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A DNA Database For All U.S. Workers?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the he-has-the-best-ideas dept.

fragmer writes "New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested a plan on Wednesday that would establish a DNA or fingerprint database to track and verify all legal U.S. workers. The mayor said DNA and fingerprint technology could be used to create a worker ID database that will 'uniquely identify the person' applying for a job, ensuring that cards are not illegally transferred or forged. Bloomberg compared his proposed federal identification database to the Social Security card, insisting that such a system would not violate citizens' privacy and was not a civil liberties issue."

13 of 625 comments (clear)

  1. Oh Orwell by r_jensen11 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The power lies with the proles.

    1. Re:Oh Orwell by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, power lies with guns (as it always has), whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive that it is the Duty of the People to alter or abolish it.

  2. And the Star of David... by nick_davison · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Requiring all Jewish residents to register as such and wear a Star of David on their shirts is also just a purely administrative aid, to stop people cheating the system and could never be used as a real civil liberties issue either.

    I wish people would learn that we can trust the government simply because they tell us we can.

    1. Re:And the Star of David... by ultranova · · Score: 5, Interesting

      And I wish that people would remember that Government works for us and we give them their power.

      No. The monopoly on violence the government holds gives it power. Specifically, the backing of armed forces - US Army - is what gives the US Government its power. You have power over it only when you have a real chance of overthrowing it; at that point the government might listen out of self-preservation. Democracy was supposed to ensure that the public always has this power, and can use it in a bloodless manner, but it's working less and less well.

      I don't know if there's a solution. As soon as humans band together into large enough groups you need government to keep them from killing each other; but since that government needs to hold near-total monopoly on violence to accomplish this and is made from human beings it will inevitably end up abusing its power. Any attempt to stop this process only slows it down; and even if you stop the actual government from growing out of control, it simply provides a power vacuum for aristocracy or corporations / robber parons to do it instead.

      Maybe it's the nature of human race that we must have revolutions every few generations to keep things working.

      Too many folks act like they're subjects of the Government.

      The correct term, I believe, is consumer.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    2. Re:And the Star of David... by kimvette · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually we have term limits already; it's called an election.

      Unfortunately, much like mod points, people throw their vote away because their candidate is "cute" or "likeable" despite the fact that he's a corrupt piece of shit.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  3. Re:Privacy Violation by everett · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Simple solution, copyright your DNA sequence and then sue anyone that obtains it illegally for copyright infringement, since this is America you will win.

    --
    Sig withheld to protect the innocent.
  4. Re:Social Security? by jcr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not only that, the census bureau routinely promises that census data will not be used for any illegal purpose, and they even lie about the fact that it was used in the 1940s to round up american citizens of Japanese ancestry to ship them to concentration camps.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  5. Re:Beyond the Civil Liberties issues ... by David+Gould · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Perhaps a better solution would be to simply tattoo a serial number on everybody's arm -- it'd be functionally equivalent, but much cheaper to implement.

    --
    David Gould
    main(i){putchar(340056100>>(i-1)*5&31|!!(i<6)<< 6)&&main(++i);}
  6. Re:If people think it is a civil liberties issue . by noidentity · · Score: 5, Funny

    "If people think it is a civil liberties issue, it is a civil liberties issue."

    I'm sorry, I think you need to submit for re-education. The government has said it's not a civil liberties issue; what more proof do you need?

  7. Re:If anything... by symbolic · · Score: 5, Insightful


    If anything, we should have learned from the disaster that the use of our social security number has become. It started out with a use that was extremely limited in scope, and has since become a nearly universal identifier for all kinds of information about us- all without our permission, and in many cases, our knowledge. The proliferation of its abuse is now why we're faced with issues like identity theft.

    This point cannot be emphasized enough: once something like this becomes a problem, it's too late. Have you seen any "solution" to identity theft? Didn't think so. The only effective response is to slam the door closed on these kinds of ideas, and weld it shut.

  8. Re:Beyond the Civil Liberties issues ... by mcpkaaos · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure. Right after they sign their kids up to go to Iraq.

    --
    It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
  9. Are you STUPID? You must be stupid. by raehl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Iraqi insurgents HAVE guns. They have PILES of guns. They *CHOOSE* not to use them because they ARE NOT EFFECTIVE.

    The insurgents would be doing us a HUGE FAVOR if they started using guns. Why? Because then we would know who the insurgents were - they're the guys shooting at us - and we'd know where they are - in the building the bullets are coming from! Then we just drop a bomb on the building, problem solved.

    Instead, the insurgents avoid using guns and instead use bombs. Why? Because when a bomb kills your troops, the bomb doesn't tell you who or where the insurgent is.

    That's the problem with you gun nuts - you have absolutely no concept of tactics. You think that "Oo, I can shoot the other guy, I win!" The other guy is thinking "Oo, I can drop a bomb on the other guy, I win!" and HE is right.

    Insurgents in Iraq are not causing all this damage DESPITE not using guns, they're causing it BECAUSE they don't use guns.

    The insurgents who thought they could fight the US with guns are already dead. Only the insurgents who use bombs are left, because they're never around to be killed.

    --
    paintball
  10. nonsense by Scudsucker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just take a look at the architects of the Iraqi invasion and it's biggest backers - all people that did not serve in the military (many took multiple deferments such as Cheney) and do not have family members serving in Iraq.

    If Bush, Cheney, Rummsfield and GOP leaders in Congress all had sons or daughters in the service who would have been on the front lines, maybe they really would have treated war as a last resort rather than planning on invading Iraq from day 1. Maybe they would have made plans to secure the country after ousting Saddam instead of ignoring historians who predicted violent resistance to any occupation. Maybe they would have been a little less eager to legalize tourture if they knew their family members could be patrolling the streets of Baghdad and the information leaked out. Invading Iran might not even be on the table of discussion if it meant sending Jr. out on his 4th tour of duty. But no, they've only risked other peoples lives, other peoples sons and daughters.

    Far from being a "tired argument", you could hardly find one more relevant.