The last public action performed by John Adams came on June 30, 1826, just a few days before the founder\u2019s \u2062death. Asked by George Whitney for \u200da \u2064Fourth of July toast, the former president offered, \u201cIndependence forever!\u201d No more, no less. You can\u2019t get more American than that. Yet independence is the \u200dvery \u2064thing being choked out of\u200b us at an ever-quickening gait.\u2064 And Congress just gave that horse another sharp kick in the ribs.<\/p>\n

The House of Representatives\u2019 failure to spike a federal \u201ckill \u2063switch\u201d mandate<\/a> means that\u2063 outside\u200c of a political miracle, all \u2064new vehicles from 2026 onward\u2064 will be required to incorporate \u201cadvanced drunk and impaired \u200ddriving\u2063 prevention technology.\u201d It will \u201cpassively monitor the performance \u200bof a driver\u201d and automatically disable the vehicle \u201cif impairment is detected.\u201d In other words: You will no longer have control of your car. Some outside entity \u2014 human or program \u2014 could, at any time, make it \u200cinoperable.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the message repeaters have assured us<\/a> that talk of a kill \u2064switch is just more right-wing conspiracy theory hyper-frenzy. After all, this is about safety. Think of the lives it will save! No more\u2062 hit-and-runs caused by drunk drivers. No\u200d more near-sighted\u200c old codgers not seeing the \u200d12-year-old girl until it was too late. You breathe a word against this \u200dwonderful new thing and you out yourself as a monster who wants \u2063children dead. <\/p>\n

Of course, the elephant in the corner is: What assurance do we have that \u201cimpairment\u201d \u2064just means drunkenness, drug use \u2014 the usual \u200dthings? What assurance\u200c do we have that this narrow definition\u200b will never be \u200dwidened? <\/p>\n

We \u200dnow live in a world where the Department of Justice describes parents objecting to porn \u200bbeing read in classrooms and \u2064kept in school \u200clibraries as \u201cdomestic terrorists\u201d; where FBI swat teams in full Robocop beat down the doors of Catholic, pro-life activists<\/a> as if they were drug lords;\u2063 where clear cases of \u200bself-defense are prosecuted \u2064as hate crimes<\/a>; where lawyers are arrested and duck walked through county jails\u200d for the audacity of representing a \u2064client the Borg hates; and where people with\u200b regime-opposite\u200d opinions\/affiliations are described as \u201cf-cking animals\u201d<\/a> before\u2063 being personally threatened and given the photobomb treatment. <\/p>\n

Does anyone think\u2062 \u201cimpairment\u201d won\u2019t be widened so \u2062the Borg \u200ccan punish its enemies more? Especially when its members are openly \u2064talking\u2062 about the\u200c need for Republicans, Trump voters, and conservatives to be \u201creprogrammed\u201d? Sure, some of these people, like David \u200cAtkins<\/a> and \u2063 Katie Couric <\/a>are small potatoes and nobodies. But Nikole Hannah-Jones<\/a>, the Lady Frankenstein who won a Pulitzer for creating a freakazoid fantasy of American history that\u2019s now being taught to grade schoolers? Hillary \u2063Clinton<\/a>? If these power reservoirs are\u2062 making this sentiment public,\u2063 the vast layers beneath them in the left\u2019s hierarchy are openly salivating for it. Redefinitions of the word will be cheered by them.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Since \u201cimpairment\u201d probably\u2062 will be redefined by the Borg, the kill switch is perfectly positioned to \u2062be weaponized in \u2062the future, another wheel\u200b in the social credit system<\/a> in the process\u200b of being built here at home<\/a>. Express an \u201cextremist\u201d view on Facebook? That might mean a week with a non-functioning\u2064 car. Does\u2064 your banking history show you \u200ddonated to Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump,\u2064 your local pro-life group, or even just your church\u200c (the one that still hatefully insists marriage is between a man \u200cand a woman)?\u200d You might be too dangerous to let on the road. <\/p>\n

