Sovereignty panel warns against surveillance capitalism, digital currency, social isolation

A conference panel on sovereignty laid out a roadmap of resistance, beginning with individual choice, continuing to technological literacy, community engagement, and an unwavering commitment to personal freedom.The panel discussion took place Saturday at We Unify's Reclaiming Canada Conference at the BMO Centre in Calgary.Ancestry.com founder Paul Allen also set the tone. "We are inherently divine creations, and we get our inalienable rights from God," he said.Dr. Robert Malone warned that "surveillance capitalism" commodified and undermined this sacred existence. "What they are doing is stealing part of your soul and reselling you," he explained. "This is intrinsically evil."Allen agreed. "Data rights are human rights," Paul Allen insisted, advocating for technological solutions that return control to individuals. "When I was CEO of ancestry, we promised the data belongs to you," he recalled. "When I left, they put it behind a paywall."Allen continued, "We inherently exist in the physical world and in the digital world, and the state cannot issue it and take it away. The state should endorse what we already have as human beings.".Central bank digital currencies represent another frontier of potential control. Allen warned the audience not to allow their implementation. Maxime Bernier warned that should they be implemented, personal choices could be further curtailed under the excuse of climate change prevention."If you spend a little bit too much a month for gas, maybe you won't be able to go to the gas station because, you know, it's dangerous for the planet, and you must save the planet," Bernier suggested.Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri encapsulated conservative values in the context of sovereignty. "Don't tell me what to do, don't touch my stuff, don't tell me who to worship. And we'll get along just fine," she said.But Malone warned of an encroaching dystopia where this would not be possible. "In this new world of utilitarian bioethics, where the state is acting to enforce the greatest happiness for the greatest number, you will lose your personal autonomy. You will lose your personal sovereignty, because the sovereignty of the collective is more important than the sovereignty of the individual.".The panel identified technology as both a threat and a potential solution. "Every single phone allows you to become a citizen journalist," Allen noted, suggesting that individual action can challenge systemic narratives.United Party Leader Grant Abraham said "Sovereignty is about ensuring that the government serves the people, and our rights and our freedoms are actually higher than the government." However, he did not believe that was happening, and added, "We have to recognize that our government is hostile to our people."The discussion turned to the importance of community. Malone said, "The thing that sets up that opens the door to totalitarianism is social isolation. The thing that you can do at a retail street level is you can engage with your neighbors, whether you like them or don't like them."Ferreri said discussions with other people helps address online information overload. "Having a community and also following people who do not think the way you think is very important. Keep your mind sharp. Don't just listen to people who agree with you."Malone agreed. "Engage with your neighbors. Talk with them, even if they don't agree with you. Don't be a separate, isolated individual. Be part of your community at the street level."

Sovereignty panel warns against surveillance capitalism, digital currency, social isolation

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