OT: Feds want to drop protection of privacy regarding medical data

[Tyler Regas]

I'm going to take a slightly different tack here...

Have you seen Gattaca (1997)? The film featured one mans struggle to
break the bonds of his genetic limitations which caused him to be deemed
unfit to go into space by the big, bad MegaCorporation, despite his
skill and intelligence. He used the DNA bearing material of a cripple,
who was otherwise genetically compatible with the companies requirements
to gain access to the program. He was forced to leave nail clippings,
dead skin flakes, and hair in his work area due to the constant,
paranoid nature of the company's need to revalidate its candidates on a
daily basis. His blood and urine were also tested daily, on both ingress
and egress to the building.

Sure, this may be only a movie, but consider this: The Running Man
(1987) was about a fictional televised game show in the future. The show
promoted direct physical violence and even death of human beings for
sport and financial gain. Today's television includes programs like
Survivor, The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, The Chair, and The Chamber. All
of these shows are escalating what level of violence is acceptable to
society. 

The internet has also, as a vehicle for large corporations, been able to
mutate our favorite communications platform to their needs, claiming all
the while that their actions and direction are in the interest of the
consumer. Under that guise, big business has whittled at and begun to
rub away the protections we have as private, American citizens. Making
it easier to access medical records of individuals, preferably without
their knowledge, will make it easier for corporations to determine any
number of things and base their decisions on. The applications of this
knowledge of countless and industry would love to have immediate,
unregulated access to it, and all in the name of the allmighty dollar.

I'm typically rather cynical, though not much for conspiracy theories.
Mine follows: There is no such thing as free enterprise. There is no
such thing as personal freedom. Government is a sham, whether
intentional or not. Corporate America is a gigantic pyramid scheme that
is feeding the top 10% of the nation, which also happens to be the
richest. There are no conspiracies. There are no grand, evil plots.
There's simply greed, and everyone is out to get their piece of the
share. 

As they say, it's a dog eat dog world.