Apple, hackenomics, and the waning anonymity (and obsoletion) of cash
I am fed up with pubescent brands, and for that matter, supposedly democratic governments, dictating to me how to live my life, because some Quango has read a report somewhere about the benefits of data-collection, and now seeks to throw his weight around like a brain-dead, beefed-up bouncer on a power trip.
What is this obsession with people wanting us to part with our privacy before a purchase? Why is it that people get upset when you say, ‘sorry I don’t want to tell you’? I mean, have you ever tried saying ‘no’ then watch the cashier wrestle with the fact they have no idea how to tackle a computer screen that won’t let them proceed – even when paying cash! Why are cashiers these days all being pre-programmed to say ‘do you have a loyalty card? Would you like one?’ I never thought I would ever admit to saying this, but I miss the time a cashier used to say ‘have a nice day’…
Now I remember the days when it used to be said that your hairdresser was your best friend, as they knew so much about you. After all, all information was readily offered and volunteered to the listening ear as you sat in that chair, was never demanded. So what has happened so that the last time I went to get a haircut, the questionnaire they wanted me to fill in before I could pay was nothing short of frightening! What are these marketers thinking? That I am not perfectly capable of knowing when my hair is too long?!!
Trying to get Bupa to part with their cash to cover an injury after a fall – well apparently the symptoms seem like something that happened over once before, so they don’t want to cover it. What people can only have an accident once in their life now?!
The world has gone crazy – it’s like let me track you or die – well, at least go without.
That sounds remarkably like something predicted 2,000 years ago in the bible.
“Anyone not worshiping the Beast would be killed. It forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on the right hand or forehead. Without the mark of the name of the Beast or the number of its name, it was impossible to buy or sell anything…” Revelation 13: 15-17
Forget ‘the Omen’ I saw as a kid, it must have been about 20 years ago I first heard people talking about a cashless society, heralding in a time of an Orwellian world of terrifying proportions the like of which has only ever be seen in part. It would start with getting rid of the anonymity of cash and then tracking people, just as Hitler had everyone marked as to identify their ‘profile’ and then stopped certain people going to certain shops, prior to moving them on… and out…
Am then there was the notion that barcodes contain a ‘666’ in them, of which some seemingly do!
Scare mongering, religious zealots trying to interpret an out-of-date book?
Not quite the world depicted in Orwell’s 1984 – In that year the nearest to computer systems knowing who I was when I made my name animate up and down a screen on a BBC model B – I never could have conceived a time then, when a sixth of the world’s population would be connected via the internet! And that’s before we go wireless…
But look at where we are now, in not so many years. Instead of rewarding me for being tracked, which is in essence how a loyalty card works, along came OysterCard that reversed the model and penalised you for not having one. “Smarter, faster, cheaper” they told us, as they hiked up the cash prices and made it as awkward as possible to opt out. I guess the by-line “resistance is futile” wouldn’t not have sounded so appealing to the masses. But London responded passively as always and now seemingly 10M of us are on their systems.
So what, who cares, until the government demands all data is passed over to them, and where police seemingly have open access to all those files.
Then Barclaycard decides to link itself into that equation and developed the “OnePulse” Card, designed to track every purchase ‘under a tenner’ – basically, things you would not ordinarily use a credit card for.
Barclaycard’s OnePulse Credit Card Offers Oyster Functionality
OnePulse and Oystercard uses the same RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips that can broadcast unique data as far away as 500’ – not the 2” you presume as you ‘touch in, touch out’ with the low-frequency readers installed in the underground turnstiles. There’s a lot I can do from half a kilometre away…
Location, movement and purchase history.
Suddenly the notion of ‘impossible to buy and sell’ without some kind of individual ‘mark’ doesn’t sound so far off does it?
So as if we have not already been bullied and cajoled enough, Apple in their superior god-like authoritative wisdom as a global brand has decided to dictate how we must pay for this year’s ‘must have’ gadget.
“People looking to walk into an Apple retailer and buy an iPhone with cash will be out of luck. The company is now accepting only credit or debit card payments for the devices so that it can track who purchases the phone, according to an employee at the Apple Store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.
“The new policy is Apple’s attempt to prevent people from purchasing and then unlocking and reselling iPhones, a situation that has been a problem for the company. Apple won’t let anyone without a credit card or debit card in their name purchase iPhones, according to an unidentified Apple Store employee in a phone interview.”
