Once upon a time, the cartoon The Jetsons, the movie The Terminator, and the computer game The Sims all were viewed as entertainment.
But with the rise of smart cities, these forms of entertainment seem more like a prophecy.
As the government utilizes more advanced technology and the Internet of Things, it has more access to our daily lives and more control over where we go, shop, grow, and even what we eat.
Make no mistake... smart cities already exist around the world and are already here in the United States.
Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of smart cities.
What Are Smart Cities?
According to the Institute for Defense and Business, “The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing how governments manage cities. Every aspect of city life, including mobility, health care, security, water, energy, community engagement, economic development, housing, and waste can now be connected and monitored remotely. Known as ‘smart cities,’ these municipalities leverage technology to meet the demands of residents and provide greater efficiencies in delivering services.”
Smart cities are being sold as a revolutionary way to use technology to make our lives easier, improve cities, and protect the environment.
Leaders claim that this is a wonderful solution to climate problems, traffic congestion, electric grid overload, and more.
But that’s not the whole truth.
Consider how National Geographic describes smart cities:
Smart cities work by continuously monitoring citizens.
Smart devices on roads monitor where you go and with whom you spend your time.
Smart devices on store doors monitor who comes and goes and what purchases are made.
It’s a terrifying reality.
Controlling Utilities
It gets worse. Smart cities give the government control over all major utilities.
As cities go "smart," it means that someone on the other side of the technology has the power to monitor and control your utilities, such as water and electricity usage.
National Geographic explains,
“Control of [one’s] house’s electricity can be handled easily from a centralized location, without requiring a utility crew to go out to turn it on or off. […] In addition, some utilities have proposed the use of microgrids. These are groups of interconnected loads and sources that typically connect to the wider grid but can also be disconnected to operate autonomously as an ‘island.’”
In other words, if your neighborhood uses too much power, the higher-ups can turn you into a powerless island.
If the powers that be don’t want you to grow your own food, they can turn off your water.
Controlling You
By forcing citizens into smart cities (you don’t get a say), the government will have control.
Your opinions will not matter.
Leo Hollis, author of Cities Are Good For You, told The Guardian, “In the end, the smart city will destroy democracy. […] Like Google, they’ll have enough data not to have to ask you what you want.”
We all know people who have a smart house, where they can control the lights from an app.
Now consider the government having that much control over an entire city.
Consider what happened when Rio de Janeiro embraced smart city technology.
Antony M. Townsend, in his 2013 book Smart Cities, wrote, “What began as a tool to predict rain and manage flood response morphed into a high-precision control panel for the entire city.”
He then quoted Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, as boasting: “The operations centre allows us to have people looking into every corner of the city, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
So scary.
What Are 15-Minute Cities?
It’s not just smart cities we need to fear…15-minute cities are also being heavily pushed.
The idea of a 15-minute city is that citizens should be able to have all their needs met within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home.
Grocery stores, medical care, restaurants, schools, parks, and more will all be located within 15 minutes of neighborhoods.
Governments and the WEF are heavily pushing the idea—and it has created a political conflict in Europe.
While they will try to sell it as making your life easier, many are worried that 15-minute cities are a form of government control that restricts where citizens go.
UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said,
“There’s nothing wrong with making sure people can walk or cycle to the shops or school. That’s traditional town planning. But what is different, what is sinister, and what we shouldn’t tolerate, is the idea that local councils can decide how often you go to the shops, and that they can ration who uses the roads and when, and that they police it all with CCTV.”
Harper is expressing what many people fear.
It will go from convenience to control.
The Dangers of Smart Cities and 15-Minute Cities
Cybersecurity Risks
With mass amounts of data, there are even more serious cybersecurity risks. In addition to personal data being stolen, cybercriminals will have even easier access to whole control systems. We have been warning about cyber hackers taking down the grid. Now imagine if the cyber hacker has access to every city utility.
System Crash
Technology fails. The internet goes offline. It happens all the time. But what would that mean for a smart city where everything from water usage to traffic lights can easily go down?
Constant Government Oversight
Smart cities allow for way too much government oversight. Martin Zinaic, an Information Security Officer for the City of Tampa, says regarding smart city personal data collection:
“I don’t know if I want that overview of my life. But that’s the privacy concern — it’s all there and now is going to be hackable and available to government overreach. You tie AI on top of that. Add a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and now everything you spend – and whether you can spend it – will be riding on somebody else’s rules. I find that very scary.”
Continuous Monitoring = Continuous Control
When the city you are living in embraces smart city technology, you will not get a say.
It will be imposed on citizens, and you will not be given a choice.
This level of monitoring is obscene—but it is real, and it is happening.
Once it does, it will quickly go from monitoring traffic data for improving congestion to monitoring where citizens are going.
Do you want the government to know everywhere you go? Do you want them to know everything you buy?
No!
Should they decide meat is bad for the environment, they can see when you head to the steakhouse.
When they decide to outlaw gun purchases, they will see when and where you purchase ammo.
We’ve been raising the alarm about the WEF and elites attempting to stop people from eating meat and pushing bugs instead.
What if your smart city also embraces a 15-minute city, and instead of traditional grocery stores, you have bug factories?
It’s not that much of a stretch considering how many bug food companies already exist in the United States.
Feed Yourself, Free Yourself
Henry Kissinger famously said, “Who controls the food supply controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents; who controls money can control the world.”
Smart cities will make this easier than ever before.
Now is the time to learn how to feed yourself.
There may come a time when you can’t just go out and buy whatever food you want.
Invest in heirloom seeds.
Start a hobby farm with chickens.
Build up your emergency food stash.
Purchase a solar power generator and water filtration devices in case your neighborhood becomes “an island.”
Don’t let anyone control your food or personal security, friends.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply
