Ireland: Minister for Justice Michael McDowell today announced two initiatives, Electronic Tagging & a national identity card. Some would spread out the bad news over different days but McDowell brings it on thick and fast.
ID cards? we’ve nothing to hide, we?re not involved in terrorism so cool lets all have them. Wait a minute, why should they (who are they GOV? spooks mystery men) get me to carry my personal details linked back to their database on my person for their agents the Gardaí to request from me as I go about my life in a private & lawful way?
Freedom has a price which we must realize and treasure, if Bertie (PM) can investigate and look up every tree in North County Dublin, and find no wrong doing, ID cards are sure as hell not going to help Fianna Fail stamp out corruption and other white collar crimes. ID cards wont stop illegals (how can flesh & blood be illegal) try to come to stay in Ireland, It wont stop May Day marchers heads being cracked open, It wont prevent drug lords ply their trade. ID cards will be a quicker route to harassment of citizens. On stop & search, ID card please, DB look up on ID number, confirmation of identity and supplementary data on status of individual, in this presentation the data about oneself has become property of the state and the ITC company that wins the PPP contract to provide the system. More later..