ID cards leaflet
Tim and I are meant to be making a leaflet for the Cambridge Action Network about ID cards. It is meant to provide a contrast to the bourgeois liberal arguments of groups such at the NO2ID campaign. I’ve decided to post what I think should go in it so far on here. These are just some thoughts - I haven’t come up with a proper analysis yet - I fear it has to do with not having read enough marx and foucault!!
START: ID cards are coming to the UK… [explanation of what will happen - databases created, will be compulsory in 4 years(?), foriegn nationals first]. Government reasons for ID cards: to stop terrorism, crime, benefit fraud, illegal immigration etc.
NEXT: In recent years (not sure when this started) many other measures “to stop terrorism, crime, benefit fraud, illegal immigration.”
Military camps for young offenders.
Camps and deportations for asylum seekers, refusal to allow them NHS treatment.
Inreasing harrassment of homeless.
Anti poverty measures directed towards the deserving poor - the poor that do what they are told, and get a job, don’t commit benefit fraud etc.
Also anti -poverty measures aimed at increasing control over unemployed - forcing them to work in whatever shit job is available.
General racist stuff - ie forcing immigrants to swear an oath of allegiance to the queen (I think Blunkett did this??).
Anti terrorism laws. Belmarsh, general “climate of fear,” people kicked out of Mosques, many Muslims forced to say that of course they are not “fundamentalists”, Islamic fascists etc.
Community police officers etc .
These measures have not had any impact on terrorism, crime etc, and neither will ID cards, however they will give further excuses to harrass the homeless, the unemployed etc. And they will give the govt much more control over all of us - can be fined huge amounts if don’t notify about change of address.
Perhaps talk about Fallujah - testing of ID cards there, to control the population. (really liked Tim’s feature on Cambridge Indymedia)
Maybe talk about the fact that private companies will make a lot of money from ID cards - not sure where to fit this into the argument though.
3 comments
Leave a comment
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I think concentrating on other repressive government legislation is a good angle - makes it clear that CAN’s concerns aren’t just narrowly about ID, without explicitly condeming No2ID for bourgeois deviationism, etc. And I also like that your examples include some apparently ‘exceptional’ things (anti-terrorism, attacks on asylum seekers) and much more everyday ones (unemployment, benefits), showing that ID cards are part of a wider strategy that affects everyone, not just terrorists.
I’m pretty sure you’re right about Blunkett being responsible for the oath-to-the-Queen thing. Didn’t he also want compulsory English language exams?
Comment by Tim @ 12/24/2004 5:19 pm
Oh, you could mention Anti-social Behaviour Orders, too.
Comment by Tim @ 12/24/2004 5:24 pm
[…] 7;t really mind””> 24/12/2004 6:03 pm Further to Rachel’s post on ID cards, are Girls Aloud not on the money yet again? If I’m […]
Pingback by “Big brother’s watching me – and I don’t really mind” :: The wrong side of capitalism @ 12/24/2004 6:03 pm