ID CARDS, THE REASON THEY FAIL SOCIETY

Please note that I originally posted this on NO2ID (forum.no2id.net...)

I live in the U.K. For the last few years the U.K has been debating the implementation of I.D cards. More precisely, some media, websites and informed/concerned people have been debating the issue. The U.K government is adamant they will be introduced. And it's no ordinary card: it is a centralisation of data of every person in the U.K which the holder is obliged through penalty to update the government's central database of every change to every held detail (50 datum recommended at the moment). This card will hold biometric details and eventually medical and educational details too. This card and the data that will be collected for its implementation will be used to track everything a person does (what, when, where, how).

Below is my observation about ID cards and human nature. I don't object to ID cards entirely I just believe they shouldn't be used to empower governments over citizens. Please respect that to my knowledge, all of the below is my own original observation hence I appreciate being credited for it in any publication and usage. Below I use an employment example but the principles involved are far more pervading.

ID CARDS, THE REASON THEY FAIL SOCIETY

Human nature has a natural tendency to hold responsibility over actions and to pass responsibility to others deemed more authoritative, capable and/elsewise excusable. Responsibility is born of conscience and consciousness: because humans suffer non-bombastic intelligence with varying degrees of self-awareness coupled with emotion (i.e humans are mentally devolved with respect to most other animals and have free actioning as opposed to instinctive reactioning.) humans hold themselves (both extravertedly and introvertadly) accountable for their actions. Consequently, the scenario our government is bringing us to holds as described in the following example, viz,

Scenario:

(Holds for both cases) Government legislates to fine/forfeit/penalise the employment of (and interaction with or facilitation of) non-desirables (eg illegal immigrants, unconvicted criminals, dissidents)

Case 1:

Without an ID card

An employer interviews a prospective employee;
The prospect is unable to provide proof of entitlement;
The interviewer being law abiding and unwanting to face any penalty sends the prospect away until proof of entitlement can be produced;
Proof of entitlement produced by the prospect leads to further background checks by the interviewer. Outcome of background check leads to employment or capture.

Case 2:

With an ID card

An employer interviews a prospective employee;
The prospect has an ID card (genuine or not status unknown but assumed genuine);
The interviewer being law abiding and unwanting to face any penalty accepts the ID card as proof of entitlement to be in the country and be employed;

In case one the employer is responsible outright

In case 2 the employer holds the ID card responsible hence the government is accountable for any failings i.e the employer is excused responsibility through the government taking the whole burden.

In my opinion, the government is attempting to ensure that every person feels accountable to it. The government is attempting to channel to itself all responsibility for the actions of the citizens. The government is attempting to seed in the minds of the populace the idea of government as king, populace as subjects. When responsibility for something is removed from a person, the person tends to suffer accountability guilt such as when a person's boss gets into trouble for an action the person directly or indirectly committed hence the person feels guilty and becomes more appeasing to his/her boss hence the person becomes more easily manipulated. I believe the government is conscious of its actions end results.

I look forward to reading other peoples' views.

I apologise for this but the bit under the title should start:

"In my opinion, the burdon of responsibility is born of conscience (emotion) and consciousness (thought). Because humans suffer non-bombastic intelligence with varying degrees of self-awareness coupled with emotion (i.e I believe that humans are mentally devolved with respect to most other animals due to their having free actioning as opposed to instinctive reactioning.) humans hold themselves (both extravertedly and introvertadly) accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, it is human nature to have a natural tendency to hold responsibility over actions and to pass responsibility to others deemed more authoritative, capable and/elsewise excusable.

I hold that at some level the members/directors of our governments understand that people like to be empowered but prefer it when others can be held responsible for their actions. Consequently, the scenario our (U.K) government is bringing us to by introducing ID cards holds as described in the following example, viz,"

I couldn't alter the original post to change the wording, sorry.