It is as if ‘ultimate power ultimately corrupts’ has gone straight to Steve Jobs head. Is he really not content with iTunes telling me where and how I can play music, he now wants to take on the world’s choice of payment methods in a bid to track who owns one.
Steve, stuff your phone. I’m not playing, or paying for that matter. I think praying would be more appropriate in this situation – that this time you really don’t get your own way.
Seems strangely sinister this should all come to light on Halloween, don’t you think?
With the systems and brands beginning to dictate and challenge against mankind’s right for choice and privacy, time is very much running out in terms of what we can fight to retain in terms of independence before we release that control to become interdependent upon an infrastructure that promises much but delivers little in terms of quality of life.
And at the end of the day, you are only as safe as those with the real control behind the scenes – hoping those in charge really are honourable and beyond reproach. Hello, has anyone ever met an honest politician beyond the talons of corruption?
Maybe when in 1948 Orwell swapped the numbers to create his 1984 he was merely 30 years out when he foresaw the same thing he saw happen in World War 2 happening all over again, but in a more pervasive and global scale. The de-humanisation of mankind begins with removing the freedom to choose. Isn’t that the true nature of evil, reducing man to be a mere product of evolution and bound to his urges like some kind of animal, unable to think and choose for himself, unable make a personal choice to stand and decide for himself to say ‘NO! – enough is enough’?
God help us if Hitler came to power now.
Maybe God already has, but left us with the choice about our future – and from what I have read, global warming is going to be the least of our concerns. It will seem like an ice age in comparison…
100% spot-on!
And the world (especially the USA, supposedly the epitome of freedom) slumbers on.
Pity!
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this guy is not the antichrist?
Don’t forget this passage in reference to “Leopard”:
And the beast which I saw was like unto a “leopard”, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Revelation 13:2
Unfortunately, you have completely misinterpreted the Bible. Your references in The Revelation of Jesus Christ have nothing to do with that which you speak of.
Really? And why is that then Jim?
Can it get any more obvious with their logo? Everyone knows the story of the garden of Eden done they? Cmon – tree of knowledge? Knowledge is power?
…and dammit jim, what is your interpretation?
The “leopard” comment was meant to be a joke, although I have often wondered about the connections of product names such as “Apple” to mass appeal, and the guys name is “Jobs”. The word Job, or Jobs, comes from the name Job in the bible, so go figure…The revelation talks of a “beast”, which is more than just one man. Look at how we use animal names with our cars, PC products, “bear” and “bull” market. The beast is alive and well in our society, and so what if they worship that “beast” when Jesus promised us he would defeat it all anyway. And don’t get me started on “Gates” or “Trump”… Ever look at products priced at $9.99? And realize all you’re seeing upside-down and backwards, is 6.66!
I must apologize for two things, first of all for being so late coming with my reply. I have been away for a few weeks and to be honest I had forgotten that I had wrote that comment without any given reason. Second of all, I may have been a somewhat hyperbolic in saying you have “completely” misinterpreted the text from the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Upon second reading, I have realized that you were not as far off as I had initially thought. However, I think you may have still taken a few things literally when that was not their authored intention. Revelation was not written to warn us about the anti-Christ, at least not in the specific sense. It was not meant to give us forewarning that the anti-Christ is Steve Jobs or Hitler or Oprah, Saddam Hussein, the Pope or any of the other popular theories that have existed over the past 1903 years since it was penned.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by John to the churches in Asia Minor. Why would John, or the Lord for that matter, want to warn the churches in Asia Minor about Steve Jobs? The purpose of this book is to instill hope to seven churches in Asia Minor.(although there is great evidence that this book was intended to be read by all churches and since it ended up in our canon I believe that it was intended to be read by every church). The method that is used to instill this hope is by painting the horrid picture of what is going on in this world (the seven seals, trumpets, and maybe even the bowls describe this) but in the midst of all of this is to show that Jesus Christ is at the helm of our ship.
As seals are being ripped off God’s ultimate plane horrible things are happening (for example the four horses representing a false Christ’s, war, famine, death, then the fifth seal shows Christians dying for their faith, the six seal represents catastrophic terrors). But who is holding the scroll in his hand? The Lion of Judah, the Lamb that was Slain. He is still in control. His throne is at the centre of all things (Rev 4), he is in the midst of the churches (Rev 1:13) and will ultimately be dwelling in the midst of his people in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21, 22). THERE IS HOPE!!
