The main problem with conspiracy theories is they require things of government and government people, that you never see in real life. Government is big, ponderous and stupid. It is a sledgehammer when it works at all. The sort of precision needed to micromanage the population has never been observed in government. The Soviets tried the hardest, but failed to do any more than murder anyone who go out of line. Even the North Koreans have found it nearly impossible to granularly control their society.

Then there are stories like this one, which show how even the blunt instrument of government can be turned into a sensitive instrument of oppression. A crazy cop or even a crazy cop department can tap into the vast database of information the state and its agents have about all of us. if they find something they don’;t like, even if it is perfectly legal, they can make your life a living hell. The state and its agents can weaponize information to bully and intimidate even the most law abiding citizens.

This cop did not act on his own. It is the policy of the police in Maryland to harass gun owners. The police will never admit to it, but it is so obvious that it is not a secret. The cops say they are just following procedure, which is true, but many are eager to show their enthusiasm. The cop could never have done anything like this ten years ago. In a decade, agents of the state will be able to pull up your medical history at routine traffic stops. Turning the cops into morality police will be just a matter of changing a policy.

This story from last week shows the way. Linking your DNA to an electronic ID like a Bitcoin would solve a lot of the technical hurdles for the surveillance state. DNA is unique and Bitcoin is unique. You can’t fake either one so it is impervious to counterfeiting if it your official ID. All of your transactions would then require some of your DNA, which could be as little as a few skin cells. The technology is not there yet, but within the decade it will be ready. That means everywhere you go can be tracked.

It turns out the paranoid types were right all along.