a Europe and an America if both remain guided by faithless people.

 

 

Sistine Chapel Ceiling attempting to give inspirational guidance we would hope entering the White House fills the next President

 

 

Entering the White House has been transformational to many presidents turning or returning them to Hashem and the religion they had lost or forsaken. These types of leaders are needed in Europe and America and real soon. Hopefully the United States will elect one who knows Hashem and believes His prayer which conveys the concept that all things have their proper times and places where they need be to continue testing his believers and them needing to turn to Hashem when the times are tough and that extra strength is needed and I cannot think of any time when such was needed more.

 

The fate of the world may depend on the next American elections though things may proceed such that we may not have the sixteen months left to act. Then we will need to pray that much more fervently for an America to return and play their role as the world’s police. If they fail, then who? Should America fail then the weight falls to the final hope for at the least a quarter of a century, that is the reasoning behind the Bible verse from Exodus 20:5 which reads in part, Hashem will “visit(ing) the iniquity of the fathers upon their sons and their daughters unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate (forsake, forget, depart completely from the teachings and commandments) Me. The generation which diverts near completely from the path of righteousness will bring the end of those peoples as they will fall, as ancient Israel fell when she strayed from the path, and it takes a minimum of three or four generations before they can throw off the yoke of oppressions and reestablish Hashem’s place and order on the world.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Has the World Gone Crazy? Government Wants to Look and See

 

Thus far this week we have witnessed too many instances of violence from all across the globe with none of it making much sense. There was the taking of hostages in a small eatery in Australia with a wannabe ISIS crazy who amongst his demands insisted on talking to the Prime Minister of the country. There was a Taliban raid on a Pakistani school murdering innocent children with the count approaching one-hundred-fifty and nearly countless more reportedly in area hospitals, let’s pray it does not exceed that number. The United States did not miss out as a former Marine went on a killing spree in Philadelphia northwestern suburb in Pennsylvania murdering his ex-wife and her sister, mother, grandmother and two children of the sister as well as shooting and injuring the sister’s husband. These, as with too many murders reported unfortunately almost daily, are the actions of disturbed minds or people blinded beyond sanity by their cause will remain beyond our ability to understand. Where the twisted reasoning behind any murder may be beyond the ability of our ability to discern and understand, efforts should continue to see if any discerning and identifying character traits or other determining actions and indicators can be discovered such that in the future some of these grisly events can be prevented. We will probably never have the ability to prevent every time somebody goes beyond all societal norms and commits some act of violence tearing a hole in society as a whole.

 

The question we as societies will need to answer is how far are we to permit law enforcement to go both in their abilities to collect information and survey public or even private areas in order to prevent crimes and provide a higher level of safety in their efforts to circumvent crimes, especially crimes of violence. There are already increasing usages for cameras and sound detection equipment in cities throughout the world with London taking the lead as the most surveyed city with sound detectors and cameras placed throughout so that they can see virtually every area of the streets, river, shopping centers, service alleys and probably the darkest recesses and corners throughout the city. Surveillance carried out to such an extent combined with the advancing artificial intelligence advances in computer technology including facial recognition software, gait detection and profiling which will lead to computers monitoring the entirety of these cameras and potentially adding the microphones so that they can discern every spoken word and conversation using software collating the data in order to alert police to suspected criminal acts they determine are imminent. The police would be directed in the hope that their mere presence would prevent the crime and to interdict any criminal act as soon as it occurs or prevent any violent action intervening at the predicted moment such violence might occur. It would be a virtual future crime system used as deterrence and placing police exactly where they might be needed moments before any criminal act. For crimes such as theft or a holdup such a system would likely deter many criminals but then how far would such a system be empowered. Would they use such a system to determine the name of a person crossing a street in other than a designated crosswalk and send them a summons or ticket just as speed cameras and red light cameras do in many cities currently? Such a system would potentially provide a huge increase in revenue which could potentially completely finance the entire police department.

