NAIS and the nanny-state

Okay, so I'm a little slow on the uptake. I've been hearing about NAIS for a while now, everywhere from the news to Coast to Coast AM, but I've not really looked at it myself until today. Man-0-man, do I not like it. I find RFID to be creepy when it's in a calculator, how much more so when it is in the animal born on my farm. The Orwellian and Mark-of-the-beast overtones get under my skin.

Not to mention that it violates my fourth amendment rights like crazy. And, there's no good reason for it. Small organic producers are very unlikely to spread disease and are very likely to know exactly where the animals from there farm went in the event there was a disease. So, why should the government be using spy satellites to locate my animals and why should I have to report their movements? What possible public good could be served by invading my privacy in this way? It's absolutely ridiculous. The entire movement is backed by agri-business in cahoots with the RFID manufacturers.

If you don't have a farm, don't think it will effect you, there is a movement to monitor pets in the same way. If you want to chip your dog, great, that's your business, but the government should not have the right to make you do so. For more info...

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml-- The USDA site
http://nonais.org/-- One of the many anti-NAIS sites, with info on upcoming public comment periods and how to contact relevant government officials.