[78-L] Dumb question, totally off topic ^

[Benno Häupl]

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Well, Mike, they cannot look into our brains, but actually, they can predict our behaviour. 
With the mass of information supplied to NSA voluntarily by google, yahoo, facebook, paypal, 
amazon, ebay and the banks, they know all kinds of patterns of behavior.  

Say, somebody buys certain islamic videos, makes internet searches for specific words, visits  
certain blogs, after some time transfers money to Pakistan, books flights to the Near East, is 
friends with people on facebook who have proven contacts to evildoers, then they are already 
able to predict that this person will be an active terrorist in, say,m  2.5 years with a probability 
of 90%, while the guy himself may only have an ''intellectual interest'' in that subject at the 
beginning of the story. 

They apply the exact same patterns on our consumer behavior. THEY know (I am NOT kidding) 
that we will buy a new bed or computer within 2 years, or so. Credit scoring has been working 
like this for many years.  Like, you have been on a well paid job in the government for 12 years, 
are married, own your appartment, have not moved since you married, have always paid your 
debts.  

But you live in a neighborhood where now 15% more of the loans fail, where the divorce rate 
is nearly doubled, and with a high rate of seizures. Some of your neighbors spent time in jail. 
You will not stand a chance to get another loan at favorable interest rates.  

BTW, same thing in medicine. They can perfectly predict that you will get a heart attack or 
diabetes in - whatever - 2 or 5 years or so. 

We are already in the middle of that permanent screening. 

Benno