John also paints, very distinctly, a black and white picture of evil and good. He describes Satan’s (the Dragon) evil schemes to kill Christ (the child which the dragon tries to consume in Ch. 12). Since Satan/Dragon fails to kill the Christ child, he then pursues the church. In order to wage war against the church, the dragon gets help from the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth. The sea would have been understood to represent government authority and thus, we understand the Beast of the sea to be a representation of the evil of governments which oppress and persecute the church.
The Beast of the Earth (which you have spoke of in your article) represents false religion (as you will pick up on as you read 13:11-18). Now, as for the “mark”, there is no literal mark. If you were to read that point literally then you must read the rest of the book literally and then the Revelation of Jesus Christ becomes a book of fairy tales, of frogs coming out of the mouths of other animals and of grasshoppers the size of Cadillac’s and hookers riding on a red beast with seven heads and ten horns while she drinks blood from dead Christians. If you read the Revelation of Jesus Christ literally then you must believe that the Christ which you worship and sing about on Sunday morning is actually a physical lamb with seven heads. Personally, I’d rather not worship livestock.
The mark was a sign given to slaves to proclaim who their master was. The church is sealed in chapter 7 because the church is enslaved to righteousness, to the Lamb and they follow him wherever he goes. Everyone else bears the mark of the beast and are slaves of sin. It is a mark that shows their loyalty.
The false religion that the churches at that time had to stand up against was the Imperial Cult (aka emperor worship). Thyatira was known for its many trade guilds, their main business came from the trades and in order to participate in this economy as a tradesperson, they must belong to a guild (like a Union) to be able to survive with their business. Belonging to a guild required them to take part in emperor worship, which included feasts and celebrations for the pagan gods. These celebrations consisted of much debauchery, idol worship, sexual immorality, etc. etc. If a Christian in Thyatira decided not to take part in this false religion of emperor worship (which was required to be a part of their guild) (as described in 3:20) they would be kicked out of their guild, if they were kicked out of their guild they would have much difficulty trying to do business (buying and selling- 13:17).
As I said the purpose of the book is not to instill fear and paranoia by warning us about villainous people destined to arrive on the scene in the end-times. The purpose of the book is to instill hope in the face of evil, to show the victory of the Lamb in the midst of the dragon’s schemes. The book is called “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) for a reason- it reveals our savior and describes our salvation from the evil one (chapter 19 when evil is destroyed), and our ultimate hope (as found in 21-22).
I have more to say regarding the number 666, but I think I have said enough already, I’ll save that for another day if you are open to hearing my thoughts. Ultimately, I pray you, the reader, will not hear my words but hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to you through my words. If I am completely wrong then may you hear nothing from what I have just said. Lord Jesus, let your words here have life and let everything else be silent. Amen.
Is that it? Doesn’t anyone have anything to say?
I said 2 sentances before and there were 2 replies within 2 days. This time I say 10 paragraphs and no one has anything-good or bad-to say at all????
Hi Jim. Like you, I have been busy too, and your comments deserved a fuller response.
Most prophecy is often wrapped in allegory. Partly as easier to describe in pictures – and partly to illustrate something far larger then our mere minds can fathom, so it helps break things down to be graspable to digest. All minor and major prophets follow this, from Moses’ snake, to Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones, to Jesus’ “destroy this temple and within three days it will be rebuilt”.
Also you need to see fulfilment of prophecy as either a single event or an event having multiple stages. Unlike Greek platonic thinking (x+y=z) which sees history as linear – therefore one single end result. Judaic history from a theological viewpoint often sees history as circular, having many repetitive reiterations of same event throughout time. From a Christian perspective I would see this as progressive circular, i.e. having multiple smaller ‘fulfilments’ working towards a final fulfilment. Davidic rule of the messiah would see this as true – it was not a single incarnation of a Messiah, but a two-stage event from a Christian viewpoint – one fulfilling the ‘Son of Man’ then the ‘Lord of Lords’.
I agree, Revelation was written for the early church and indeed Caesar Augustus and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD would have had particular pertinence to the 1st Century Christians in reading this – as would it have had for the Jews in the Diaspora after the Great Revolt – they each would have assumed the end was nigh. I therefore see this in its natural historic context as you point out. Yet every persecuted church around the globe still takes comfort from those same allegories and applies them. Hitler’s extermination of Jews would be another reiteration in near-present times – yet all of this is merely a suggestion, a symbol, of what is still yet to come.
The link between religion and state I would agree with you on. Catholicism, from the Roman empire under Constantine when there was a merger between church and state, and the ensuing corruption in medieval times would show this to be true.
