Random Thoughts on Lazy Convienances and Freedoms Lost

I saw a commercial last night on television that really got my attention. It was for Onstar®. Now we are all aware that if you have an Onstar® equipped vehicle and the systems subscription is paid and current, you can use many services that range from hands free phone use to turn by turn directions. But has anyone ever thought about how that works, and if it really doesn't work when the subscription is expired or never activated. In fact Onstar® is required to call the authorities if you press the button and request it of them in an emergency situation, whether you pay for the service or not. This more then anything else proves that some level of the service is active whether or not you pay for it. Well then why don't we think about it a minute.

In order for these services to work, they need to know exactly where you are at all times. When they advertise the turn by turn directions, which you would think most people would pick up on, they know where you are and can then tell you where to go. The 'call the cops and medical personal when you have a crash' feature. They know where you are and have monitors in the car to tell them that you have been in a wreck. There are even able to monitor the on board computer systems on the car so they can tell you what it means if your dash lights come on or remind you to change your oil. Now that is pretty tied in to your vehicle, don't you think?

Which brings me to the commercial last night. As we are aware, there promos telling how 'if your car is stolen we can track it and alert the authorities as to where it is, so you get your car back'. And in New York and LA i can see how that may be a good idea. But the folks at Onstar® have taken it even further. (big brother alert)
Now if your car is stolen, with a few keystrokes, when it is turned off Onstar® can prevent the ignition from restarting. Now the sales pitch is cute, a guy steals your car, stops for beer at gas station and turns the car off. Boom, car won't restart, car thief gets pissed and runs away. Good sales pitch. However, does that mean that they can now, or will be able to in the near future, turn your car off as it is driving should a branch of law enforcement want it stopped? Some people claim they can and have done this several times in the last few years. Think about it, this could be a good sales pitch to law enforcement, in view of the public relations risk involving high speed chases through city streets, or to allow them to kill the car at a time of their choosing to "detain a person of interest" that they want to interrogate, I mean question. You could be stopped at any time for any reason, and i mean stopped, a dead car doesn't go anywhere. However, as far as I presently am aware they cannot do this yet, but the keyword is yet. When they are able to do this, will they tell us, the general population?

To me that is yet another good reason to buy older cars and trucks that are not remotely controlled. If i get lost, that is what they make maps for. When you lock yourself out of your car, you go to the bumper and get the little hide-a-key magnetic box you were smart enough to put there and open the door yourself. People are getting so lazy and wanting so much handed to them with little to no effort that they are giving up their freedom to do what they want when they want to do it. And is it actually easier and faster to call Onstar®, verify who you are, verify you own the vehicle, then have them open it for you than it is to get the damn hide-a-key?

I realize this is just one area that is up for this kind of discussion, but we don't have 18 months and unlimited 'paper' to write it all out and talk about it. So think about stuff on your own that you see as a possible problem or threat to your freedom or items that may be used to limit what you do if it is not approved by the right people. If you want to answer this post with some of your thoughts and share with the group please do. What i want to do get your brain thinking, your mind observing, and mostly get you thinking like a survivalist!!!! Look past what they are telling you it does and think about the 'side effects' and what it could do. That is the same way you think about items now. How can i use this item in more ways than it was designed for and make it work for me in this situation? That is survivalist thinking. Do it.

More to come.