People have been wondering how the USDA is ever going to enforce such a complex Byzantine system of regulations as their National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that proposes to ID and track every single food animal in America. Well now we know:
US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies
The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report “suspicious activity”. Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens. Highlighting the scope of the surveillance network, TIPS volunteers are being recruited primarily from among those whose work provides access to homes, businesses or transport systems. Letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors are among those named as targeted recruits.
Historically, informant systems have been the tools of non-democratic states. According to a 1992 report by Harvard University’s Project on Justice, the accuracy of informant reports is problematic, with some informants having embellished the truth, and others suspected of having fabricated their reports.
-SMH.com Australia
It should be noted that on page 27 of the USDA proposed draft for NAIS it states:
Reporting Animal Movement/Sightings
Records that provide animal location and movements would be received from various sectors of the industry (producers, animal health officials, service providers, markets, and slaughter plants). Such input would be obtained through the integration of the AIN/Animal Transaction file.
Translations:
- Animal Health Officials - Veterinarians, inspectors, humane society, etc.
- Service Providers - your friendly electric utility workers, gas delivery drivers, meter readers, postal workers, and other members of the public.
- Markets - Auction houses, retail stores, restaurant buyers.
- Slaughter Houses - Your local butcher.
It’s good to know our government loves us so much it is willing to pay good money, our tax dollars, to recruit our neighbors to spy on us to make sure we do the “right thing.” We can’t have any bad thoughts out there! All Hail der Fatherland!