funlover

As Steve Crook has suggested I am posting this to complain about the ever increasing control government and others have over our lives today. For instance. Why do they want ID cards when most of us have. National insurance number, national health number, driving licence, TV licence, bank cards. bank account etc. They probably know more about us than we do about ourselves. The census is another example. It used to be the number of occupants in a household and date of birth. Now they want to know the ins and outs of the cats arse. Religion, financial details, health record. When will they stop.

We might as well have the Stasi back, and block wardens. Dig up Dr Goebbels too so that he can tell us what we may or may not be entertained by.

byebyebadman

they wont until we're living in george orwells 1984

Steve Crook

"might as well have the Stasi back"? I didn't know we had them here in the first place

Them wanting ID cards and them ever being able to implement a system of ID cards are two entirely different situations. The computer trade press reckons it's impossible to implement - although the consultants will keep taking the money as long as the government keeps handing it out.

We don't have to carry any form of ID in this country. We don't have to have a photo on our driving licenses. I've never seen anything on the census form asking about my cat's arse. When they asked about religion on the census a lot of people filled that in as Klingon

You've got nothing to complain about. Try comparing life here to any other country

Steve

funlover

Exactly Steve, but we will have if they get there way. "Don't do this, you can't do that, do as I say not as I do" The drip, drip, drip, of erosion is slowiy eating our way of life. They'll be like that despot Mugabe in the end.

Windthrop

The greater the development of technology the more control and surrveillance will happen. A columnist joked some years ago that for every one job someone was doing there will be two people watching them. Not so much of a joke now is it.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

samkydd

And do you know that people are employed to Google the Net for certain words which may reflect criticism of the government? Even on a site like this, any subversive utterances may be brought to book. They then instigate identity theft or bank account errors etc. as devices for keeping the culprit focussed exclusively on matters closer to home.

But personally I think the government do a pretty good job under very trying circumstances.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

penfold

I think you'll find they're more likely to be searching for wannabe terrorists before they take the plunge. Your opinion as to the benefits or otherwise on speed cameras aren't likely to concern them overmuch. It's been the same for decades, only the technology - ours and the governments - has changed. What do you think GCHQ has been doing since the War??

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

jamesharris

exactly its all gone from humint to elint

Marky B

Not only a good film,but it makes you think (and it was released ten years ago):

Enemy of the State (1998)

Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

jaycad

i personally have no problem with id cards etc. i think that having a gang of aggressive youths hanging round your residential area is more intrusive than the government knowing what someone has e-mailed to someone five months ago-unless you happen to be gary glitter or an austrian landlord! in fact, i'd go as far as to say that everyones d.n.a. should be on file and see what sort of crime deterrent that would prove to be! this country is too relaxed on security.

''no diggin'!!!!!!''

batman

I have no problems with ID cards ... they would probbaly be quite handy from time to time. Re DNA ... no problem with that either. If you have done nothing wrong you should have nothing to hide, and if such a database saves the life of one murder victim that's a good enough reason to have one.

I'm the cutest bottom judge!

aaron

If you're serious, i'm astounded at your faith in our government and it's agencies, both to safeguard (i.e not leave on a train)and not abuse (falsify evidence/ pass on details to interested partys) peoples personal information. If you've ever met a person that you wouldn't trust with your information, imagine that person working for the government or it's agencies. All officials are just people. And as with any cross section of people, some of them are w*nkers...

'He who is not one up...Is one down'

homeguard

The really spooky thing is when Card companies know your buying habits so well that they can ask what a customer is buying before they'll sanction the transaction. This happened twice in my shop when customers have tried to purchase goods. You get the little message on the screen telling you to "phone this number". Evidently they have built up enormous banks of info on how you live your life. I say "you", because I don't have a card - or a mobile phone, so I can't stay at Trust House Forte establishments. Hooray!
Regards,
HG

Steve Crook

I like that one. Any large or unusual purchase on my card and a quick phone call will clear it but if someone else tried it with my card it wouldn't be approved

As for THF establishments, I try to avoid them but I've had to stay at them a few times. Bland trying to kid themselves they're smart

Steve

homeguard

True, and true.
Actually I find it objectionable that anyone should insist I have an ID card, but I was born close enough to the war to have had a National Identity card which was followed up at 18 with a military ID card, Driving Licence, Passport and various military official clearance documents. So why am I so pi**ed off all of a sudden? It's because I'm British and pi**ed off is our first reaction to being told something is compulsory. What are we really like?
Regards,
HG