ID cards work well here in the states.

There's been a dangerous growth in power for the government here recently. No they are not.

Us Brits have recently lost many of the basic civial rights that have been in place for hundreds of years. Every week it seems we lose a little bit more of our freedom.
So I say "Down with Big Brother!"

Exactly. By ranting about 'terrorists' (which isn't even a definable word), we've lost a hell of a lot of rights.

I don't see why not. Britons here have ID cards for getting into the camp and they don't seem so bad. Except the photo on my one is dreadful.

This is about more than how your photo looks, QwertyGirl. You're losing the things that we value in a free and fair democracy.

What's so bad about carrying an ID card?!

Willow: You mean like a fascists state?
Cordelia: Yes! Can we have one of those?

What's bad about an ID card is the privacy that we're losing. We're slowly moving into a big brother state, like newkybroon says, but that's not even the main point. The government has acquired a lot of dangerous powers recently. This adds to them and opens the gates for more to come.

I oppose newly instituted laws that criminalise citizens who aren't harming anyone.

If I want my privacy, and don't want to be forced to get (or possibly even carry) an ID card, does it make sense to send me to prison for that?

They impinge on civil liberties.

Yeah, I know, it's not a great hassle, but;
They impinge on civil liberties with *no* verifiable benefit.

Terrorists aren't going to carry them, or if they do, how the hell is it going to improve our chances of catching them? You could pack a ten pound bomb in your rucksack, pop your ID card in your pocket, and then wander right onto the tube, exactly as before.

Or, you could show your ID card, get on a plane, hijack it, and fly it into a building.

Unless the plan is to ask terrorists nicely to be the first to sign up, and put a little 'terrorist' sticker on theirs, it's one of the most bloody stupid ideas since some guy said 'You know, down there by the levee would make a good spot for a city.'

Just out of curiosity, what do you have now for driving? And do the members of the military have military IDs like we do?

For driving we have photo ID.

I don't drive, or have a valid passport, though.

ID cards don't do very much, except shove money into the companies that produce them.

too expensive plus it'll stop people underage drinking

I think they could be.

they're good in general, except...has anyone ever read "The IBMs involvement in the holocaust"?

On 9/19/2005 12:47:50 PM 314159 wrote: For driving we have photo ID. I don't drive, or have a valid passport, though.

In addition, my driving license has no photograph - it's too old. Despite the lack of photo, it will remain valid until sometime around 2050.

Properly used, ID cards *could* do good things, without actually harming civil liberties. Unfortunately, the government's plan is the opposite: achieve nothing positive, while intruding in people's lives needlessly.

I'd like to see a proper biometric ID being used for access to government services, to cut welfare fraud - but that doesn't seem to be their aim at all.

What about an Evolution card?

i think id cards are a good idea.

I'm a terrorist, and when I.D cards come into force I will probably employ great cunning and not declare that as my job. I'll probably say I'm a greengrocer or something.

They're way too costly. From what I hear, they're a step beyond the biometric stuff in america.

I don't want one. I thought we were supposed to live in a free and open society?

I think they certainly have the potential to be. It all depends on how the Government uses them.

Its the cost of them that I dont agree with. If the Government wants to introduce them, they should cover the costs themselves.

i dont mind ID cards but i will probably loose mine.....