Just in case you missed it, we’re all being put on a central NHS database unless we “opt out”, and it looks as though we may not be able to even do that fully.
Go and read more over at:
The Big Opt Out.
Of course if you’ve nothing to hide you’ve nothing to fear and will be quite happy having your medical details, phone number, GP details and the like available to “over a million NHS employees and central government bureaucrats“.
If there has ever been any doubt about the direction Labour and Gordon Brown in particular want to take this country, I think it’s safe to say that they have now let the cat out of the bag.
“there is no rebellion against collectivism in the country
(Tip of the tifter to Guido)
So unless we want to end up with a collectivst state, which by dint of taking as much as possible from us by tax and then letting us claim back credits and benefits we’re well on the way towards, it seems that we need a bit of rebellion to get the message across. Maybe we should try the ballot box first and look at alternatives after that, but at least it’s now clear what Labour are offering.
It’s really quite amazing what gets hidden in the budget, like HMRC being allowed to intercept any suspicious mail anywhere in the country and open it before it is delivered. (hat tip LPUK). Now to be fair they can intercept stuff at the moment, but they have to tell you before they open it, the plan is in future they can just open stuff without telling you. The relevant section of the Postal Services Act 2000 is already quite vague but does at least state clearly that they have to give you the chance to be there when they open it. Once they can start opening stuff without telling you the possibility for feature creep is huge, especially after people haven’t complained too much – nothing to hide nothing to fear and all that. If nothing else I’m sure efficiency savings will soon allow people other then officers of HMRC to make that initial inspection. Then combined with the various legislations that require people to report any evidence of “offences” they happen across it would seem to be reminiscent of tactics used by other less pleasant states.
Oh and just for good measure this is planned to come in in the next 4 weeks so before any general election could stop it.
Amazing how things like this get tucked away in the oddest of places, isn’t it.
update Just noticed that the Royal Mail spokesman said:
“Royal Mail has no powers to open the mail”
which isn’t true as the previously mentioned act states:
“107 Conditions of transit of postal packets
(1) If a postal operator knows or reasonably suspects that a postal packet is being sent by post in contravention of section 85, he may—
(a) refuse the transmission of the packet,
(b) detain the packet and open it,
(c) subject to any requirements as to additional postage or charges, return the packet to its sender or forward it to its destination,
(d) destroy or otherwise dispose of the packet”
Section 85 is mainly about dangerous parcels and dirty pictures.
Official UK Threat Level
"a youngster trying to defend from a moral standpoint themselves living an immoral existence." - Harbringer
