Id Cards

[Bill Posters]

Found this : No 2 ID

[Tempus Fugit]

Identity card ?, I've still got mine, issued in 1947, along with my petrol coupons from the 'fuel crisis' in the 60's, and what about these driving licences with a pink sheet of A2 paper to try and squeeze in somewhere, it stays in the drawer, not in the backof the cheque-book like the little orange books did

 

I had to take my passport to get a mobile phone, so how rediculous is that ?

 

I suppose it's called 'progress' !

[Tempus Fugit]

If the credit card companies can give chip&pin cards away for nothing, how do the UK gov have to charge £98 ?

 

OR conversely

 

~ if credit cards cost £98 then there would not be so much of a problem with people running up huge debts

[Amadeus]

These people love PARANOIA and FEAR it's how they stay in power... My old school moto was Knowlege is Power and these boy's know it more than most.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, the "Society of Fear" - why does that remind me of Michael Moore films? I think a lot of it is artificial fear - "Dear citizens, you're in great Danger! I, Tony, can save you! But we have to introduce...."

 

But the thought of a massive database where no-one really knows who has access (especially if the yanks get involved) sparks more than artificial panic in me...

[Lonan3]

I remember when I first read Orwell's 1984 many years ago, it was (and remains) one of the most terrifying books I'd ever read. The only comfort seemed to be that it was really based on his conception of how things were developing in the Soviet Union and the dangers inherent in allowing a totalitarian state to take over every aspect of its citizens' lives.

The idea of Newspeak, for example, seemed to belong in the realms of science fiction with its idea of preventing anyone from being critical by enforcing a new language that didn't contain any 'unacceptable' words. But now we have witnessed the creeping onset of political correctness which is, surely, the foundation of exactly such a system.

Then there was the idea of TV cameras everywhere to ensure that the people were behaving themselves at all times. Ridiculous, of course - but now we have CCTV cameras, webcams and satellite imagery allowing faceless watchers to observe our movements.

Finally, of course, there were ID cards, without which nobody could hope to do anything or go anywhere.

The novel was written in 1948 - it seems that it's just taken a little while for reality to catch up with his nightmare vision.

[Alias]

I thought in 1984 the year was irrelevant, and he was showing how the state could even control the year?

[Lonan3]

I thought in 1984 the year was irrelevant, and he was showing how the state could even control the year?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's right. The year was actualy 'guessed' by the princpal character, Winston Smith, when he started to keep a forbidden diary. His job, incidentally, was to re-write history - or at least the portions of it that might embarrass the government if the facts were properly available.

The important point, though, was that the state attempted to control every aspect of the citizen's lives - even their most private thoughts - and the gathering and holding of information about them was a vital part of that peocess.