Paranoid Privacy

ParanoidI wonder what would have been the result of the Revolutionary War if the heads of the British Army possessed a list of the names of every patriot and patriot sympathizer, a list of owned firearms, military experience, special wartime skills, who had extensive supplies and where, as well as a listing of what vulnerabilities each head of household had such as wives and children that they cared about.  It might also have been helpful to the British if they had a list of all known relatives and friends of the revolutionists so that they could best determine where the patriots might flee for safety or meet for strategy sessions. In fact, the British were provided with a great deal of this intelligence by cowardly, non-sympathetic citizens who were loyal to the Crown. Thankfully, ultimately it wasn’t enough for them to win the war.  It is my belief that the British's loss was primarily due to the lack of knowledge they had about the revolutionary citizens.  As a result, the American citizens, their weapons and their resolve were an invaluable element of surprise for the British which defined the outcome of the war. Nothing can be more underestimated in a time of war than the element of surprise combined with a deep passion and commitment.

Paranoid Enemies

Today, the necessary ignorance of our enemy is archaic. Today our potential enemies are fully armed with far too much information about us, which puts us in a very weak defensive position. Every person’s home address is available from any company with whom we do business with; our purchasing history goes along with those “grocery rewards” cards, our credit card usage and credit reports can practically tell our life stories, and a picture of our home as well as a list of known relatives and their addresses is readily available on Google and a litany of unashamed websites.  Automobile registrations, passport tracking, GPS systems on our vehicles and our cellular phones, RFID chips in our pets, checking and saving accounts with a Federal organization, utility bills, and so many other of our everyday activities provide all of the information on us that any of our enemies could use against us successfully—crippling any chance we would have to defend our freedom and liberties. As if that’s not enough information tossed out there for any Tom, Dick or Harry, we add to that compromise willingly in the name of friendliness and a desire to not be “paranoid.”  As such, far too many persons willingly provide personal information compromising their own safety and privacy as well as that of their family members.  A person dressed to impersonate a UPS delivery driver only needs to possess a friendly and inquisitive demeanor to easily obtain more information on you from your neighbors—more info than even your own parents know about you.

ParanoidMany of us have had the experience in which we get a call from some company trying to locate one of our relatives—claiming that it’s urgent, etc.  Later we may discover that they are just an overachieving collections agency, preying on our need to trust everyone and never turn into paranoid freak like we read about in the news. If that’s the kind of tactics that are deployed just to collect $200 in past due medical expenses, imagine what strategies could be used against us when the stakes are much higher. Unlike others, I will never, ever provide such callers with contact information of someone else. If they want to give me their information, I may pass it along.

Paranoid or Aware?

My point in all of this is to try and get some readers to understand that there is a big difference between being paranoid and being aware—especially when it comes to dispensing your private and personal information.  Much is taking place nowadays that causes me to believe we must be hyper-vigilant in concealing information and keeping it on a strict “need to know” basis. Many of us are surrounded though by persons who view any resistance to dispensing unnecessary information as if we are a maniacal serial killer in the making. If I dare to have the audacity to require to see the identification and license of the person who comes to repair my air-conditioning unity, I’m easily accused by many mainstream cowards as plotting a world takeover. If I refuse to open my door unless I know the person who’s standing on my door step, I’m laughed at and accused of being a radical.  Sorry, folks. This is me in the name of preparedness, also known as independent.

ParanoidNo one who calls my house gets very far unless they actually know me and knows how to pronounce my name.  I don’t pay for my telephone to be a bullying tool by aggressive fundraisers, sales pitches, or updates from Nordstrom’s of their newest and greatest sales. I also never fall for the phone call in which the caller feigns to have forgotten who they were calling. “Who’s this?” they say when I answer.  My response is always “Who were you calling?”  The Revolutionary War, both World Wars, the Salem Witch Hunts, the imprisonment of thousands of American citizens with Japanese DNA, and the Holocaust should all serve as a reminder that we must never underestimate the power of privacy.  Likewise, we must never be naïve of the motives and evil intents of our own government officials.

For example, why does the school which you pay to teach your children require a social security number?  My two cents: Don’t give it to them! They get paid for your kid being in school, SSN or not.

When you get a physical, why does the doctor ask you if you wear seat belts or own any firearms?  My two cents: It’s absolutely none of his business!

