Potential for government control would grow with a brain implant.

I’m going to call this idea a no-brainer. But not in the usual sense of the phrase, which would mean it’s something that anyone with a brain would do. Rather, this is something that while you need a brain to do it, anyone with a fully functioning brain would see the danger in it and avoid it. Let me explain.

According to the Boston Globe, scientists at high tech firms are in the process of developing a brain implant that would allow a person to execute a variety of tasks just by thinking about them, including connecting to the Internet, sending a text message, making a phone call or making a stock selection. Or if you wanted something to read, perhaps you could download a newspaper, magazine or book.

Would it surprise you to learn that approximately 100,000 people in the world already have brain implants? Of course, these implants can’t connect anyone to the Internet or allow them to do any of those other activities, but they are used for medical purposes. One implant, for example, interferes with brain activity to assist with symptoms of diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s.

The U.S. government, which as we know never wastes any money (hopefully you noted the sarcasm), plans to spend $70 million on brain implant technology over the next five years. For one thing, it wants to monitor the mental health of soldiers and veterans to determine how combat-ready they are and perhaps stop them before they “lose it.” The technology may also be able to “reboot” the brains of people suffering from depression.

If and when more sophisticated brain implants become available, such as those that could connect you to the Internet, people who opt to receive them may be able to gain information they need in a matter of seconds that it would take the average person hours of time researching. But the potential for being controlled by the person who controls the implant is really scary.

We all know where this will go. If you think companies such as Google have too much control over your life now, just wait. A brain implant will not merely allow you to call up information instantly. Those who control the implants will invariably start to tell you how to dress, what to eat, how to think, who to vote for, etc.

Can you imagine what the current administration would do if the entire U.S. population had brain implants that it could control? Each of us would become Obama cheerleaders who constantly sing his praises and follow his edicts blindly. You know, sort of like the anchors on MSNBC.

Could these brain implants really be produced in the future? High tech scientists say “yes,” and predict that it will happen by 2020. God help us.

Fast forward six years. What would you tell your doctor if he or she suggested you get a brain implant that could connect your mind to the Internet? How would you react if the U.S. government passed a law requiring it?