To census or not to census

Agree, happybubblebrain.

What my mates spout in the pub of a friday evening is not "offensive" Long. It's called discussion - something unconducive to MN I fear. What they meant was some think the 7/7 bombings were a fit up and the so called terrorists were framed. Not my opinion but.

"One even went so far as to say that 7/7 couldn't have been stage managed without the census."

This is the problem with conspiracy theories - overcomplicated.

It will be better than the decade out of date data we are currently using

The census is not going to be accurate no matter what - too many people are going to fill it in incorrectly or not at all. And I can't understand why a government would want to waste £££££s collecting false data.

One even went so far as to say that 7/7 couldn't have been stage managed without the census.

I actually find that quite offensive. Don't you?

census conspiracy theories
some people have far too much time on their hands

One even went so far as to say that 7/7 couldn't have been stage managed without the census.

eh? you mean your friend thought the terrorists needed census data to figure that lots of people use public transport in London in the Morning?

Glasnost, its simply what TCNY says. How can it be sinister to ask where you are on a date announced in advance? If you've got something to hide you'll be somewhere innocuous (unless you're a total idiot) or you'll lie.

Just don't plan that illicit night of passion or bomb-making session for 27th March and fill in the sodding form.

Still sticks in the craw and I must say I've bee discussing this with a few of my more inquiring (read: paranoid) friends and some have said it could be a way of gaining info on people to then use in fabricated anti terror ambushes.

I'm not alleging this of course. One even went so far as to say that 7/7 couldn't have been stage managed without the census.

Glasnost - you need to where people are on X date, as if you said 'today' or 'now' or 'yestersday' you'll double count people as they fill out the form at different times.

Check out the questions as listed by bullet earlier on in this thread. Some are blatantly requiring info on logistical whereabouts of people. Noone can "hide" with this census. The Q's are far more intrusive wrt last time.

Asking where you were a certain night. Why the hell should I tell A GOVERNMENT where I was a specific night? Stuff I'd need a bloody good reason to tell my partner?

It's a trap to trick upstanding, decent citizens into giving away too much info that this rightwing state has no business in knowing.

what dastardly questions has this government included in this census that 'give away too much info' ?

winston smith is a fictional character in a fictional dystopia. The clue to the tenor of the thread is in the name.

(and once more, with feeling - fill it in, and if you're not religious say so!)

The failure to plan for enough Primary Schools in London is also connected to this

Having a census only every 10 years isn't enough for primary school planning.

They don't need a census to obtain that (admittedly vital) info. It's a trap to trick upstanding, decent citizens into giving away too much info that this rightwing state has no business in knowing.

I've read through this thread again and winston's points are increasingly pertinent I feel.

glasnost - that's exactly the kind of thing it's used for - resource planning. For instance several Councils around London have been complaining that there Central Government grant is to low as they are based on the figures from the last census, and they say that their populations have grown considerably since.

The failure to plan for enough Primary Schools in London is also connected to this.

Please fill it in but erroneously.

please fill it in

Coalition you're a strange one. Your tautological, nonsensical questions are quite beyond. The census is absolutely no way a tool for finding out how many hospitals or schools to build. That's bollocks.

I'm beginning to think the coalition really DID need you to disseminate propaganda on their behalf.

How do you suggest the state provides schools and hospitals without knowing who it needs to provide them too?

If I could be sure that it would be used for those purposes and nothing else, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

But I don't trust the government to use it only for those purposes. All you need is one person in a position of power who is on a mission, and the information will end up being used for anti-immigration purposes or anything else they want. (This is from the government who claims to want to protect our civil liberties, and lessen the power of the state and make the state less intrusive, blah blah blah.)

Nor do I trust the company who's collecting it to release it only to the appropriate agencies. I think they wanted the contract because they knew the information would be worth a lot to someone.

I don't trust this government to do anything I want it to do, tbh. You know, like protect schools and hospitals.

I don't understand why the idea that census data is being collected as it is useful for planning tax and service provision is considered such an unlikely explanation.

In a previous census, 300,000 people put Jedi for their religion.

Not that I'm suggesting that we are creative with the truth or anything.

But seriously, I wonder what would happen if we all decided we were disabled or had ten children under 16. Would we suddenly find a lot more hospitals and schools in our area? I doubt it.

I think many of these questions are aimed at finding illegal immigrants. But if I was an illegal immigrant, I wouldn't fill it in. I might not be able to anyway, as I might not understand English.

So one wonders whether it's worth it. This one does, anyway.

thereiver - So if they already know this stuff about you what is the problem with telling them again?

It is because they are legally separate that they can't use existing data sources.

first point re nothing to hide,the 1930`s
jews across europe

homosexuals

trade union members

communists

gypsies etc

the disabled

all their details recorded all murdered. the first place the Gestapo went to were town halls and hospitals to seize their records.

this government tells you the information is secure and wont be used elsewhere!

sorry but i pity anyone who believes this.

they already take all the information from shop loyalty cards. in fact they are looking to replace the census by using all the information held about you. from every where.
myself i will be economical with the truth on the census something i have always done.

tell them nothing for big brother is closer than you think.