Heroes Not Zombies

It’s good to have someone looking out for you, isn’t it? It’s good to know that someone has your back. It’s good to know that someone is keeping an eye on you, to keep you safe, and make sure you have what you need.

During the pandemic lockdowns, millions of people looked out for others. They checked on elderly or vulnerable neighbours, got their shopping and their necessary medication for them. Millions of people got in touch with others to say hello, to see how they were, to let them know they hadn’t been forgotten.

I live in a village in Southwest France, and although people live quietly and privately here, they look out for each other. There isn’t an organised “neighbourhood watch” but there is an awareness of the presence of vehicles, of unusual noises, and even of people walking down the streets.

We humans are social creatures, and whilst there is undoubtedly a lot of greed, cruelty and selfishness in this world, there is also an abundance of care and concern. Yes, I know Food Bank use has risen by over 30% in the UK, and it’s terrible that the economic and political decisions taken have made that happen, but the other side of that story is all the volunteers and donors who make the Food Banks happen.

The only effective way to deal with an epidemic, as shown in every epidemic the world has known, is to identify those who have caught the infection, and isolate them. With Covid scientists quickly discovered that the vast majority of people who caught it didn’t experience any symptoms at all. So the only way to find those who are infected is to do tests. Now we are moving into a phase of demanding proof of a negative test to travel, or, soon, perhaps to attend a sports event, a concert, or even to go to a restaurant or cafe.

Alongside the increase in surveillance technologies related to the pandemic we’ve already seen a massive expansion of CCTV, technologies to track mobile phones, to analyse credit card spending, and so on. And what about the internet technologies? The harvesting of personal data, the planting of “cookies” on your computer and phone, and the tracking technologies which follow you around the internet and report back what they find to allow for “targeted advertising”? All that “looking out for” doesn’t feel so good, does it?

The differences arise from intention, autonomy and open-ness (or the opposite – manipulation and secrecy). When the intention is care, we are off to a better start than when the intention is to exploit or manipulate. That’s pretty clear, huh? It’s one thing to look after someone or to support them, it’s quite another to seek to profit from them or trick them. The autonomy bit is equally important. If I agree to participate with someone who wants to watch over me, then that’s my choice. If they do it behind my back, then there’s a risk they are trying to exert power over me, or to diminish the power I have to decide things for myself in my own life. And even with good intention, and voluntary participation, I’m still not comfortable with secrecy.

Sometimes I think that one of the biggest problems we have in the world now is a lack of transparency. Politicians, security services, private companies, multinational corporations, lobbyists, and the rich elites all seem to prefer to avoid transparency. As reports emerge of dodgy deals, as politicians and the media “spin” stories to hide the truth, as those responsible for damage to others and the environment escape responsibility, then trust erodes more and more.

We need more transparency, more accountability, more open-ness, more co-operation, if we are to counter the worst effects of those who turn “keeping an eye on you” into exploitation and manipulation.

Isn’t it high time we, we collectively, we the societies who want democracy and freedom, forced the selfish, the greedy, and the cruel out into the light of day?

Isn’t it time for us to “keep an eye on” the politicians, the lobbyists, those with wealth and power, the corporations and the multinationals? We humans have the desire and the ability to care for each other, but we can’t “look out for each other”, if we are being spied on, manipulated and exploited.