nunoncastors

There is apparently some debate on the issue of ID Cards. I say debate; it’s more the case that the government refuses to listen to the populace whenever we tell them it’s a stupid idea and that they should get fucked. I know, quelle surprise, eh?.

It is therefore gratifying to see their latest PR exercise met with what can only be described as complete and utter contempt. Proof positive, I suppose, that people aren’t as stupid as I frequently suspect. It’s nice to be pleased in two ways at the same time.*

I am, as you may have guessed, against ID Cards and the whole ‘nanny state’ of micromanagement and intrusion that is forever the hallmark of socialist government. To be perfectly frank, I’m in favour of as little government interference in my life as possible, ID Cards, centralised databases, CCTV, there’s no real need for any of it beyond the realm of dystopian nightmares.

Obviously this is not the case for everyone, you might be perfectly happy to carry an ID Card, I don’t know, but having just witnessed our politicians vote to continue spending our money on themselves, with minimal accountability, it is perhaps unsurprising that I’m somewhat reluctant to give the same grasping bastards access to my personal details.

Paranoia, churlishness? Perhaps, but it’s still my choice for the moment.

I know it’s easy to paint them all as supine pocket-liners, in part because they are, but it isn’t as though they do themselves any favours either. All we want, correction, all I want, really, is to know is that they’re listening instead of taking the piss. Instead, well, instead they take the piss, which rather compounds their multitudinous errors and saps faith.

Still, if you do happen to be pro-ID, feel free to mete out the old adage that “those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear”, as it’s a good one, and rolls easily off the tongue. Please bear in mind though, it’s the sort of thing that the Stasi used to say before encouraging you to spy on your friends and neighbours. This may be an overreaction in terms, but it does hint at the depth of feeling on the matter.

Yet more than that, it strikes me that providing people with a single point of failure, a single ID for theft, in place of the various means of identifying ourselves we currently have is, well, foolish, arrogant and short-sighted. Which is apt for our government I suppose, but we’ve been there before and it bodes ill that we could be heading there again.

It is with this in mind that I’d like to point you in the direction of the following; in the vague hope that maybe you’ll take part, or at least take an interest, in the debate.

NO2ID
NO2ID Wikipedia page.
Clarence Henry Willcock
Liberty
The Register

Elsewhere, Old Holborn is going for a walk. It’s nothing to do with ID cards, but should make for a pleasant afternoon of recreation.

*sigh*

With relation to Old Holborn and the inference inherent in the mask, I suppose I should take this opportunity to distance myself from Anonymous and the actions of Anon, just in case. My name is known you see, I cannot be they.

It’s a sad sign of the times that I feel the need to do so, but you never know who might be reading or what they might imply from an image and a link.

That shouldn’t stop you though, dear reader. I mean, who knows who you are?

* Take a look at the discussion forums, they’re a work of art.

Excuse the edits, by the way, I had a few more thoughts.