Ted Rall for March 13, 2023

It’s always true that most crooks are dumber than the average rabid bat. However, there are always some who figure out how to get away (at least for awhile) no matter what tech they’re up against. As a science fiction reader, I know this is true, because the authors are so convincing! <grin>

But it’s also at least somewhat true. Facial recognition? Probably not very effective if you’re wearing contacts and cheek inserts. License plate scanners? Well yeah, but what’s wrong with lower tech: mass transit or a bike?

I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand it’s a cautionary tale about big tech and the police state. On the other hand, lazy cops behind a desk don’t gun you down.

One word, Kojak Jr.: Hackers.

Big Brother is watching you.

Where’s Crocker Jr and Demosthenes Jr?

O brave new world that has such people in’t

Simply put police cant use these technologies properly for the right reason

I mean police already lack empathy for criminals lives so using the tech changes nothing anyway

Very original, I like it, Mr. Rall.

First world problems.

You can tell when someone is getting old. They become conservative, object to, mock and complain about progress.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m a lot more worried about private companies surveilling & collecting our data, than one NYDP cop. How & when that info is shared with police is an important question, but right now, Big Data seems inclined to withhold cooperation without being forced to by a court. I read a story about a woman who was carjacked with her 2 year old kid in the back seat. The car maker refused to share GPS info with the police, since the owner wasn’t paying a subscription fee for the service.

Just a few years ago this would have been obvious science fiction. In 2023, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. BTW, Ms. Santis, may I use “average rabid bat”? Please?

Great toon, no notes. Strong argument for either not letting police get this level of access or creating strong oversight if it happens. I’m not super hopeful.

Smart crooks don’t carry cell phones. Kohberger. Murdaugh. Unless you want a crime scene selfie for some reason.

It’s why I’ll never trust a self-driving car, or my cellphone. Trust No-thing.

For a very different take on surveillance culture and governance in general I suggest people read Infomocracy the first book in The Centenal Cycle trilogy by Malka Older. It is a work of speculative fiction that provides an interesting and intriguing counterpoint to the paranoid dystopian viewpoint so common in Mr. Rall’s work. Not that Rall is necessarily wrong in his analysis but its sometimes good to look on the bright side. We need to first imagine a better future and then work to bring it about.

Yeah, Big Brother. But it’s better than a bunch of cops ganging up on PoCs and killing them.

In our current state the technology present and in development could fall into the hands of a Gilead than a healed country we would like to have a rainbow polity.