By Rebecca
There's a new twenty-dollar bill now in circulation. Our government spent a ridiculous sum of money on an ad campaign to 'educate' businesses and the general public on the improved security features of this bill. The official website (www.moneyfactory.com) walks you through each of the changes in security, but leaves out an important detail about the new plastic security thread. It has a microchip embedded in it, 0.4 mm square, about half the size of a grain of sand. Developed by a Japanese corporation, who sold the rights to a Malaysian manufacturing corporation, the RFIC (radio frequency identification chip) costs ten cents to produce, is thin enough to be embedded in paper, has no batteries, and will respond wirelessly when signaled with an id code. It can be placed in banknotes, clothing labels, bullets, humans, etc. An earlier version of this same chip is currently available for your pets.
With this technology, it will be possible to track where our money is spent. Stores will know how much money you have to spend the minute you walk in the door. Your particular bill could be rendered invalid at a keystroke. In light of our government's recent crackdown on freedom (Patriot Act, Ashcroft's Dope War) and the so-called "global war" on terror, the possible uses of this technology to further infringe upon our privacy and rights are frightening. How far will our government go in the name of security for America's dollars, for the American populace? We are currently in more danger from our own government than we are from any outside source.
The next time one of the new bills comes your way, do yourself and the rest of us a favor...nuke 'em. That's right. Place the bill in your microwave for 30-45 seconds to deactivate the chip. For those of you who don't own a microwave, visit the one at your local convenience store. You can make a difference.