Security or Big Brother's watch?

[peacedove]

From 2006 Britain will be the first country where every journey by every car will be monitored.

Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years.

Would you call it security or snooping for Big Brother?

I too feel sad at those separated from their families, and may Allah unite them again without harm.

ruty: "i am not one to usually trust the government, but i'm torn on this one. Can anyone tell me, what motives would the govt/police have to track our cars' movements apart from trying to stop crime, in particular, terrorism? I can;t see any other reason for it, myself."

It is not that the governments have ulterior motives at present, but quite a few reasons have been given in this thread for misuse in ignorance or future possibilities of misuse.

"And yes, i can see that muslim fundamentalism has increased probably because of the west's appalling actions in the middle east, but i can't say for sure that's the only reason."

Well, I am Muslim, and I would say that increase in fundamentalism is not a threat, as is being made out by some. Ignorance and tribalism in Muslim societies, and continued exploitation by the non-Muslim powers have compounded the problem.

It is quite possible that we have different interpretation of fundamentalism.

"And now we have that threat, I'm grudgingly willing to do whatever it takes to protect my family and others."

I guess you are talking about the threat of terrorism. Have we learnt anything from the other such threats we have faced, in not too distant a past? We all have that right and duty to protecting family and others and need to exercise or we will fail in our duty.

It is how we can best protect that should be debated, monitored and reviewed.

I think continuation of support for repressive regimes in the third world, for injustice, for trying to control the resources of the world, and use of extraordinary force to crush resentment will only result in more resentment, and more violent clashes. I thought about this war, and I saw the film Faranheit-11 last night again, and it made me sad that we still do not want to learn.

"Peacedove, I would be interested to know what kind of govt and society you view as the ideal. Do you believe in religious freedom, not just for muslims? Do you believe in a separation of State and religion? not a trick question, just asking."

I would love to answer these questions, but I think it should be on another thread. I will start a new one, with apologies to those who think this is my pet topic, and I talk of nothing else.

well i see a rise in both christian and islamic fundamentalism as a threat to the ongoing development of our civilization, and i guess you see christian fundamentalism as a threat but not islamic fundamentalism, but there you go.

I think that PD would say (and I am happy to be corrected) that all Muslims are fundimentalist as they all must take the word of the Koran as divinely inspired. It cannot be subject to change since it is the word of God given to the Prophet and is thus perfect (in the original Arabic).

I am no fan of Islam but I happen to agree with Peacedove. Th whole point about the erosion of civil liberties is that it is always OK while someone else is suffering. Then, quite suddenly, it might you and yours. But some of us still worry before someone starts knocking on our door.

So what if some people have to register their identity with the state? So what if some people have to state the religions of their parents and grandparents? So what if some people have to wear a yellow star?

Are people being asked to register their relgious beliefs?

I must confes I have no probelms with having an ID card, I have one already, as it happens. In effect we all do , if we have a passport. As long as there are safeguards in lace, would it be so different if we all had an ID card? Few of us worry that having a passport is the thin end of the wedge regarding facsism, and regesting peoples beliefs. Why would an ID card be so diferent?

My ID card has less information on me than my passport.

my dh as had an id card since he was 16, in much of Europe it has been a legal requirement for decades. Never bothered him or anyone he knows..

but i can only express my opinion on a particular issue, i can't say 'I object to this because of what might come next'. We have gone too far down that road already.