Americans will then be faced with a stark choice: Hold fast to their convictions or dilute them to gain the privilege \u2064of driving. And if you are still dependent on your car to go to work (you\u2019re not going to live in a 15-minute city), or need to drive 200 miles to see your parents\u2063 or your kids, what choice are you going to make?<\/p>\n

But \u2064even\u2063 if\u200b the kill switch were simply about \u2063saving lives and \u201cimpairment\u201d were forever narrowly defined, implementing it would still be a dagger\u200d to independence. Today, the onus for being a responsible driver is on you. No fairy godfather prevents us \u2062from texting \u200dand\u2062 driving, no good\u2063 witches of \u200bthe interstate protect us against highway hypnosis, no cricket with a top hat appears to warn us not to drink before sliding\u200b into the driver\u2019s seat. Instead, we have to do what we\u2064 ought and not what we \u200dwant. <\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, this was the idea of freedom held by the founders, by Lincoln, \u2064by John Paul II, and pretty much every ordinary American through the first\u200b half of the 20th century. More importantly, according \u200cto these men, independence could only be maintained among a population that \u200cbelieved in, cherished, and strove for\u2062 this idea of freedom. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

This is why the archetype of the yeoman farmer was so powerful in the 18th century. The farmer was disciplined, hard-working, honest, prudent. Earning his livelihood by wrestling with\u2063 nature cultivated the virtues necessary for him to be \u2062a self-governing citizen \u2014 virtues (it was expected) he would pass to\u200b his \u200cchildren, forming a continual cycle of past, present,\u2064 and \u200bfuture. He and his family had the habit of independence. But this habit was not\u2062 guaranteed. It could be lost like any other. <\/p>\n

In 1798, John Adams<\/a> warned that should Americans lose the \u2063virtues that made independence possible, should they display \u201cin the most captivating manner \u200cthe charming \u2062Pictures of Candour frankness \u2063& sincerity while \u2026 rioting in rapine and \u200dInsolence,\u201d these United States would become \u201cthe most miserable Habitation in\u200b the\u200d World.\u201d In many ways, we have already devolved\u200c into a nation of \u200cthumb-sucking perpetual teenagers. Look at\u200b zoomers crying on TikTok, at the academics and military brass bloviating about white anger, and at the rural communities ripped apart by \u200cdrugs and despair. Even in \u2064the best scenario, nanny cars would be poison dressed as medicine.<\/p>\n

If people are incapable of\u200b independence, they are incapable of self-government. Which raises the question: What will replace our form of government? Some hope for Red \u2062Caesar; others pant for Blue Sulla. Adrian Vermeule and his disciples pray for a 12th century-style Catholic monarchy complete with a state \u2063church; others see a\u200b national divorce. The most likely answer is AI. <\/p>\n

For all the hysteria over Terminators, Skynet, and the complete erasure of the line between man and machine,\u2064 the real dangers of AI\u200d are much more monotonous and deadly. James Poulos<\/a> recently warned<\/a> \u200d that\u200d the cracks and contradictions in the left \u200b\u2014 quite visible now because of the Israel-Hamas War \u2064\u2014 are yet another imperative for the Borg to become its namesake, for the bureaucracy to submit all policies \u2064and proposals (and with them all our lives) to an UberAlgorithm which \u200bwill parse through the pyramid of oppression, identity politics, competing issues, claims, and counterclaims and render judgment from a digital throne of Solomon.<\/p>\n

Between giving\u2062 up their ideology and subserving us to an algorithm, \u2062the Borg will always choose to do what protects\u200c its power the most, even if that means ceding real authority to\u2064 a little man behind a curtain who\u2064 isn\u2019t really there. In this scenario, the kill switch could move\u200b beyond reprogramming and make us \u2064part of itself. It\u2019s possible that, in the future, how often and where you drive \u200dwill be calculated by a host \u2063of different data points that transform us from human beings into manageable chunks of information, pawns moved on \u200can endless chessboard.<\/p>\n