As for can I take allegory as literal, urm yes – or at least seek to understand the depth of meaning, as a metaphor. Daniel was called to Nebuchadnezzar to interpret his dreams (Daniel 2). Even in Revelation 13, “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number…’ After all, this bible is a living and breathing book not some ancient manuscript for a people in the past, but as equal for them is a call for people in the present and a people of the future.
Daniel describes a statue. Each part slightly larger and slightly harder (in their hearts towards God). These are seen as great world empires; Babylonian (which Daniel was within and then foreseeing) the Persian, the Greek, the Roman… and a fifth part Roman and part religious. The Roman Catholic church. Follow me on this.
Pope John XII crowned Otto I as the Holy Roman Emperor on February 2, 962. When Otto succeeded his father Heinrich (Henry) as German king in 936, the people raised their right hand to show approval and shouted “Sieg und heil” (“victory and salvation”). Most historians view 962 as the beginning of what would later officially be known as the Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanica (“the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”) – the First Reich. Hitler wanted to rebuild this glorious roman empire, exactly what did he have his followers shout to him, as a symbol of the Third Reich?! And in time, after Hitler was defeated, Israel became a nation again, the first time since the Diaspora. A symbol to the world of what is to come, i.e. deception, persecution, salvation.
666 – is an allegory itself meaning more evil then the worst evil you can imagine. That is something that would appear for great positive purpose, but is bent on destruction of the most vile kind. Look at Hitler in this case – great marketing spin, but few realised what was really happening, and he managed to convince others was best way forward. In that regards, that is an anti-Christ.
Hitler used church and state, believing he was doing God’s will. Therein giving him some kind of credibility to distort the people under his remit. This is the essence of evil, of an anti-Christ. His methods were in segregating, in physically marking people with a yellow star or pink triangle, etc. for extermination. He used the first “computer” for this purpose. A mark was given – physically!
Now we have a sped up technology, with the ability to mark every single person on the planet – doors will open or close as a result of this mark, food will be bought as a result of this mark, and it will be issued in based on “the fear of the enemy within” – we must track everyone, mark everyone, de-humanise everyone – for their own good and safety as we must control them. So government pushes it in through “fear” not fear of God, but fear of man, and backed by commercial greed in personalising advertising for highest return on investment. And so the technology is rushed in and the people follow it like lambs to a slaughter. To stand against it, to refuse will mean you single yourself out for persecution, as the whole thing gets twisted with the “what have you got to hide”… and hence the title of my blog.
Now once this technology is in place, and it will be. Ask yourself if this book is a historic document, or something pertinent to this generation.
I totally agree, there is a light to all this, a great fantastic brilliant light, but not before a lot of pain. And many will not see, and will be deceived. Isn’t that what Jesus said in Matthew 24? It was written for a reason, for a purpose, so even the elders would not be deceived and in reading Revelation 14 it is clear to me that some people will not have endurance, and will receive a mark of their own choice, as they can’t cope with the present alternative. This is all prior to the returning Messiah, Jesus, whom will call to Himself the faithful, the ones who have endured and refused to bow down, just like Daniel did in the time of Nebuchadnezzar and received his salvation from the lion’s den.
Fable stories or facts? History or prophecy?
If there is a fear to be had, it is not in technology, but I caution you neither to be ignorant of it for had the Jews of had foresight, many more would have fled and avoided extermination. The true fear, should therefore be in the fear of God which is the beginning of all wisdom.
Rev 14:9 “If ANYONE worships the beast and his image and ‘receives’ his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”
There is one strong warning. He sure doesn’t mince His words. Neither will I.
[…] ultra modern fortress. Something that no doubt pleased those that think the apocalypse is nigh and Steve Jobs is the anti-christ. However, all the fear mongering aside I think that the new Apple complex looks like quite a […]
The ant-christ is dead! what now tin foil hat wearers?
I think the Bell Corp ATT created veri chip in 1930 with
IBM and Standard Oil may well be linked to it. It is
a catholic gimmick that has been misused for
a very long time. I hope this helps link
to Imclone, the Seer abusive program that was
shown on CSPAN about John Warners and
Waksals busts regarding christian POW s at sea
and the potential of the 144,000 saints. Unfortunately,
very few peoples seem qualified or caring about
such rare events. Wisdom is for so few and the church
has grown understandably cold in the face of overwhelming
evil. Doctrine has become a coat many christians wear
in the face of such overwhelming evil it that may not suffice the
spiritual tests of their time.