"Modernity"? Well, that's OK then...

Just what colour is the sky on Tony Bliar's planet?

Today, he had this to say about the introduction of ID cards in the UK. For those who can't be bothered to read, which is probably everyone, here's a quick précis:

ID cards are not about civil liberties, but like the DNA, CCTV and anti-social behaviour they were presented as such. It is all about modernity. And the National Identity Register would "help improve protection for the vulnerable, enabling more effective and quicker checks on those seeking to work"

Where can you begin? The DNA database and CCTV are, like ID cards, most certainly an issue of extremely pressing civil liberty. The anti-social line looks like an non sequitur thrown in because it's vaguely current.

When people are having DNA registered when questioned by the police only to be released without charge or caution, that is most certainly an issue of civil liberty.

What Mr Bliar actually means is not that these things are an issue of modernity, but one of control. This is a state which is frightened of its own people because it knows that the people are now distrustful of the state and its motives.

The NIR makes it all too easy for the state to examine and analyse every single aspect of your life and movement. It frankly gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies just thinking about the amount of power that this gives to politicians (with their own agenda) and to non-elected officials and people who are not accountable to us. The ID law as it stands is an utter mess, loading all responsibility onto our shoulders to make sure our records are correct, but giving us no recourse when the state don't do their job.

I have nothing to hide, but I fear such a system greatly. To those gainsayers, imagine if I were to simply walk off your street into your home and demand to look around, examining whatever I wished. you would this a gross invasion of your privacy and dignity if I did this, but no one says a word if the government threaten to. Yes, I carry lot's of cards around with me and use the on a daily basis. In the case of a Tesco Clubcard for instance, I use it [deliberately] intermittently and almost at random so they don't get a very good picture of my habits; the data's nearly useless. That's the point. I can choose when and if to use it. The ID system doesn't afford me that freedom. And how long do you think it will be before the police demand the powers to ask for a "stop and produce"? I give it one parliament.

Is this because most people are an easily controlled, sheep-like mass? Or have they been sedated by the bread and circuses they are given?

Apprently (in the words of BBC News), he wants a "wide debate on the issue", adding that he wanted to get across to people the point that ID cards would allow people to protect their own identity.

He doesn't want a debate at all. He may not have noticed, but we've had the debate, which he convincingly lost and keeps on losing whenever he opens his fat mouth to stick his foot back into it (while we're here, I liked this post on the matter). But guess what? Just like Iraq, he stuck his hands over his ears and shouted, "la la la". He's just going to do it anyway, in spite of the fact that most of the people who:

1. know what they're talking about


2. don't have a vested interest in the hugely expensive implementation

are yelling it him that the whole thing is going to be an unmitigated disaster; a train wreck.

And still he goes on. Truly the man is mad.