Comments on: ID cards paranoia http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/ A wrist slit away from being an emo kid Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:33:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Kieran O'Shea http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54721 Kieran O'Shea Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:23:27 +0000 http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54721 I never purported to say that we don't already see evidence on our front door steps of such a society, merely that ID cards are an important step in establishing same. There are of course, as you point out, other indicators which are of importance. Some of it is paranoia, but surely my first paragraph underlines the idea that perhaps mild paranoia is not entirely unjustified? I never purported to say that we don’t already see evidence on our front door steps of such a society, merely that ID cards are an important step in establishing same. There are of course, as you point out, other indicators which are of importance.

Some of it is paranoia, but surely my first paragraph underlines the idea that perhaps mild paranoia is not entirely unjustified?

]]> By: Chris Worfolk http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54603 Chris Worfolk Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:25:43 +0000 http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54603 Surely that just supports my point that a lot of it is paranoia, fueled to be extent by an endless series of Hollywood movies in which we decend into a totalitarian state. If we're really so scared of this then why don't we do something to stop the ability to hold people without charge for what, 2 weeks now? We have CCTV cameras on every street in city centres. Police holding automatic rifles prowl the airports and people do get stopped on the street. It just doesn't happen to us because we're white and non-chavish. Go driving in a Corsa at our age and see how far you get. How far is this from your typical social doomsday film? Surely that just supports my point that a lot of it is paranoia, fueled to be extent by an endless series of Hollywood movies in which we decend into a totalitarian state.

If we’re really so scared of this then why don’t we do something to stop the ability to hold people without charge for what, 2 weeks now? We have CCTV cameras on every street in city centres. Police holding automatic rifles prowl the airports and people do get stopped on the street. It just doesn’t happen to us because we’re white and non-chavish. Go driving in a Corsa at our age and see how far you get. How far is this from your typical social doomsday film?

]]> By: Kieran O'Shea http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54600 Kieran O'Shea Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:36:31 +0000 http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54600 You neglect to mention one key difference between the proposed cards here and the identity cards in European countries; ours will have all your biometric data on them. Foreign cards don't. If they can lose the written details of 25m people in the post, what could they do with all our biometrics? Quite frankly it doesn't bear thinking about. On a more philosophical note; I'm not sure how many dystopia type books you have read but almost all of them involve the detailing in some way how the world descended into such a catastrophe without people realising until it was too late. In almost all cases identity cards were introduced by the ruling government who then made increasing excuses to check their presence in the hands of citizens and the actions of the citizens who held them. "Your papers citizen!" You neglect to mention one key difference between the proposed cards here and the identity cards in European countries; ours will have all your biometric data on them. Foreign cards don’t. If they can lose the written details of 25m people in the post, what could they do with all our biometrics? Quite frankly it doesn’t bear thinking about.

On a more philosophical note; I’m not sure how many dystopia type books you have read but almost all of them involve the detailing in some way how the world descended into such a catastrophe without people realising until it was too late. In almost all cases identity cards were introduced by the ruling government who then made increasing excuses to check their presence in the hands of citizens and the actions of the citizens who held them. “Your papers citizen!”

]]> By: Chris Worfolk http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54589 Chris Worfolk Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:44:30 +0000 http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54589 I vote Lib Dem but I don't think they are in a position to win any serious votes yet. I wouldn't put my money on a Conservative victory either, the big swing away from Labour just hasn't happened. Mainly due to the lack of real competition, if the Conservates had a Tony Blair they would have an easy victory but they don't. How you fail to look charismatic when your competition is Gordon Brown I don't know but somehow they do. That is drifting off the point though. Political parties make a lot of empty promises, I can't see them honestly repealing the legislation. It's not worth the effort. Just don't implement it. Which is really the best case senario, what they will probably do is introduce such a system in some other form. It's all about the database behind it really and you could probably introduce that without people kicking up too much of a fuss as people think it's about the card so if you scrap that you will probably be fine to introduce it. Getting back to elections stuff I also think it won't play a particularly big part in the voting decisions. It might swing people a bit but I think it will end up like Iraq - everyone moans about it but when it comes to voting, people couldn't care less as long as they can get their health service and education. I vote Lib Dem but I don’t think they are in a position to win any serious votes yet. I wouldn’t put my money on a Conservative victory either, the big swing away from Labour just hasn’t happened. Mainly due to the lack of real competition, if the Conservates had a Tony Blair they would have an easy victory but they don’t. How you fail to look charismatic when your competition is Gordon Brown I don’t know but somehow they do.

That is drifting off the point though. Political parties make a lot of empty promises, I can’t see them honestly repealing the legislation. It’s not worth the effort. Just don’t implement it. Which is really the best case senario, what they will probably do is introduce such a system in some other form. It’s all about the database behind it really and you could probably introduce that without people kicking up too much of a fuss as people think it’s about the card so if you scrap that you will probably be fine to introduce it.

Getting back to elections stuff I also think it won’t play a particularly big part in the voting decisions. It might swing people a bit but I think it will end up like Iraq - everyone moans about it but when it comes to voting, people couldn’t care less as long as they can get their health service and education.

]]> By: Colin http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54529 Colin Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:15:26 +0000 http://blog.chrisworfolk.com/2007/12/24/id-cards-paranoia/#comment-54529 Just because there a statute proclaiming that Identity Cards will be introduced into this country in due course, does not necessarily mean it will come to pass. Have you not heard of the Conservative or Liberal Parties ? Both have said that if they get into power after the next election they will scrap the proposed ID Cards and repeal the legislation behind it. How high do you rate Nu labours chance of being re - elected at the next election to see this idiotic scheme through to its logical conclusion ? If you're a betting man I wouldn't waste your stake money on it. As far as ID cards are concerned, I have lived and worked in a country where they have been mandatory for several decades and I can tell you for certain that they do not solve any of the problems that they claim to. Just a waste of billions of pounds of taxpayers money that could be spent on some other worthwhile social projects like more hospitals or extra policeman. Just because there a statute proclaiming that Identity Cards will be introduced into this country in due course, does not necessarily mean it will come to pass. Have you not heard of the Conservative or Liberal Parties ? Both have said that if they get into power after the next election they will scrap the proposed ID Cards and repeal the legislation behind it. How high do you rate Nu labours chance of being re - elected at the next election to see this idiotic scheme through to its logical conclusion ? If you’re a betting man I wouldn’t waste your stake money on it.

As far as ID cards are concerned, I have lived and worked in a country where they have been mandatory for several decades and I can tell you for certain that they do not solve any of the problems that they claim to. Just a waste of billions of pounds of taxpayers money that could be spent on some other worthwhile social projects like more hospitals or extra policeman.

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