Home Office "identity" card poromotion - slightly OT

[David Hansen]

I see that some bod from the Home Office was in Edinburgh recently, in 
order to promote "identity" cards and the database behind them, both of 
great use to criminals. This bod is obviously so scared of public 
debate that she only wanted carefully selected people at the meeting. 
In true Labour Party style carefully selected people to say how 
wonderful the Home Office's plans for "identity" cards are. Even by the 
standards of the Home Office this "consultation" meeting is a new low.

As a result when "mere" members of the public entered they were treated 
badly, as one would expect in New Britain, with all of them (including 
a four year old) carted off to a police station. Obviously having the 
"wrong" opinion is not something to be tolerated in New Britain.

I did like the East German border guard dress of some of the 
protestors, very apt.

There is a short report at 
<http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402542.html> and it is worth 
reading the "Comment from activist" attached to that article for some 
more information.

There is a letter at
<http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/letters/Open-and-honest-debate-
on.4251433.jp>
which gives some more perspective on the "consultation". It refers to 
an earlier article
<http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/Boy-4-held-by-
police.4238662.jp>.

Of course "identity" cards (and the databases) are already here, as the 
letter at <http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters/ID-cards-already-
here.4255107.jp> explains. The young, old and disabled have already 
been forced to have them.  I imagine the Home Office are proud of 
themselves, after all not every bunch of officials manages to turn the 
UK into East Germany.


-- 
  David Hansen, Edinburgh 
 I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents 
me   
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54