ID Cards in the UK

What are some of the potential problems with the introduction of ID cards for the UK? What are the benefits?

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Poster	Message
Warren BuffetCar	12 Apr '07  15:49 : 0 recs : edited 8 times : last edit 12 Apr '07  15:58 Waterloo writes: yes please Would be interested in your views on what is to be gained from ID cards. ID cards are a ridiculous idea. They appeal to your average Daily Mail reader, until one points out to them why they don't work, and why law abiding people will end up protesting against them if they ever are introduced. I don't have a problem with ID cards per se, I just do not believe they will acheive anything, and certainly not deterence of terrorism, which is how Blair likes to sell everthing these days. Here's why 1) no one in officialdom can point to any case of terrorism that would have been prevented by ID cards. Of recent terrorist attacks in London, the attackers did not use false identities, so had they been stopped and asked for ID, they'd happily have shown it. There is not one single plausible specific claim by anyone in authority that I am aware of that ID carts would have prevented any terrorist attack (unless you know better). Random searches for bombs and guns and knifes might help. But ID cards will not. 2) ID cards are useless unless everyone is carrying them, so you must require this. Else your average terrorist who is stopped and asked for ID will say "whoops, I must have left it at home". So there must be a sanction for people who are asked for ID and do not have it. This is where the problems start. As I explained to my 65 year old auntie who was all in favour of ID cards.... she'd have to carry it all the time, ID cards are no good if they are left at home all the time. She was with me here.. So one needs a sanction, either a fine, or immediate arrest for those not carrying it. I pointed out this would include a 65 year old white woman who does occasionally forget things. At this point , she wasn't so keen. "they should only check ID of potential terrorists" she said. "I'm obviously not a terrorist". Obviously. Its pretty obvious where this leads. Rants in the Daily Mail about how this new law is being used to persecute absent minded old ladies who "clearly aren't terrorists". Of course, we can always revise the law to exempt such old ladies, perhap we could just apply it to "young blokes who are a bit dark". 3) Cost. Is everyone happy to pay 200quid or more for their card, considering it will achieve absolutely nothing in terms of increased security and crime reduction? I'm not. Then again, if I'm living in Dubai I'll have the freedom not to have one. What happens when I come to the UK (or when any other visitor does)? Nothing. ID cards are something that knee jerk reactionaries like Daily Mail readers get all lathered up about, without actually thinking about what it will achieve. As I've shown above, all it will do is p1ss of the law abiding Daily Mail readers who were all for the scheme, on the basis that it wasn't intended to apply to them, it was to be used only against dodgy asian fellas. WBC
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PaxAm	12 Apr '07  14:29 : 0 recs Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? I woke up in a Soho doorway A policeman knew my name He said "You can go sleep at home tonight If you can get up and walk away" I staggered back to the underground And the breeze blew back my hair I remember throwin' punches around And preachin' from my chair chorus: Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?) I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?) Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?) 'Cause I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
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Waterloo Sunset	12 Apr '07  14:18 : 0 recs yes please
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