I.D cards

[Timberwolf]

ID cards are like Communism.....they sound basically a good idea....but in reality will never work.

lets look at the arguments for and against them,

1.. They will be a secure form of identification.....The words secure and Government do not go together, besides the criminal lot will soon find ways to fake them.

2.. They will help identify illegal imigrants......we have 100s of thousands of illegal immigrants already, and we do sod all about most of them now. If in the future we find them without IDs, we will still do sod all about it then as well. Apart from giving them a free ID card.

3.. DNA will help track down criminals.......yes it could, but it will also mark YOU out on your race, family back ground, future health problems, possible future education levels etc.....Think Germany 1935, now Hitler would have loved that type of information.

4.. it will stop terrorists......How?..if I want to myself blow something up, I can do it with or without a card..the London bombers were all British citizens, so in the future they would also have been given IDs.

5.. it will be cost effective........£100 to £200 each to start with, then a charge every time you need to change info on it. Like address, name change, driving tests etc.......No, its just a new Tax gathering system.

I wish there was a good all round safe idea out there. but as of yet there is not one.......Apart from get the Police back on the beat, build more prisons, close the borders and deport the illegal people back home.

[Father Ted]

Originally Posted by Timberwolf

like Communism.....they sound basically a good idea...

Let's agree to disagree on that one for the time being

I wish there was a good all round safe idea out there. but as of yet there is not one.......Apart from get the Police back on the beat, build more prisons, close the borders and deport the illegal people back home.

No disagreement on THAT one though

[Guyver]

Well i wouldnt want them mainly because with the goverments complete lack of being able to hold on to important imformation now they would be totally useless.......

[pushrod]

'They' already seem to know more about me than I do........

[Eamon]

Just paid my £72 for a passport renewal - why can't it be acceptable as an Id? This'll be another one of those stealth things, like the money laundering laws.. used to tighten up tax avoidance.

[mini]

am all for id cards & being chipped is a great idea
we should have tracking device in our children, just in case some odd ball takes them ( we have tracking device in our cars why not our kids)

[Bob3D]

I don't have a problem with the concept of ID cards, but if they re to be compulsory (and what's the point if they're not?) then that are part of citizenship and are the responsibility of the State to supply. There should not be a charge levied.

However, what I heard was that they would not be compulsory, but if you didn't have one you wouldn't be able to apply for a passport...

Which sounds like blackmail to me! Isn't a passport one of the basic rights of citizenship? So it's a voluntary type of compulsory...

So, what would visitors to this country have to do? Would they be given a free ID card? Or would they be allowed to use their passport? If they can use their passport, why can't we?

Oh. Right. WE can't use our passports because we're not allowed them without ID cards...

Bit of a muddle, isn't it? So no change there, then!

Bob3D

[Father Ted]

Originally Posted by mini

am all for id cards & being chipped is a great idea
we should have tracking device in our children, just in case some odd ball takes them ( we have tracking device in our cars why not our kids)

Great idea, we can keep an eye on our kids....but then so can the government. And when they are no longer kids the government can still keep an eye on them and if they protest against something, let's say..oh i don't know, a war in Iraq; the government can track their movements.....

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but..
The "Anti Terrorism" laws (RIPA) which allow for "Terrorists" to be placed under surveillance was introduced recently. Do we think that is a good idea. On paper yes.
But; what came to light last week? Poole council are placing families under surveillance using the same laws to make sure they are in the school catchment area they claim to be.

The extradition treaty we signed with the US a couple of years back, which allows the US to demand we extradite UK citizens on their say-so. This was to allow for speedy extradition of "Terrorists". The most well known case of extradition under this law were three bank managers being prosecuted for fraud.

Be very careful what laws we aquiesce to for safety sake, because the loss of liberty may not justify it.

A quote "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Benjamin Franklin.