Be Excellent To Each Other

Apologies for yet another The Register link, but I thought this one might be of interest, particularly to our very own Champion of Libertarianism, Mr Kern. It's also a good opportunity to take the mick out of our Mancunian friends; something never to be wasted.

So:


You lucky, lucky people you.


First of all I'm amazed that these alleged "people" can get past the two dozen policemen she surrounds herself with. Secondly - what? This cannot, on any level, be true, can it? Is there really even a single person in the country who wants ID cards, let alone can't wait for them? This strikes me as a fairly blatant lie on her part - but that's nothing new, of course.


Did they really? Did they also discuss how they can do all of this now with their passports? As that's how every modern Brit ever to have lived has done it up until now.


I'm still yet to hear what these supposed benefits are, over and above "things we already have". And these falling scales seem to be falling against the tide of the successive surveys on the matter.

I'm not sure I've hated a home secretary more. What is it about that particular governmental position that turns people into raging right wing, authoritarian nutjobs?

And why do they want ID cards, anyway? It's not actually going to help government in any way - it's just going to be yet another massively expensive government IT job which will doubtless end up being trimmed down in scope as it doesn't work properly, but still cost twice the original estimate.

So who is it who wants these things? Who's been whispering in successive HomSecs' ears? I assume it must be plod.

Technically the Mancs won't be the first. Foreign nationals already have them.

First brits, then.

If you really wanted to fight crime / prevent terrorism / catch benefit frauds then just imagine how many coppers or spies or analysts you could hire with the cash this will cost.

I don't see the point. No-one will carry them anyway. Will the police be able to insist on seeing them? Police-state on the way?

"Hello Sir, may I see your ID card?"
"Sorry, I left my wallet in my desk at work"
"Then you are a terrorist and are nicked"
"Well, shit!"

I think that's the ultimate intention, yes. That was the original idea, they backed down slightly about it, but basically said they would do so at some point once it's all under way.

I've got a better idea. Tattoo our NI number on the back of our necks the day we're born. Or microchips inside the brain.

Or just put us all in Matrix style pods and use us to run Peter Hain's sunbed.

Plus, as soon as the first case of identity theft occurs using an ID card, it'll all blow up spectacularly in their faces. Not literally, although I suppose that could be the next step - exploding ID cards.

"OBEY OR DIE, EUROPEAN!"
"I just wanted a paper!"

Surrey, 2013

I wouldn't go that far, I've kind of gone of political labels and like the idea of a welfare state. And it's Lord Kern.*

But yeah, she's living in a delusional world. She doesn't even understand her own legislation: as I have to keep on pointing out to my MP, it's a database scheme, not an identity card system. If they wanted the latter, they'd have printed out the back of passports. There might be a case for offering people a plastic version of that information, which is what people think they're getting when they say 'identity cards'.

I also like the way they claim to be voluntary except they'll stop you from having holidays abroad if you don't want your details on the ueber-secure database. I keep on asking my MP why I should be prevented from having a passport merely because I wish to keep my data safe and away from this snakeoil. He seems unable to tell me.

But I'm preaching to the converted and as I have a rule that everytime that ghastly woman speaks about the scheme I have to send money to No2Id it'll be fewer beers for me tonight.


* (except when I'm at re-enactments, when from what I understand it's forfuckssakekeepinlinePrivate Kern)

With out being shot down, I really can't see a problem with an ID card.

As I have said I carry my driving licence so I would just carry my ID card instead.

You're fine with all of your details, including your DNA, being on a central database accessible by any governmental authority, from your local council up to Mrs Smith herself? Which is evidenced by a card, which, if spoofed or stolen, will allow the user to do anything at all?

The last I read on it, they were again going to be mandatory to carry pretty much from the start.

Hmm. Must give some more money to no2id.

You're forgetting all the benefits!

There's um.. er.. bye! *runs*

Stereotype-FTFY

Sure, but if they make it a requirement to carry it and produce on demand, that is a step too far.

Also, I agree with Kern. If they can guarantee that the data is secure, they can go ahead. But they can't.

I thought they were to fight terrorism, not to allow me to open a bank account or rent a flat using a different piece of identification.

Has the original reason gone the way of WMDs?

They told me it was something to do with illegal immigrants!

Or was it to save us from the giant mutant star goat?

Oh. Well maybe they are. I guess they must have pretty sharp corners or something.

Cue an overwhelming number of ID card stabbings, and them being banned.

As with the Communications Data Bill database of emails and phone calls, it's not just the security of the data, but the uses to which it may be put that's a concern. As with every thing like this, whether it's an "anti-terrorism" measure or otherwise, there's always a massive amount of function creep and expansion of who can see it. If they've not just said from the outset that everyone in the public sector plus your gas company can look at it anyway, of course.

All bar the DNA yes, which I doubt will happen.

The driving licences has all the rest of the information on it.. Name, address and pic.

Uh, no.

50 categories of registrable fact are set out in the Bill, though they could be added to. Effectively an index to all other official and quasi-official records, through cross-references and an audit trail of all checks on the Register, the NIR would be the key to a total life history of every individual, to be retained even after death. See #sch1" class="postlink">here.

