[aldo_14]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/19/rfid_powder/

Just what we need in todays modern society, where governments are completely open and would never, ever, ever dream of abusing their power for political goals.

Ahem.

We're doomed...

[Starkweather]

Quite ****ed my friend.

Thanks Hitatchi.

[Unknown Target]

*Has a reason to finally start wearing dust masks over his mouth*
Naw, I doubt they'll start sprinkling these from the sky or anything. What could they do with it? Sneak it into drug clinics and have it administered in everyday shots?

[Charismatic]

Just wait till Usa gets ahold of this. Thats when the real party will begin.

[neo_hermes]

Just wait till Usa gets ahold of this. Thats when the real party will begin.

i know the US will do it when the people least expect it, but what about the UK?

[Bobboau]

ASAP

[aldo_14]

Just wait till Usa gets ahold of this. Thats when the real party will begin.

i know the US will do it when the people least expect it, but what about the UK?

Our government will try, spend billions of pounds on consultation and thinly veiled propaganda, before devising an ill-conceived scheme that falls apart 10 years later, well behind deadline and over-budget.

If the British government was anywhere near competent, we'd be living in Airstrip One by now.  Thank bobbins they aren't.

[Sarafan]

Our government will try, spend billions of pounds on consultation and thinly veiled propaganda, before devising an ill-conceived scheme that falls apart 10 years later, well behind deadline and over-budget.

IMO, that is what will happen to all the governments who try since they'll be stopped by their own foolish greed. When everyone backstabs each other, everyone gets nothing.

[Kosh]

*Has a reason to finally start wearing dust masks over his mouth*
Naw, I doubt they'll start sprinkling these from the sky or anything. What could they do with it? Sneak it into drug clinics and have it administered in everyday shots?

Read the article

Anti-counterfeiting protection in admission tickets, gift certificates, and currency are among the applications under consideration,

EDIT: And check this out:

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/02/20/0045227.shtml

[Zuljin]

While on the topic of ID cards..
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/20/blair_fingerprint_suspects/

[Grizzly]

Watch your ****ing langauge!

[Charismatic]

Watch your ****ing langauge!

Rofololafo

[Harbinger of DOOM]

Thanks a ****in bunch, Hitachi.

I bet the whole lot will laugh their asses off when Bush starts drooling over this.....

[Grawr]

RFID cards bother me... but some radio identifiers sprinkled at random to simply track largely anonymous people don't seem so bad, unless you are a person involved in physical illicit activities.

As long as these things remain largely random and designed for tracking stuff like ticket sales, etc... well, what could they potentially do besides let some government hack know that I'm taking a detour in an alley for a leak? And if these really are harmful, well, a government is only as powerful as it's following. Anger a public enough and you'll have a really, really big insurgency. You do have the military, but most of our soldiers- the people actually holding the guns, not telling them where to shoot- are regular people.

If I'm missing some crucial detail here, please let me know...

[Mr. Vega]

I don't care if I'm not doing anything illegal, the government doesn't have the right to know, end of story.

[IceFire]

RFID cards bother me... but some radio identifiers sprinkled at random to simply track largely anonymous people doesn't seem so bad, unless you are a person involved in physical illicit activities.

As long as these things remain largely random and designed for tracking stuff like ticket sales, etc... well, what could they potentially do besides let some government hack know that I'm taking a detour in an alley for a leak? And if these really are harmful, well, a government is only as powerful as it's following. Anger a public enough and you'll have a really, really big insurgency. You do have the military, most of our soldiers- the people actually holding the guns, not telling them where to shoot- are regular people.

If I'm missing some crucial detail here, please let me know...

Thats the fallacy Grawr...its about who has a right to know what.  I'm starting to think that privacy rights and boundaries need to be written into constitutions at this rate.

[aldo_14]

If anything, totalitarian governments have proven themselves over history to be very adept at controlling the population of their country; in Russia, gulag prisoners wrote to Stalin believing he was benevolent and could help them.  Just look at China justnow - huge population, abused by the people in charge, not too much external threat to force the government to change, and yet no revolution.  Or indeed North Korea.

[Knight Templar]

omg scientists developed microscopic transmitters! Big Government is going to track me every time I light up! ahhh!

Seriously guys, not every new invention is created to destroy your freedom. As important as you think you are, or however angry you are at your government, Uncle Sam (or Uncle Carlos, Heinrich, Charles, Miayamoto) really doesn't give a ****. That is unless you happen to have brown skin and a degree in biochemical eng.

[aldo_14]

omg scientists developed microscopic transmitters! Big Government is going to track me every time I light up! ahhh!

Seriously guys, not every new invention is created to destroy your freedom. As important as you think you are, or however angry you are at your government, Uncle Sam (or Uncle Carlos, Heinrich, Charles, Miayamoto) really doesn't give a ****. That is unless you happen to have brown skin and a degree in biochemical eng.

Question - Why do most democratic nations have an independent judiciary and a bill of rights or constitution?

[Knight Templar]

To review the laws of the legislative branch while checking the balance of power, and to provide a set of principles on which a democratic state (with bigger fish to fry) shall be governed. Respectively, of course.