Following in B.C.'s trails that test drove the Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), Premier Jean Charest announced today that in the next few weeks, any Quebecer wishing to travel to the U.S., can obtain an EDL for 40 $ - much cheaper and convenient than a passport - he advertizes.
Convenient for who, is the question every citizen who chooses an EDL over a passport to save less than 8 $ a year, should be asking themselves while they still have the option. As contrary to a passport when the only time one usually carries it is when travelling outside of the country, the EDL will accompany each and every one of our moves every time we use our car or carry our wallet even if it’s just to go to the corner store. We don’t only allow our every step to the monitoring and recording of bureaucrats, but we open the door to future invasions of our privacy by employers, marketing firms, public health authorities, big corporations that will undoubtedly invent a reason to access our RFID for ‘’our own good’’ of course. It will undoubtedly become a dangerous assault to privacy much worse than the cell phone or the GPS. Obviously Quebec did not consider that it was a serious enough issue to consult or debate with the population before adopting the EDL. The sheep will obediently follow, is what Charest must have reflected when proudly showing off his own EDL - the very first issued in Quebec.
It is optional…for now. But how long before we are told that passports are a useless burden and will be totally abolished to be replaced by the EDL? And if you think that travelling to other countries would be difficult without a passport, take comfort in knowing that with globalization, it is more than probable that every country will eventually adopt EDL’s instead of passports.
By opting for such ‘’convenient solutions’’ without thinking of the future consequences, we get hopelessly trapped into accepting a state control that surpasses even Orwell’s fiction. Remember that albeit we can use our car without a GPS, a cell phone or our passport, driving without a driver’s license is quite inconvenient and costly! Say a resounding no to the ‘’convenient’’ EDL now while we still can!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment