Inciting Terror, ehm, sorry CITING Terror
Well, the announcement finally arrived today, the one that Britons have been worrying about since, in my view, at least the late 80's (when I first read about it) that SMART identity cards are going to become compulsary.
It looks like its going to become fact.
For those of you who don't know what a SMART card is, let me enlighten you. It is a card with a microchip on board, this chip can be used to store any information that the issuer wants it to. For example the information on the card can be anything from the basic to the advanced. Name and address, bank information, criminal record, genetic samples, medical history, employment history, drivers license, social security records, military record, library books read, religious background, travel restrictions - whatever, it can all be stored on the card, right down to video documentation, and a GPS (global positioning system) monitor if they so desire, so they can know where you are at all times. The SMART card, can even act as a credit card, thus precipiatating a totally cashless society if it is pushed that far, which could find you being "cut off" from all your cash, if the controller of the card, inevitably the government wants it that way.
So far though, the full possibilities of the SMART card have not been discussed in the UK, the introduction of name, address and biometrics (finger prints, retinal scans) tied into a national database is the extent of the Cards erosion of civil liberties at this point.
What has been discussed is the introduction of the SMART national identity cards as a compulsuary part of all Britons lives in 2008, when anyone who renews their passport will be forced to aquire one. The legal proposal that will initate the introduction of these cards was in a list of 37 draft laws outlined by Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the Government at the ceremonial opening of Parliament, yesterday November 23rd 2004.
When the news became known, it caused, widespread protest and unease, and most discarded the justifictation that mass murderer Tony Blair gave "With terrorism, illegal immigration and organized crime operating with so much greater sophistication, identity cards in my judgment are long overdue." as scaremongering in the style of King George W. Bush I of the United States of America. Keep the population afraid of crime, drugs, terror and of course foreigners. Keep them cowed and you can introduce laws that are so repressive, so anti-democratic and so controlling, so open to abuse, that they in effect are like branding the entire population with a bar code, like cattle. Fearful people ask few questions, obey all orders, and are grateful for your saving them from "the enemy" - they, in fact, are grateful for your controlling them.
The aged, infirm and quite possibly senile Queen fell in line with this aspiring tin pot dictator by saying that UK citizens "live in a time of global uncertainty with an increased threat from international terrorism and organized crime." As she herself has felt the brunt of this terror, Buckingham palace having been breached by a Batman costume wearing estranged father, calling for access to his children, the poor dear.
National identity cards of the most basic kind have not been a part of UK society for 52 years, and even then, it was just name and address, evidence that you were not a Nazi German spy, with no additional techological "enhancements" included on that piece of card. Even during the IRA bombing campaigns of the late sixties, seventies, and eighties on the UK "homeland", including the near assasination of the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the introduction of these cards was not considered. So why now, with no direct attacks on the UK "homeland" are they trying to introduce these anti-liberty measures? Pre-Emptivism? or taking advantage of the unecessary war Blair got them into in order to increase governmental control?
This has not been missed by the Conservative party who, in a rare spark of insight and respect for the people, coupled with I am sure the thought that it may increase their chance of winning the general election, assailed the plan as a labour effort to raise levels of fear in Britain in the hope of winning reactionary votes in elections that could be held next May. The Liberal democrats, bless their little cotton socks also agreed.
The potential for abuse and draconian increases of the scope of this system is horrifying, and so indeed is the possibility that the same techno-oppression will also be introduced in my home country of the Republic of Ireland, as we have been known to follow suit on so many other legal "developments" that were initally introduced in the UK, the same is true in reverse, note the current UK discussions of an introduction of a blanket smoking ban akin to the one just introduced in Ireland.
For an example of how this might pan out in acutality you could click on this link, it's a good hypothosis http://anitasukumar.blogspot.com/2004/11/future-of-customer-care.html
Its dark and overcast in Ireland today, there are cameras on all the street corners, the Gardai have been issued with telescopic metal batons and tazers, and everyone is inside watching Big Brother, not Big Brother watching them.
I have been accosted by riot police, and our own army, I have had tank barrels pointed at my head and all in this one year.
We have imprisoned ourselves. It's cold, I do not feel welcome in my own country anymore.
I am saving cash to leave as soon as possible.
Peace and Hope
FatherCrow
It looks like its going to become fact.
For those of you who don't know what a SMART card is, let me enlighten you. It is a card with a microchip on board, this chip can be used to store any information that the issuer wants it to. For example the information on the card can be anything from the basic to the advanced. Name and address, bank information, criminal record, genetic samples, medical history, employment history, drivers license, social security records, military record, library books read, religious background, travel restrictions - whatever, it can all be stored on the card, right down to video documentation, and a GPS (global positioning system) monitor if they so desire, so they can know where you are at all times. The SMART card, can even act as a credit card, thus precipiatating a totally cashless society if it is pushed that far, which could find you being "cut off" from all your cash, if the controller of the card, inevitably the government wants it that way.
So far though, the full possibilities of the SMART card have not been discussed in the UK, the introduction of name, address and biometrics (finger prints, retinal scans) tied into a national database is the extent of the Cards erosion of civil liberties at this point.
What has been discussed is the introduction of the SMART national identity cards as a compulsuary part of all Britons lives in 2008, when anyone who renews their passport will be forced to aquire one. The legal proposal that will initate the introduction of these cards was in a list of 37 draft laws outlined by Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the Government at the ceremonial opening of Parliament, yesterday November 23rd 2004.
When the news became known, it caused, widespread protest and unease, and most discarded the justifictation that mass murderer Tony Blair gave "With terrorism, illegal immigration and organized crime operating with so much greater sophistication, identity cards in my judgment are long overdue." as scaremongering in the style of King George W. Bush I of the United States of America. Keep the population afraid of crime, drugs, terror and of course foreigners. Keep them cowed and you can introduce laws that are so repressive, so anti-democratic and so controlling, so open to abuse, that they in effect are like branding the entire population with a bar code, like cattle. Fearful people ask few questions, obey all orders, and are grateful for your saving them from "the enemy" - they, in fact, are grateful for your controlling them.
The aged, infirm and quite possibly senile Queen fell in line with this aspiring tin pot dictator by saying that UK citizens "live in a time of global uncertainty with an increased threat from international terrorism and organized crime." As she herself has felt the brunt of this terror, Buckingham palace having been breached by a Batman costume wearing estranged father, calling for access to his children, the poor dear.
National identity cards of the most basic kind have not been a part of UK society for 52 years, and even then, it was just name and address, evidence that you were not a Nazi German spy, with no additional techological "enhancements" included on that piece of card. Even during the IRA bombing campaigns of the late sixties, seventies, and eighties on the UK "homeland", including the near assasination of the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the introduction of these cards was not considered. So why now, with no direct attacks on the UK "homeland" are they trying to introduce these anti-liberty measures? Pre-Emptivism? or taking advantage of the unecessary war Blair got them into in order to increase governmental control?
This has not been missed by the Conservative party who, in a rare spark of insight and respect for the people, coupled with I am sure the thought that it may increase their chance of winning the general election, assailed the plan as a labour effort to raise levels of fear in Britain in the hope of winning reactionary votes in elections that could be held next May. The Liberal democrats, bless their little cotton socks also agreed.
The potential for abuse and draconian increases of the scope of this system is horrifying, and so indeed is the possibility that the same techno-oppression will also be introduced in my home country of the Republic of Ireland, as we have been known to follow suit on so many other legal "developments" that were initally introduced in the UK, the same is true in reverse, note the current UK discussions of an introduction of a blanket smoking ban akin to the one just introduced in Ireland.
For an example of how this might pan out in acutality you could click on this link, it's a good hypothosis http://anitasukumar.blogspot.com/2004/11/future-of-customer-care.html
Its dark and overcast in Ireland today, there are cameras on all the street corners, the Gardai have been issued with telescopic metal batons and tazers, and everyone is inside watching Big Brother, not Big Brother watching them.
I have been accosted by riot police, and our own army, I have had tank barrels pointed at my head and all in this one year.
We have imprisoned ourselves. It's cold, I do not feel welcome in my own country anymore.
I am saving cash to leave as soon as possible.
Peace and Hope
FatherCrow
posted by fathercrow at 10:26 AM
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