ParanoidYou know how the stores ask for your information in exchange for some kind of a loyalty card? My two cents: Loyalty is better measured by how much I spend there, not giving away my freedom. I refuse to provide any grocery store with my personal information in exchange for better pricing.  Yes, I do have “rewards” cards for each of the grocery stores that I shop, however, I’ve obtained them via a frank conversation with a store manager who understands my refusal to provide such information.  In my opinion, it’s nobody’s business how much toilet paper, pasta, and meat I’ve purchased.  For this very same reason, I am much more likely to purchase my firearms privately, pay cash for every conceivable transaction, and use complicated and ever changing passwords on my cell phone, computers, and debit cards. Additionally, as a reminder, every federally insured bank is required to ask for your social security number, however, you are NOT required to give it to them. As a person on Facebook, I am painfully aware that nothing I share is truly private or out of the view of prying eyes, regardless of what privacy settings I may use. As such, there are simply some things that I will never Tweet about or post online. Do you permit a retailer to write down your social security number or your driver’s license number when you write a check? If so, stop it!

Harbor Freight, a national hardware store, has been advertising a free flashlight to anyone simply for coming into their store—“No strings attached.”  But when you go to the store to get your free flashlight, they insist on receiving your e-mail address. So much for no strings attached, eh? I guess you have to decide if your privacy is worth more than a cheap, plastic flashlight. I actually still got the flashlight by pointing out the words “no strings attached” in their advertising. *grin*

Perhaps you think I’m making too much of all of this.  Ok. Well, let’s go back to beginning of this article. Sure, you might have someone who used to work for you that hates you passionately and wants to make your life miserable. And if not that, then there’s a strong likelihood that one of your family members likes to stir up mischief for you and uses your personal information to do so. Then again, there’s the errant psychopath who you just may attract. And if all else fails, there’s just plain bad luck of being casual with your information to the wrong person, thus making yourself the perfect mark for a robbery or other crime. But, the likelihood of any of these instances happening to you are actually substantially less than the plausibility that your own government will turn on you and use your information for their own gain.  Oooohhhh, yes, I said it. And I’ll even say it a bit more clear so that there’s no doubt in your minds what I’m saying here.  Governments—even ours—are known and proven offenders of the freedoms and liberties of their fellow citizens.  Ours has proven to be just as irresponsible and unworthy of our trust countless times already.  As time continues with our elected and judicial leaders being left to their own designs, things will only get worse—unless we pay attention to every possible infringement on our pursuit of happiness, safety, and security. Guarding our freedom to be independent of their influence requires diligent awareness. We can’t afford to be aloof of our government any more than a chef can ignore a chocolate soufflé in the oven.

ParanoidLet’s be blunt here. For those of you who look out your tent door and see a wild bear pacing back and forth, don’t think for a moment that he’s suddenly decided to protect you or that he’s lost his sense of direction.  You’re naturally his prey, period. To continue in that analogy, let’s consider that you raised this bear from the first moment he was born. You fed him, you bathed him, and you were his world. He existed solely to be with you and perhaps even protect you. But, if you get lazy in your relationship with him, and let him go anywhere he wants and eat anything he wants, he’s going to forget all about him needing you for his survival.  The pacing back and forth at the entrance of your tent may have started as an adorable, anxious teddy bear, but I assure you that if left unattended and undirected, the pacing will soon be shadowed by a full on attack.

So, let’s revisit the whole paranoia accusation thing…

True or False: The government has violated their own regulations and has long been robbing the social security trust account.  True.

True or False: Our government has relinquished complete control of our economy to non-elected officials whose only agenda is power and profits. True

True or False: Our government has frequently ignored constitutional rights in violation of habeas corpus, state sovereignty, fair trials, and safety from foreign and domestic enemies.  Oh, so painfully TRUE.

True or False: If there’s a way for our government to spend more money on more indulgences, they will find it. *sigh* True.

ParanoidSome may wonder what all of this has to do with preparedness. Remember that I have long presented that preparedness is not about panic and knee-jerk reactions, rather it’s about being independent in any and every way possible. I hope that no one would ever think of hiring an employee only to never check on them again to make sure they are doing their job. Surely you wouldn’t let them have unquestioned access to your cash register, be responsible for all of your inventory, and be in charge of customer relations. Then why would you hire the U.S. Government to protect you and your family, and not stay on top of things to make sure they do their critical job?

So, let’s be real here for just a moment. We can’t change our government in one fail swoop, but we certainly can change how we behave so that we don’t give them any more leash than absolutely necessary.  While it may seem like quite the chore to be vigilant in this respect, it’s the only way to ensure that your preparations for independence remain as “just in case” supplies instead of ones for imminent disaster. I believe that in order to be independent and properly prepared to keep that independence, then we have to just as informed of our potential enemy as they are of us.  We’ve got to expertly know the laws that keep them at bay as well as we know our daytime job.  We simply must be experts about the rules and regulations, the proper authorities, and the backbone of our freedom.

