The Conspiratorial

He sat there contemplating the very idea. Strategy was alway easy. “Never let a serious crisis go to waste” was the mantra.

Rom looked back at his computer, marvelling at the ingenuity of virus software. Every computer now ships with virus software built in. Most computers are connected to the internet giving a very easy way to track and maintain each computer’s health. When a new virus is discovered, the software manufacturer immediately can update the installed antivirus software to prevent the computer from being infected. Ingenius!

It’s not so easy with humans but the concept is the same. All we’d have to do is mandate immunization programs. Making sure that everyone is immunized would have to mean nationalized health care and some way to track everyone in the system. He remembered an article about “The Digital Angel” corporation. Rifling though his desk, he found the article he had saved. The Digital Angel Corporation describes themselves as “an advanced technology company in the field of rapid and accurate identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value assets”. Their Animal Applications unit manufactures and distributes visual tags and electronic RFID microchips for fish, livestock, poultry and electronic RFID microchips for pets. According to them, this is playing a key role in the global move to ensure the integrity of the food chain and to provide advanced technology as a mechanism toward better visibility into the outbreak of disease.

As he pondered this, it all seemed to make sense. We’ve already got the major drug companies working with the World Health Organization. Hell, even the President has stock in Baxter – a company who touts their ability to manufacture vaccines twice as fast as their competitors. We could nip this in the bud before it ever became an issue! At least that’s how you would sell it.

Rom took a look at McAfee stocks as they continue to plummet in this economic recession. McAfee was one of the largest manufacturers of computer antivirus software. On the other side of the country, Dave DeWalt, CEO and President of McAffee was looking at the very same statistic. Dismayed, and a little pissed off, Dave got on the phone. “Peter, we need to conjure up another virus. This time make it a good one!”