British National ID Card Gains Ground, page 1

The British government is getting ready to pass their version of the National ID Card system. The bill is set to be scrutinized within the next few weeks.

www.wired.com
The British government's quest to institute a national identity card faces a critical phase in the next few weeks, as the legislation will be scrutinized and amended in committee at the House of Commons before going to the House of Lords to undergo the same process there.

The heart of the Identity Cards Bill is the creation of a national database to contain 51 categories of detailed information on every British citizen and resident, including fingerprints and an iris scan. The bill calls for a 2,500-pound ($4,760) fine for refusing to register for the card, and a 1,000-pound ($1,904) fine for failing to inform the government of changes in personal information.

The cards are, however, supported not only by the Labor government but, in a sudden reversal in mid-December, by the Conservative opposition, traditionally the party seen to be tough on crime. Officially, the cards are opposed only by the Liberal Democrats, but in the vote taken Dec. 20 there were 180 abstentions, a sign of dissension in the ranks of both gmajor parties.

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Is this a prelude to what we're going to see in the US within the next few years? The US governement is already working on having a Federal ID system which is supposed to launch this year, and on top of that, you'll need another ID, an internal passport if you will, if you want to fly on a plane.

They'll be able to trace avery facet of your life from birth to death. It will come to a point where you wont be able to do anything without this Federal ID.

Are people this terrified by the "terrorists", or is it getting to the point where a government is becoming terrified of it's own people?

[edit on 29-3-2005 by Spectre]