Comments on: Police state cometh http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/ English, Rationalist and Liberal Conservative Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:30:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Bill (Scotland) http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20072 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:41:57 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20072 I made a conscious decision a few years ago not to visit the US during the current Presidency. On one of my visits prior to that (a United flight from London to Chicago, if I recall accurately) there was a pre-check-in control of all their passengers by United which covered a lot of this kind of information; the passport I had at the time had visa stamps from many arab and communist states (I travelled there on business or lived in some of them) and I was quizzed in detail about these; luckily the fellow doing my questionning was a Singaporean Chinese fellow who, once I told him who I worked for, realised that these visa stamps were perfectly normal as the company name was one he had known sice childhood. Although I visited the US a few times after this I did wonder how wise this was - now I have made my decision. We are already far too monitored in this country by CCTV and probably soon ID Cards with chips; I got my passport renewed last year before the new chipping came in, so at least I'm OK until 2016! I made a conscious decision a few years ago not to visit the US during the current Presidency. On one of my visits prior to that (a United flight from London to Chicago, if I recall accurately) there was a pre-check-in control of all their passengers by United which covered a lot of this kind of information; the passport I had at the time had visa stamps from many arab and communist states (I travelled there on business or lived in some of them) and I was quizzed in detail about these; luckily the fellow doing my questionning was a Singaporean Chinese fellow who, once I told him who I worked for, realised that these visa stamps were perfectly normal as the company name was one he had known sice childhood. Although I visited the US a few times after this I did wonder how wise this was - now I have made my decision.

We are already far too monitored in this country by CCTV and probably soon ID Cards with chips; I got my passport renewed last year before the new chipping came in, so at least I’m OK until 2016!

]]> by: Jock http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20049 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:05:33 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20049 Obviously not! I'll post it again... I quite like what I understand of the Swiss system. From what I've read you have to be "registered" as a citizen at several levels of government - one is your birth community, one your current location and then also at the national level. So your national passport is sort of "vouched for" by these more local structures. I don't see why such a system could not work here - decentralized if you like - you could tie in registering when you move home into other democratic systems, such as making sure you get registered on the electoral roll, know where to go when you need help with something and generally welcoming you to your new community. Obviously not! I’ll post it again…

I quite like what I understand of the Swiss system. From what I’ve read you have to be “registered” as a citizen at several levels of government - one is your birth community, one your current location and then also at the national level. So your national passport is sort of “vouched for” by these more local structures. I don’t see why such a system could not work here - decentralized if you like - you could tie in registering when you move home into other democratic systems, such as making sure you get registered on the electoral roll, know where to go when you need help with something and generally welcoming you to your new community.

]]> by: Jock http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20048 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:02:39 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20048 Ugh! My comment just disappeared! Or do you approve them first and it does't say that? Ugh! My comment just disappeared! Or do you approve them first and it does’t say that?

]]> by: jameshigham http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20046 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:00:42 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2007/07/26/police-state-cometh/#comment-20046 I still constantly refer back to your R.I.P. post [on your other blog] and here you've done it again. Wholeheartedly agree. I still constantly refer back to your R.I.P. post [on your other blog] and here you’ve done it again. Wholeheartedly agree.

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