We begin today’s mailbag with some questions about the most disturbing story we’ve uncovered here at The Daily Cut – the rise of a Surveillance Society in the United States.
If you’ve been keeping up with us lately, you know we’ve exposed some chilling developments. (Catch up here… here… and here for the latest.)
One update in particular – the way governments are using facial-recognition technology to track everyday people – is causing a major uproar with the Daily Cut audience.
But one enterprising reader has a possible solution. Dan Denning (The Bonner-Denning Letter) responds…
Reader question: I believe that your face and my face are works of art that need to be copyrighted. Take a picture and register it. Then we can sue the surveillance corporations working with the government for infringing upon our copyright. Maybe that will slow them down.
Is there a brilliant lawyer out there who can figure out if this will work? While you are at it, copyright your fingerprints so those cannot be used, either.
Then, patent your DNA so that cannot be used. It seems like we have lost ownership of ourselves and our bodies. Have we completely lost control of ownership of our bodies? Are we really completely owned from head to toe by the government now?
– Marvin W. (Legacy Research member)
Dan’s answer: Our old friend John Locke had something to say about this, albeit indirectly, since he died more than 300 years ago…
Locke wrote that, “Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has any right to but himself.” The concept of self-ownership is that your body is yours to do with as you wish, and no one can compel you to do otherwise.
It obviously extends to beyond just selling your body (indentured servitude or prostitution) to selling your labor. But does it extend to attributes of your body like your DNA or your fingerprints? Are they your property? Maybe.
But they’re definitely data. And if your online data belongs to you… and you can secure it, sell it, or trade it (maybe using blockchain as Jeff Brown and others have suggested)… why couldn’t you secure and sell your genetic information (your DNA and fingerprints) as well?
The bottom line is… DNA is data. So it follows that, if they can, for-profit companies will try to make money from that data. Unless someone else – perhaps also working for profit – finds a way to make more money charging us to secure that data.
Gauntlet thrown down!
Cut reader Marvin is not the only one worried that the American dream has turned into a nightmare…
In our next question, another faithful Daily Cut reader is “beyond frightened” by the rise of the Surveillance Society…
Reader question: Creeped out does not begin to describe how I feel about a Surveillance Society. It’s flat-out wrong, to put it mildly.
Sure, I “have nothing to hide,” but privacy is a right, not a preference, and I value my privacy highly. Each time I read about what is going on, I want to move somewhere, some small village in Southern Italy or maybe Ecuador (perhaps you have some suggestions?) and live a quiet life away from the controlling powers, while we’re still able to travel freely.
I’m no recluse, and I certainly have no desire to live without electricity, running water, or refrigeration. But this is beyond frightening. And people who simply roll over, saying “at least we’re safer now,” have already been lost.
– Susan M. (Legacy Research member)
You’re in luck, Susan… We do have some suggestions where you can “live a quiet life away from the controlling powers.”
But before we get to that, we need to caution you against believing that you have a right to privacy.
You see… there is no such right in the United States. The closest we get is the Fourth Amendment, which protects us from “unreasonable searches and seizures.” Here’s the full text:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
You’ll notice there’s nothing in there about privacy.
The right we have is to be protected from “unreasonable searches and seizures.”
The problem is… every day, we willingly put countless amounts of our own information out into the public. So there’s no unreasonable searching or seizing necessary to collect it… all it takes is the right technology.
And it’s all perfectly legal. Whether it’s ethical or not is a different story.
That’s why this is such an important issue. And it’s why we spill so much ink on it here at The Daily Cut. We want everyone to be aware of what’s going on.
Now, for your question about where to live…
Legacy Research cofounder Doug Casey often says: “If I had to choose one country in Latin America, there’s no question it would be Argentina… but I don’t have to choose just one.”
That’s why Doug splits his time between Argentina and Uruguay. You can read his reasons why right here.
And if you’re seriously thinking about Italy… you may want to check out this opportunity Fox News recently spotlighted.