The\u200d good news is that the final curtain hasn\u2019t fallen yet. We can still be a free and independent people \u2014 if we can find the will to resist.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

rnrn <\/p>\n

In light of increasing government overreach and the targeting of\u2064 individuals based on their political beliefs, what concerns arise regarding \u2062the potential \u200bfor the authorities to exploit a\u2062 federal “kill switch” mandate to further\u2064 control and oppress perceived enemies<\/h2>\n
The Threat to Personal \u2063Freedom: The\u200c Federal “Kill Switch” Mandate<\/p>\n
In the United States, personal freedom and independence have long been regarded\u200b as fundamental values. From\u200d the\u2063 words of the founding fathers\u2064 to the sentiments expressed by \u2063former President John Adams on his deathbed, the\u2063 idea of independence is deeply ingrained in American society. However, it seems that this cherished value is \u2062being eroded\u200c at an alarming pace, and the recent actions of \u2064Congress have only exacerbated the situation.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives’ failure to reject a federal\u200c “kill switch” mandate has significant implications for personal freedom. Under this mandate, all new vehicles manufactured from 2026 onwards will be\u200b required to incorporate\u2063 “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology<\/a>.\u201d \u200dWhile the stated intention is to improve road safety by passively monitoring the performance of drivers and disabling \u2063vehicles \u2064if impairment is detected, the ramifications for individual autonomy are concerning.<\/p>\n
Essentially,\u200d this mandate means\u200b that individuals will no longer \u2062have full control over their own cars.\u2063 At any given moment, an \u200dexternal entity, \u2064whether human or programmed, could render their\u2062 vehicle \u2062inoperable. This\u2064 raises\u2064 questions about the extent of personal freedom and the potential for abuse of power. What does “impairment”\u200d encompass exactly, and how can we be certain that the definition will not be expanded to include factors beyond alcohol or drug use?<\/p>\n
In an\u2064 era\u200c where dissent is increasingly labeled as domestic terrorism and where law enforcement agencies\u2062 target individuals based<\/a> \u200con their political beliefs, concerns about government overreach are not unfounded. The erosion \u2064of\u2064 personal\u200b freedom is evident in cases\u2063 where parents objecting\u2063 to \u2064explicit content in schools are branded as terrorists and when self-defense is prosecuted\u200b as a hate\u2064 crime. Furthermore, lawyers representing \u2062individuals at odds with the ruling regime\u2062 face arrest and harassment, while those with\u200c opposing opinions are subjected\u200b to threats\u2062 and personal attacks.<\/p>\n
Given this\u200d backdrop, it is reasonable to\u200c question whether the definition of “impairment” will be broadened to enable the authorities to target their perceived enemies\u200c even more effectively. When politicians openly discuss the need to reprogram Republicans, Trump\u2063 voters, and conservatives, it becomes \u2064apparent \u200bthat personal freedom is under threat. Individuals like David\u200b Atkins and Katie \u2063Couric\u200c have\u200c expressed support for the idea of reeducating those with opposing views, highlighting the\u200c potential \u200bdangers that lie ahead.<\/p>\n
While\u200c road safety is \u2062undoubtedly a noble cause, we must not allow it to come\u200d at the expense of personal freedom. The\u2062 federal \u200b”kill switch” mandate sets a dangerous precedent by granting external entities the power to control individuals’ vehicles. It is vital that we remain vigilant and protect our \u200bfundamental rights and liberties. Independence forever, as\u200c John\u2064 Adams proclaimed, remains a deeply American aspiration, and it is our responsibility to \u2062safeguard it for future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
celebrated on the Fourth of July. John Adams’ final public act occurred on June 30, 1826, when he responded to George Whitney’s request for a toast. The former president simply proclaimed, “Independence forever!” This concise statement embodies the essence of American patriotism, as the celebration of independence remains at the core of the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1686,"featured_media":2096996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2096995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1686"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2096996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}