OnStar to allow police to slow vehicle.

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Do you think every form of control is immediate and abrupt? No. It's introduced gradually and in an as innocuous and harmless manner as possible. It's always "for the best" of intentions ..then slowly morphs into something much more. There's always another (or THE other) shoe to drop that you didn't quite count on.

You've obviously never seen manipulative behavior that operates in plain sight. I would offer that you've then never experienced a new or used car purchase.
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Smart man. Very smart.
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There are a few things that need to be straightened out here.

1) The engine does NOT shut off. That would create a bigger problem since the thief couldn't steer or brake. The system basically just overrides the throttle and will slow the vehicle gradually to a crawl, keeping all the other systems running.

2) The chances of this getting hacked are pretty infinitesimal. The knowledge base of how OnStar works exactly is too small and there are too many different technologies involved to make such a thing probable. In other words, the chances of a single hacker or even a group of them having all the skills needed is pretty low. Also, OnStar's been around since '96. If someone hacked it, don't you think it would be common knowledge by now.

3) If you cancel your service, OnStar can NOT connect to your car. You could still dial into OnStar to reactivate it, but the cellular account is cancelled and the number deactivated, so if you hit the blue button, the cell carrier basically routes you to the sales desk to get reactivated. Think of a brand new cell phone that hasn't been activated yet. That's what happens when you cancel.

4) OnStar is NOT big brother. The owner has to initiate all connections from OnStar to the vehicle, either by pushing one of the buttons or by calling the toll free number. For the police to be involved, the owner has to have reported the car stolen for OnStar to act.

Having said all that, I'd want such a feature on my car. It will save lives and, even if it is misused, your car rolls safely to a halt and you suffer an inconvenience figuring out why. Granted that's a big pain in the neck, but you're not being put in danger. The chances of any of that happening are negligible, though. You can also be guaranteed that the number of people who would buy a GM vehicle in part because it has this feature will far outnumber those paranoid souls that fear Big Brother is out to get them. I'd also bet money on insurance companies giving discounts for this feature.
 
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3) If you cancel your service, OnStar can NOT connect to your car. You could still dial into OnStar to reactivate it, but the cellular account is cancelled and the number deactivated, so if you hit the blue button, the cell carrier basically routes you to the sales desk to get reactivated. Think of a brand new cell phone that hasn't been activated yet. That's what happens when you cancel.

4) OnStar is NOT big brother. The owner has to initiate all connections from OnStar to the vehicle, either by pushing one of the buttons or by calling the toll free number. For the police to be involved, the owner has to have reported the car stolen for OnStar to act.






B. S. B. S. TECHNICALLY the service is there and able to be accessed via OnStar (i.e. their mighty all-powerful Sales Desk) and the Po-Po without your interaction or cooperation.
 
How about this scenario:

It's 2017 and the majority of cars have this "optional" feature called OnStar. Most people do not activate it, but it's still there lurking on each vehicle like Gollum in his dark, light-devoid cave.

A (much-needed) Revolution starts and the .gov decides to commandeer the OnStar system (without any objection by OnStar, of course) and SHUT DOWN all vehicles belonging to us lowly peasants.

Still sucking on OnStar's teat at this point?
 
Should the rest of that unlikely scenario play out, I'd think our future overlords would be better served to just close the roads rather than rely on some silly technology that only shuts down Buicks.

There is NOT going to be a revolution. The government is for and of the people, and when they do something the majority of the people disagree with, the people will complain.

For all the slippery slope people, please explain one right in the constitution that we have had taken away from us by the big ol' bad gub'mint?
 
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There is NOT going to be a revolution. The government is for and of the people, and when they do something the majority of the people disagree with, the people will complain.






Please reference 1775–1783.

The .gov is FOR themselves and Corporate America. NOT us citizens.
 
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There is NOT going to be a revolution.




You're right. Once we're disarmed (after the economic crippling is complete) ..and after several generations of male neutering and dysfunctional education ...letting the idiotic life consume most of the masses intelligence in self indulgence ..drugs take care of the rest ..attrition through death of those who are hip to the herding process and where it's leading ...

..there will just be impotent peoploids.
 
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You're right. Once we're disarmed (after the economic crippling is complete) ..and after several generations of male neutering and dysfunctional education ...letting the idiotic life consume most of the masses intelligence in self indulgence ..drugs take care of the rest ..attrition through death of those who are hip to the herding process and where it's leading ...

..there will just be impotent peoploids.




I wish I had Gary's Thesaurus.
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This is a little off topic, but for those of us who use an EZ-Pass, certain states now allow the EZ-Pass records to be used in court. Even for such things divorce. While I don't plan on doing anything actionable, I don't remember agreeing to that when I signed up. In fact, Maine, specifically stated in their predecessor to EZ-pass (TransPass?) that they would never use the information for speeding.

