The Mark(ing) of the Beast(s)

It's like playing whack-the-mole. Gotta cover Iraq, which means prisoner torture, Chalabi machinations, corruption among the contractors and stolen millions.

Then there's Plamegate with Fitzgerald, Karl, Dick, Scooter et al.

Whoops, don't forget Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist, the Northern Mariannas, and other details of the Sea of Sleaze.

And not at the expense of global warming, Arctic melting, species extinctions and vanishing islands.

Perhaps we can be forgiven for missing the announcement of the draft standards for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), back in April 05. The Department of Agriculture would like to have the NAIS mandatory and fully operational by 2008.

So what is it ? With the laudable goal of making us safer (sound familiar ?), the plan calls for the identification and marking by radio frequency identification device (RFID) or equal every bird or animal in the United States that might contract or transmit a a dangerous disease (read Mad Cow, Bird Flu, and etc).

Every animal ? Every food animal, anyway. Every animal on every "premise". What's a "premise" ? "A physical location that represents a unique and describable geographic entity where activity affecting the health and/or traceabilty of animals may occur", see Appendix A, Draft Program Standards, available at DepAg site HERE. What does that mean ?

Got a few chickens because you like fresh eggs ? Got a calf or a pig for a pet ? A horse ? Welcome to NAIS with a wealth of detailed and expensive regulations. RFID and GPS surveillance of your property and much, much more. Check out the Draft Stategic Plan also HERE.

Many agribusiness megacorps are entirely in favor of the plan. Take the National Milk Producer's Association, for instance. They love it. Because the astronomical expense will make small producers less competitive ? Don't be cynical.

Others, like the Organic Consumers Association are , shall we say, less enthusiastic. They have minor objections like Constitutionality, stratospheric cost and right to notice for the little guy. So far it's been an "industry/government" project. There's a difference ? Check it out and form your own opinion.

Here at the Zoo, we'd like to know if, when DepAg is through marking and tracking the animals it will be time for DepHomeSec to use this newly assembled technology to start marking and tracking us ?

Consider what a Revelation that would be and

Stay Naked.