ParanoidIn truth, all of this has nothing to do with paranoia. It has everything to do with maintaining as much freedom as is still possible and ensuring the safety and well-being. When it all comes down to it, I’d much rather that my friends and loved ones be “paranoid” rather than being naïve and unnecessarily exposed.


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Comments

Gosh Kellene have you not been told by several folks that they (Feds) only have your best interest at heart and they are only trying to prevent panics. How dare you question our government that whole "We the People" thing was just poetry and PR at the time. sarcasm off
Do you like buying eggs in the store this week? But when the Government fails they need more money. I've been eating and storing my Mom's eggs for well over 12 months and no sickness at all. Since she is eating the same eggs from the same chickens. I think she is very interested in not getting killed from the food she eats. I wonder if the cooperate farmers are so interested?
Also there is as food safety bill of 225 pages that is just waiting for passage right now. Funny how that works.
If you raise your chickens for eggs and a disease breaks out it's you and your family at risk. Now if a corporate farmer raises eggs and chickens it's millions at risk under many brand names. My Mom can't afford to buy a congressman Tyson and these farmers can.
Well as long as they can get Arugula at Whole Foods I'm sure the Administration will be happy.

This is an outstanding article Kellene! As someone who's worked in IT for over 2 decades, I know that my information isn't hidden, even in a massive database. The ease of running queries can instantly pinpoint, for example, who purchased more than "x" rolls of toilet paper during "x" period of time. Some people think "I'm just a small fish, they won't check on me". Not so - your information is retrieved along with every other sized fish's information when the query is run. It’s no extra trouble. I was born "cautious" (some people think it's paranoia) and it's gotten worse with age. There are people that think I carry OPSEC too far, because I won't sit in a public restaurant and discuss "prepping techniques" and TEOTWAWKI living skills. (Am I...?) This has made it hard for me to find a group in my area. I'm all for encouraging others to "the movement", but not if it means giving a hint that they may want to head to my house if the supply chain goes down.

Thank You for a great article. I have been awakened by the last election that was stolen from us. Its a prime example of how bad it has gotten and their are people still ok with the president as it is. These people have been used and have no clue of it. Its also criminal of those who have enabled it to get to this point of a planned NWO. Then we have beem labeled a terriost by our military back ground, going to tea partys, becoming shelf realient, or blogging, e-mail, cell phones, even a sticker on our car. My husband has been attacked while driving, home from Calif they even tried to run him off the road, things thrown at him as he is driving. I am not going to drive out of our area by myself. My own adult daughters tell me to stayway from the computer, but they see nothing wrong watching, tv like Jerry Springer, soaps, and shows about others, movie stars, They think their life is so bad so they have dropped out of the real world so they drink, do drugs, live on welfare, and think working is so bad because someone should want to take care of them. Its really sad they both have 2 children each. It is them that will suffer.

I have wanted to grow a garden and a big enough to feed other people. Its not easy for me to do this by myself. I have tried to get a community garden togeather, not one person is interested, it is how our world is. These are the ones not taking care of them selves. They spend all the the tim thinking how bad they have it. It's like the story of the ants and the grasshopper. I guess they never read this story, its a good one about storing everything they need to go untill spring. So we need to do this ourselves.

I now know the people who want hand outs arn't willing to work and take care of them selves. A very good lesson I learned this week. There was a ad for a couch, bed and bedding. I called to let them know I had some extra blanks, so they showed up later that day, it was two women, The one driving got out breifly, while the other stayed in the car. So when I came out with the blanks to give her the other woman had her hand in her purse like she may have her hand on a gun. Thankfully they left without incedient. Another lesson learned is doint have strange people come to a garage sale, not buy anything, but come in the night and steal stuff. I am thinking I can't share with strangers. We are going to keep what we have to ourselves. Any information of what we have or doing to be prepared is no one elses business. If you want to live thru the coming hard times don't ask don't tell. Peole will takecare of them selves and those not will be knocking down your door to take it away and kill you in the process. If you think that won't happen wise up or become a victim. Char

I been watching your program and Am greatful i paid attention in you documental how to take care of family and myself.Been in the army I learned that you have to have a plan to overcome doomsday. People will go nuts when they see themselves without food and water. I wanna be ready for those events.

We live in a semi-rural neighborhood. A man came to the door with a gas can, asking for gas. My dog and kids were running around, so I told him that Carlos next door always had gas, and I pointed him to his house. Got a phone call a few minutes later from my (beautiful, blonde, young and alone) neighbor who said that someone had been banging on her door for three minutes. She was in the tub and didn't answer. He never did go to Carlos' house. We don't open the door for strangers any more; it's a different world.

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