Next up in the mailbag…
If you’ve been paying attention to cryptocurrencies the last couple of weeks, you know they’ve been on a tear. And bitcoin – the crypto poster boy – has been leading the charge.
But one crypto fan wants to know why… and Marco Wutzer (Disruptive Profits) sheds some light on the matter…
Reader question: Can you help me with the following question? Normally, altcoins go up when bitcoin rises, but nowadays we see the opposite. Bitcoin is doing very good and is going up, but in general, the altcoins are going down.
Why is that? Is there an explanation for this?
– Elmar S. (Legacy Research member)
Marco’s answer: This is completely normal and has happened many times before. It works both ways. Sometimes bitcoin moves ahead and altcoins stagnate. Other times, altcoins explode and bitcoin isn’t going anywhere. But these are short-term trends.
The biggest mistake you can make is chasing those trends. By the time you recognize such a move, most of the money has already been made and it’s too late. In fact, a trend reversal is more likely at that point and you might end up losing money.
The important thing to realize is this: Each project lives and dies on its own merit.
It’s best to invest in fundamentally sound projects and ignore short-term fluctuations. Instead, keep the big picture in mind. The rise of the Blockchain Ecosystem is happening. Simply hold onto your positions and over the long run, you’ll make much bigger profits than you could chasing short-term moves.
If you’re a paid-up Disruptive Profits reader, check out the Manifesto. Marco lays out what the Blockchain Ecosystem is… how it will disrupt every area of our lives… and why it will make early investors huge profits.
Moving on to our last question…
Jeff Brown (Exponential Tech Investor, The Near Future Report, and The Bleeding Edge) has been banging the table about genetic-editing technology for longer than anyone else we know. So when we saw this next question, we knew just whom to ask…
Reader question: Do the latest developments in genetic editing suggest that people like me who are deaf on one side can look forward to corrective editing of the rogue genes/cells that have affected this hearing loss?
– Brendan M. (Legacy Research member)
Jeff’s answer: Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to your question. However, I can say that if a human condition, like hearing loss or deafness, is directly linked to a specific genetic mutation, then CRISPR genetic-editing technology has the potential to cure that condition. And there’s been some very encouraging progress…
CRISPR technology has already been used to cure hearing loss in mice with success. So the next stop is humans.
I don’t think it will be long before a biotechnology company begins to work with CRISPR to address genetically caused hearing loss. There is great reason for hope during the next few years.
And for readers who want to hear more about CRISPR technology – including details of the newest company to join the genetic-editing race – be sure to check out the May 9 issue of our newest addition at Legacy Research… Jeff’s free, daily newsletter, The Bleeding Edge.
That’s all for this week. Have a nice weekend.
Regards,
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James Wells
Director
P.S. You’ve probably seen lots of mentions of our 2019 Legacy Investment Summit lately. That’s because the Early Bird discount is closing soon, and we don’t want you to miss out on the chance to join us in Southern California for a net cost of less than $0.
Just listen to what one of your fellow readers had to say about last year’s Summit in Bermuda…
Superb, Superb, Superb in every way. Absolutely five-star! Been to many, many conferences over the years but have NEVER been to one that pulled out all the stops from a standpoint of the caliber of speakers and content, the venue selection, and the awesome manner in which Legacy Research hosted this event.
But I would be so VERY remiss not to specifically mention and compliment on those incredible “spreads” of food and drink. The fact that you not only fed us breakfast and lunch but evening cocktail parties every day, with the most wonderfully lavish buffets, has to be one of the things that was over the top in excellence and that everyone we spoke with, without exception, raved about.
As a career CFO, I can’t begin to guess what those food and drinks cost, except to sum up as “Plenty Expensive” and note that I was blown away.
This Summit wasn’t just a learning experience but turned into a lovely mini-vacation. Your organization’s effort and the unsurpassed result was truly first-class and sincerely appreciated. I can’t layer on any more superlatives to make my points and simply will end with, “Thank you all for a most enjoyable event.” See you next year!
– Ann (Legacy Research member)
You can also head over to https://www.legacyinvestmentsummit.com/ for…
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Videos of last year’s presentations
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