the Mark of the Dog

 the latest hysteria about covid is a Swedish story that a man has invented a micro chip so you can let your hand be scanned to show you have had your vaccine.

the Swedes seem to have no problem with being tracked by their government or by big corporations, because it is just so convenient.

Aside from the overblown hysteria over covid vaccine from both sides, (and the irony that the same folks who want you to have a covid passport are also against ID cards to verify who you are so you can vote), one can almost hear the hysteria about the Mark of the Beast.

But of course, one does not have to be a fundamentalist Christian to worry about the privacy implications if you are marked on your body and your private information is put on someone's database.

Americans have traditionally disliked ID cards  because of a dislike of the government snooping and telling you what to do: which is why, to get on a plane etc. if you don't have a passport (which most folks don't) you use your drivers' license: because hey everyone drives a car.

and marking an arm or hand has other echoes of tyranny:

Heck, I am old enough to remember when one of our medical school teachers showed us his concentration camp tattoo.

But, anyway, chipping is not a new technology: it has long been done for horses and valuable dogs (even our vet offers the service since cute little dogs are frequently dognapped and resold.. Ruby lost her shih tzu that way).

But that is a voluntary chip.

But can a government mandate a chip?

Place paranoid conspiracy theory here.

What few Yanks know is that dogs in the UK are required to have a chip:

The quick overview for pet owners about the new compulsory microchipping legislation is that:

•  All dogs must be microchipped by the age of 8 weeks, or before first transfer if younger
•  Breeders must microchip a dog before you purchase it
•  You must ensure that your contact details are up-to-date on the MicroChip database
•  If your dog is not microchipped and registered on a compliant MicroChip database you could be served with a notice requiring this to happen. Failure to comply could result in a fine of upto £500

and hey, if it's good enough for Fido, it's good enough for you, you inferior peasants. /s