Well, I lost my notes, darn it because they were pretty good. Here’s the gist – I listen to a podcast every morning about technology. They had a guest on, Mike somebody or other, sorry I forgot his name. He is an Iraqi war veteran, now working in cybersecurity. He explained that there are approximately 2000 separate electric companies operating on our grid. This makes us very vulnerable to cyber attacks which are happening on almost a daily basis. He also showed that in the United States, enforcement of a crime is a nonissue for the most part. There might be a slap on the wrist but the punishment is not equal to the crime. He showed that our infrastructure is the most perilous it’s ever been. In the 1950s, the United States put a huge amount of money into our roads and bridges, they were in horrible shape. Once complete, we had the best roads and bridges in the world. But things don’t last forever, even though we think they should. And 60 years ago, there was no broadband, and technology was in its infancy.
With everything so interconnected these days, we put ourselves in a vulnerable position. We never think anything will happen to us. Our grids won’t fail, bridges won’t collapse, and smart phones will last forever. The ostrich needs to get its head out of the hole.
Think of a domino effect – at this point, one storm, such as the recent ones in Idaho, Texas, California, leaves millions of people without electric, water, heat, etc. That’s just one storm. File cabinets were blown open, papers flying everywhere. Wallets, bank statements, birth certificates strewn all over the street. If we are attacked, were left with no communication, no anything. We won’t even be able to prove our own identity.
Take note of what is happening. Watch the news. Listen to what the experts are telling us – we need to upgrade our systems now. If it puts us in the hole, so be it. Think of the alternative. I wrote about this in my book “Identity Theft: A Victims Search for Justice” two years ago. No one believed me. And I’m no expert, I just read a lot.
After my identity was stolen, I took a good, long, hard look at what was happening. To my dismay, I realized how vulnerable we are in this country. It’s not just me. That was a real wake-up call, and that’s what started me on this blogging journey. I never blogged before, and never thought about writing a book. But my experience was so emotionally devastating, so eye-opening, that I felt the need to reach out to people. I had the time to do the research.
People are busy with their daily lives, schedules, kids, jobs. Most people don’t have time to breathe, much less take note of everything going on in the world today. Even when we do, and we are all empathetic, it is still a world away. We are a global society now. We are surrounded by what’s going on in North Korea, China, Africa, Ukraine, the Slavic states. And many other parts of the world.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am not pessimistic. Watching the Ukrainian people stand up for their country, giving up their lives for their freedom, is an inspiration to me. People around the world all want the same thing – education, food, a roof overhead, good friends and family. I am certainly not crying because I don’t have a $400 million yacht! When I watch the news, and listen to these brave people, I don’t cry. I am proud of the bond that people are creating. Blue and yellow being worn all around the world, solidarity for those a world away. Stand up to the Oligarchs, the power-hungry, the egotistical, the greedy. And while we’re at it, let’s stop polluting the planet.
There’s no replacing the last tree once it cut down. There’s no replacing the life, be it animal or human, destroyed by street violence, hate, ignorance. Or war. After living through the Cold War, Vietnam, Somalia, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and the myriad of other wars,” conflicts”,” skirmishes”, I’d like to try something different.
Peace.
Deborah E Joyce
PS.. When you see an ad for Covid tests, asking for a small handling fee, it’s a scam. They’re free through the gov’t.