I think overall this On-Star capability could be a good thing, but there better be a really stringent system of controls to manage the system. I can see the ACLU raising the dickens with this.
 
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but there better be a really stringent system of controls to manage the system.




Controls mean absolutely nothing when a government is being overthrown. Nor do they mean anything when a government is H3LL bent on trampling on your rights.
 
I would like to make a point.
Cities are not run by mayors, states are not run by governors, and our nation is not run by our president, or the congress, or the supreme court.
Rather, all of our political entities are run by a permanent cadre of mostly civil service employees. They are the people who really call the shots on a daily basis. No, the dog catcher can't decide to invade, say, Iraq, but he can decide to grab your dog. The local cop cannot have you executed, but he can ensnare you in the criminal justice system, with a simple arrest. There are many unelected, and mostly unaccountable government employees who can have a devestating impact upon your life. This is why I feel that giving up any liberty to the government is a serious mistake. You'll have nothing to fear, until you irritate the wrong employee in the wrong way. We all know people who abuse their powers. It is a mistake to place more power in the hands of those who might, and sometimes will, misuse it.
Now, ask yourself whether you would feel comfortable giving greater power over your rights and liberty in general to the lowest common denominator among your neighboors? That's really what we are discussing here.
WRT hacking On Star, please. It could be done tonight by any number of people with a keyboard, a connection, and some skills. Not hard at all, and far more secure apps have been hacked, sometimes repeatedly.
 
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There are many unelected, and mostly unaccountable government employees who can have a devestating impact upon your life. This is why I feel that giving up any liberty to the government is a serious mistake. You'll have nothing to fear, until you irritate the wrong employee in the wrong way. We all know people who abuse their powers. It is a mistake to place more power in the hands of those who might, and sometimes will, misuse it.




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Buy this man a beer. He gets it.
 
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This is a little off topic, but for those of us who use an EZ-Pass, certain states now allow the EZ-Pass records to be used in court. Even for such things divorce. While I don't plan on doing anything actionable, I don't remember agreeing to that when I signed up. In fact, Maine, specifically stated in their predecessor to EZ-pass (TransPass?) that they would never use the information for speeding.





The rules of evidence still apply. Everyone says they "heard of a guy" who got a speeding ticket from the EZPass, but I don't think it's real. As for the other stuff, the rules of evidence still apply. If someone says "I wasn't on Manhattan last Friday, I was driving in New Jersey" and there are EZPass records that say he crossed the bridge, well, then he is caught in a lie.

The public will not stand for this kind of law enforcement. And anyway, MAYBE we'd have reasonable laws if they were actually enforced, BECAUSE people wouldn't stand for it. For example, Prohibition.
 
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There is NOT going to be a revolution.




You're right. Once we're disarmed (after the economic crippling is complete) ..and after several generations of male neutering and dysfunctional education ...letting the idiotic life consume most of the masses intelligence in self indulgence ..drugs take care of the rest ..attrition through death of those who are hip to the herding process and where it's leading ...

..there will just be impotent peoploids.




I thought I heard that, on average, we were the most highly educated civilization ever. And that, on average, we Americans are more educated than we have ever been. Maybe I'm wrong.

Look. Why would the rich and powerful want a poor and weak population? They have no money to spend and are easily manipulated into "revolution" by the next guy that will be rich and powerful.

Male neutering? My junk still works, what about the rest of us? Please explain what you meant by this, because I think there are a lot of guys out here that take sort of language seriously. Please use small words because clearly, you are smarter and more manly than the rest of us...
 
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Please reference 1775–1783.

The .gov is FOR themselves and Corporate America. NOT us citizens.




That was a colony (full of adventurers and loners and religious fanatics who couldn't cope in regular society) revolting against a king. We didn't even have a president until 1789.

Don't like the government we have? Quit electing these jerks. Or run for office.

When they quit holding elections and disband Congress, I'm right there with you, shoulder to shoulder. As long as we're voting, we deserve what we get.
 
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Why would the rich and powerful want a poor and weak population?




All the easier to control them. This whole deal IS about POWER over others.

Look at what the media does now.....everyone is distracted by Paris, Nicole, Lindsey, Britney, and Anna Nicole. That is if the population can wake up from their Valium Stupor (but that's a whole different story).
 
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Why would the rich and powerful want a poor and weak population?




What do they care as long as they're the one's rich and powerful? As long as they can secure their position in the light of prevailing circumstances ...keep a lid on the rabble ..life is good.
 
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Why would the rich and powerful want a poor and weak population?




Why did Gorby's wife have a gold AMEX, why did Ford, TRW et all supply the USSR motor vehicle industry with parts and equipment during the cold war ?

Personal gain.

There is no ideology, just gain.
 
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