 

If placing cameras and listening devices all throughout our cities and towns is acceptable, then what if the government decides to go further? It would start with a program where the government would give people payment if they were permitted to add any monitoring cameras and sound devices people currently had in their homes and businesses. The program would begin innocently and be voluntary so what would be the harm, people could simply say they have no interest and such a program might make others who would be unable to afford an alarm system with cameras and twenty-four hour monitoring and such a program would be enabling more homes to be monitored and kept safe. What argument could be made that this was not a good thing and it is still voluntary, right? Then the government would eventually see this as now a right they could extend as were not most of the people who had systems voluntarily opting to join the government subsidy. Anyways, anybody now refusing the government mandated monitoring systems and the government including these systems in their extensive monitoring would be proof that you have something to hide. The thing is such a demand would not be instituted until the vast majority of the public had already agreed to this monitoring by the government and nobody had been adversely affected, so where is the harm in government placing monitoring in every home. Such monitoring would keep homes safe from burglaries while people were at work and where would be the harm? There was a time when people would only accept a ticket if it was written by an officer who had witnessed their exceeding the speed limit or running a red light. Nobody would accept a ticket from a camera radar trap and receiving one would result in their going to court and demanding to confront their accuser. Initially this defense was accepted by the courts and then the city council allowed for a regulation, or even passed a law in some instances, that made these tickets legal and no longer permitted the defense of demanding to confront your accuser and thus no judge would accept that defense. It has become common for camera evidence to be considered superior to an eye witness’s testimony. Add facial recognition and cameras can be utilized to identify people beyond any reasonable doubt in most courts. Where these automated law enforcement technologies will end is anybody’s guess. The camera and the microphones are just the tip of the coming iceberg as we can expect explosives detection systems placed in sensitive areas or places where large crowds are expected to form such as malls, ballparks, amusement parks, concerts, fairs and special events as well as whatever devices and data gathering system which have yet to be developed. Many of the larger ports and other commercial shipping and mass travel systems including trains, planes and ships have detection equipment which checks the luggage or shipping containers as well as magnetometers to check the people while visual checks are made of carryon luggage and bags. These detection devices are simply a computerized version of using a dog or other trained animal and currently almost as reliable and their evidence is acceptable in a court as sufficient evidence for permitting an officer to search and arrest any person refusing the search in order to search the person once in custody.

 

There are numerous types of surveillance equipment with abilities which would astound the average person readily available to police departments should they care to make the outlay funds to purchase such devices. There is equipment which can listen to a conversation simply by placing an invisible laser onto any window to the room which the conversation of interest is being held. This technology has progressed to the point that one would need to cover the window with sound dampening screens or external cover such as aluminum storm shutters. There are systems which can see through walls with amazing detail capability. There are systems being researched which will allow governments to monitor people in ways they likely never imagined. People can be tracked by tracking their cell phones. Using your cell phone a person can be located to within ten feet and their cell phone can be activated to listen to any noises or conversations within the ability of the microphone to detect. Even the cell phone camera can be activated though such is often not very revealing as if the phone is in a purse or pocket the video will not reveal much. There are ways to monitor people’s computer usage as long as their computer is linked to a network which has internet connection active or if the computer itself is connected to the internet. The invasions of our privacy which government can potentially utilize if they wish to monitor our lives covertly are astounding and place every individual potentially in a very compromised position even without their knowledge. These are simply implications of the modern world we all reside within. But then in a world where many of us post even intimate information about ourselves on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Vine and others, why would many of us complain or have any problem with the government monitoring our daily activities. Perhaps the government could start their own social media site and simply put videos of some of the craziest things they monitored and maybe also the top ten crimes of the day. The one prediction which can be made safely is that privacy is a quaint idea whose definition is growing ever smaller with every passing new technology. Perhaps any legal definition claiming that we have unalienable rights to privacy, that our homes are inviolable or that our papers, effects and private information are secure from search or seizure without a court order, summons or warrant are simply cute little ideas whose potential possibility is nil in our high-tech world where information rules and those who can best gather information rule. In simpler terms, if one wishes to have privacy they best be prepared to make a sizeable effort to assure that their desire has been attained. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Perhaps this could be adapted to modern times where we add that not only is eternal vigilance is the price of liberty but also the price for personal privacy from government. It could be argued that privacy is necessary to have liberty and to have real freedom. To be honest, it is rightly well worth the effort and allows one to sleep better each night.

 

Beyond the Cusp