The loss of 25 million benefits records is a good reason not to implement ID cards.
By
Tom Morris
on November 21, 2007
Loss of trust, mass incompetence and the potential for fraud. ID cards are good for what?
Agreed
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Discussion (11)
The woman on the radio blamed the loss of the records on 'old it systems' and said that ID cards would have 'new it systems' which would be much better.
I don't think it's an argument against the concept of ID cards, only evidence of the many failings of the existing bureaucratic system.
We'll need the money to cover the resultant problems of this fiasco, I think.
Trying to blame "old IT systems" is a last ditch effort to avoid responsibility. Whatever system is put in place, it has to be operated by people, and they are fallible.
I despise Big Brother. I think that these ID cards are one more step down that road. It seems to be a matter of when, not if, unfortunately.
I suppose it depends a bit upon the nature of the ID card system. Like Ralph, my default position is to be dead against ID cards, but I've also heard that they might be the only robust approach to carbon quotas, for example.
Personally speaking, as long as the systems were well designed (and I know no system is infallible), I'd be prepared to forego a bit of civil liberty and anonymity for greater certainty about my kids' future.
We are not required to carry any ID here, although it helps if you get stopped by the filth. If they don't like the look of you and you have nothing that shows your address on it, they'll march you off to the station and "frisk" you.
Patrick, by saying "the only robust" I may have over-stated the issue. A quick Google reveals this Green Futures article which includes the following:
“Richard Starkey and Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research freely admit that [Domestic Tradeable Quotas or DTQs are] in the ‘blue skies phase’, and that many problems need to be overcome before a fully functional system could be set up. Starkey, however, told Green Futures that it could be feasible by 2010 – especially if the carbon card could be piggy-backed on a national ID card system, ensuring that everyone entitled to free carbon units had one.”
I didn't realize that Ringo was such an environmentalist.
:D
He isn't: he just hoards all his rubbish and never goes out.