How cool, is that, and can they store all 50 said items now?

Or will it start off with teh basics and be added too.

Amusingly, the Home Office say that scrapping the scheme will not save any money. Fantastically, they seem to imply that the scheme breaks all known rules of economics and has no oppurtunity cost as the money it's going to cost us could not be spent elsewhere. I think they mean 'it's not coming out of our budget but as an additional tax on the public'. Fuckwits.

Well, yes. As you'll have to pay, what, £100 for it? For a compulsory card. The cunts.

Labour's poll tax. Yet even worse because at least Mrs T's community charge was an attempt to solve an existing problem. This lot don't even know what they're doing it for.

But the money can be spent on other things. Booze, whores, and books for me. But not in that order.

So when was it we get to kick Labour off the podium? Oh.

I can't ask my MP about this, because my MP is Jacqui Smith.



If there's anyone who needs to go on the B-Ark, it's her.

You don't have to produce your driver's licence at all ever, except to the police (when you're driving a car in suspicious circumstances), DVLA (if they're updating it) and court (to make sure the DVLA get it). You don't worry that the binmanwaste technician might want to know if you have HIV and so he should "forget" to empty your binsmanage your waste solutions every week?

Or more simply, leave 3 dozen security holes in the database interface so your data is routinely viewed, stolen and modified by those 2 or 3 people they don't already give permission to (one of whom will presumably be yourself, because you certainly don't need to know or worry about what they "know"/make up/get wrong about you)?

Her majority's below 3,000. Just remind her of that.

hmm. I'm from Manchester, although not at uni there. I wonder if they will try to force one upon me.

Also, did anything ever happen about the law-breaking propeganda site the home office made to brainwash young people?

I registered, and started telling them about my daily movements (just fucking don't, OK), and it seems to have gone down the pan after that.

ID cards. Hmm, I can't really add much more to what has been said by others.

I'm against the idea, and might write to the most excellet Tony Baldry once more, over this.

Personally, I have nothing against ID cards in principle, as I don't drive, and don't wish to renew my passport as I don't wish to leave the country.

I'm not enamoured by the 1984 style implementation they seem to be going for, however.

Any public figure who visits a school and takes whatever questions and comments the teachers force the children (or at least the ones who are allowed to see the visitor) to say as indicative of anything at all is a very deluded and stupid idiot.

"Where's maddy?" though, would have me crying.

She was to young to have an identity card, and look what happened to her.

Do it anyway!

Dear Jacqui,

Young people don't vote, you moron.

Love

-The actual public.

Roll up! Just £60 to save yourself from terrorism/fraud/pig plague/global warming/bullets! Form an orderly queue! Limited stocks!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8035002.stm

At least proper snake oil salespeople wore fancy clothes and had cool hats.

There is a pretty much full back up of that site now.

I have a copy.

Should really try to get it rehosted...

She is funny, though, you have to give her that:

The best comment I've read on 'Have Your Say' today is from the lady who states that for £60 she could buy her children shoes. Not an argument about privacy, or the government's ability to run a database, but about her sense of priorities. Labour MPs who entered politics to help the poor should hang their heads in shame *



*(preferably from a lamppost)

I was going to quote that bit too, but it ended up far too full of calls for people to do terribly violent things to her that I thought it best to leave it. Beyond parody, isn't she? You've got to wonder what's being pumped into the air vents in Westminster Palace, and what planet it came from.

I know of a place on the Cowley Road where they'll take my fingerprints and give my face a quick scan whilst I'm out shopping...

That's more hanging their bodies.


They still don't get that it doesn't work on any one of cost, intent or freedom/civil liberty, do they? Or they do, and they don't care one jot, in which case they're deliberately acting to the detriment of society and the population.

Either way, it's one enormous "Unfit for purpose" exclamation mark. If only we had a "Sale of Governments Act" we could take them back for repair/replace/refund on.

I kept on asking my old MP that. He was never able to respond to my questions, but I did get a nice collection of Home Office form letters. Sadly, I've moved out of his area now: I would have enjoyed voting against him.

My big fear is that after the election, a group of civil servants will collar the new Home secretary with something like this:

'Minister, about your pledge to drop the identity scheme...we can't....too far down the line...cost a lot...contracts you know...'

Annoyingly, I now have to send No2id some money as the idiot woman opened her mouth on this matter again.

From the comment box on that article -



Why would you want one? Maybe they can advertise it - 'Don't want an ID card? You must be a terrorist then!'

I wish I knew more people like Mike. I could sell them any old shit. "Want to buy my anti-terrorist lint? Only £50 a gram. Why not? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING? Yes, I do accept credit cards, thanks."

I could also open a fetish porn website with all the cameras I'd installed in their bathrooms. I mean, you have nothing to hide, right Mike? It's not like privacy is a very important psychological need, or anything.

In other Jacqui-news:

U.S. shock-jock Michael Savage to sue 'lunatic' Jacqui Smith for banning him from Britain


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1177428/U-S-shock-jock-sue-lunatic-Jacqui-Smith-banning-Britain.html

When she gets the boot, I feel we ought to make her the first honourary BeeXer as tribute to the joy she brings to this forum.