From: Ross A. Finlayson (raf@tiki-lounge.com)
Date: Tue Aug 15 2000 - 20:40:40 MDT
Paul Hughes wrote:
> "Michael S. Lorrey" wrote:
>
> > I think you'll find that even if the government tried to force it on people,
> > they'd have a clause exempting people who claim a religious reason (much as you
> > can get out of social security payments if your religion forbids it officially,
> > like the Amish.)
>
> Perhaps, but like credit cards, I can see a system evolving where only those with
> implants will be given many privileges. If you operate strictly with cash, it's nearly
> impossible now to rent a car, stay in a hotel, or have regular cell phone service.
> Also, I can see various insurance companies giving discounts to those people willing to
> be tracked in their automobiles. In other words, privacy will be a pricey commodity.
I will say this about it, I can only speak for myself. I have no problems with implants
per se or other modifications to one's own body cosmetic or not. The ability to replace
lost limbs with advanced prosthetics alone shows the good side of the science of modifying
the body. Maybe someday accident survivors might even grow their lost limbs back.
About implants in society, it is an economical and preferential change before people agree
to many surgical implants. For instance, on the Internet today, do people use the
electronic gold and cybercash to buy things? No, they use their credit card. If your
grocery store gave away free implants next week that gave a 25% discount on groceries,
would you get one? These are examples of what optional implants might do.
Implants that are not only "cosmetic" in that they affect the human body in direct ways are
probably considered medical devices and thus doctor license rules apply to be able to
surgically install implants, or for them otherwise to be "non-prescription", as it were.
So, implants might be seen as dangerous. For example, if many people got implants, for
various reasons, it would not take long before that demand created varying suppliers of
implants with various levels of technical quality and reliability not to mention what other
health factors of its use might apply. We've seen with breast implants that various
methods were used, and some were faulty, so peoples' lives were damaged and there were
lawsuits. Heart regulators and other surgical implants such as pins and screws in bone
operations are pretty regular, I am no doctor.
There are basically these types of implants: cosmetic, medical (to strictly replace a body
function), locality (an ID on the person), or performance enhancing or enabling. There
would be combinations of these types of implants.
The locality based implants (any word) are those we discuss in terms of Orwellian style
chip implants with anything besides an anonymous identifier. For example, some cattle are
tagged with GPS devices, normally cosmetically enough in their ear. Some people have put
implants in their pets, and some might consider it for theselves or loved ones for various
purposes, such as getting oneself directions and things like that.
Performance enabling or enhancing implants might accomplish many various purposes.
Ross
-- Ross Andrew Finlayson Finlayson Consulting Ross at Tiki-Lounge: http://www.tiki-lounge.com/~raf/
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