“A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on.”
William S. Burroughs
The Canadian government, with the help of the B.C. and Ontario governments is pilot testing “enhanced” drivers licenses. They are being touted as an alternative to having a passport when crossing the US border, and some critics claim are an attempt to encourage us to harmonize with the US and their national identity cards.
Jennifer Stoddart, the federal privacy commissioner said, “We think it’s unnecessary. We think it’s intrusive, and we think it’s a route that Canadians don’t need to follow.”
The Province reported, “The enhanced licences contain a radio frequency identification chip with a “unique identifier” that can be read from 10 metres away. It’s that identifier that worries commissioners, since it could form the basis for a national identity card and allow governments to track people’s movements.” Not only is the RFID a concern but also the fact that the database needs to be in American hands for this system to work, and they are in the process of instituting a dossier system that would make Stalin blush.
Proponents of the system claim that, “The information on the licence will be much the same as on a regular licence, and will not include a person’s driving or criminal record.” Red flags should be going off in your head right now. If it was the same information as a regular licence, how exactly is it “enhanced” I would rather just have an officer look at my licence. Also the key words in the statement are “much the same” meaning some is different. But what exactly is different?
Many people forget the US is a sovereign nation, we don’t own them, they don’t own us. They are a seperate nation and travelling to American should be treated with the same concern and consideration as travelling to China, or Germany.
“This new licence will encourage closer social ties with our U.S. neighbours and support economic growth on both sides of the border,” B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said in a written statement. Given the sorry state of personal rights in the US, I don’t want closer social ties with them.
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