Spying on Private Lives

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Wednesday May 03, 2006 11:36

by John Fairfax

Boycott the Census

You can understand why government might want to quantify the demographic and social circumstances of the population. Without statistical data it would be impossible to allocate resources appropriately.

But why do they need this information?

The names and addresses of people filling in the form/living at the property

The name of their employers and place of work

"In the last four weeks have you done any of the following activities without pay?
Tick ALL the boxes that apply.

Helping or voluntary work with a social or charitable organisation
Helping or voluntary work with a religious group or church
Helping or voluntary work with a sporting organistion
Helping or voluntary work with a political or cultural organisation
[nicely tucked away, isn't it?]
Any other voluntary activity
No voluntary activity"

Is there a legitimate statistical purpose for which the government would want to know whether someone is voluntarily involved in political activity? It would be nice for McDowell, for instance, if he could pinpoint exactly who all the 'trouble makers' are, wouldnt it? What statistical use is an individual's name and address, what relevance can it possibly have for anybody elese? And their place of employment? Who needs to know that? Put them together with the information that someone is politically active and it makes the job of locating your opponents (aka 'subversives' where McDowell is concerned.)

The form states that the confidentiality of the census return is legally guaranteed by the Statistics Act, 1993. However, what it does not discuss is how that Act stands in relation to the agreements signed by McDowell and others in respect of so-called 'anti-terorist' agreements, with the USA for example. Does anyone believe for one second that if ordered to, the statistical office will not immediately open its database on any individual that the state would like to silence or otherwise investigate behind the scenes, for political or other purposes? All the government has to say is that they have 'reasonable grounds' to suspect that someone may be a 'threat'. Those 'reasonable grounds' could very well be the simple fact of having ticked the 'I've been politically active' box on your census return.

Every form is individually numbered so that the state can tell exactly who has and has not filled it in. There is a county code, an Enumeration Area Code, an ED Code, Street/Townland Code and, finally, a D. No which is the one that identifes you/your family. There is nothing anonymous or confidential about it at all.

On pointing out to the census form collector that many of the census questions didnt correspond to any identifiable statistical purpose he could only say that I would be prosecuted if I didn't fill it in. This is state intimidation. We no longer have privacy where the state is concerned - they've got our number literally. Fascism is around the next corner, folks.

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Comments (10 of 10)

John Fairfax

by Thomas

Wed May 03, 2006 16:32

You have nothing to fear.
You are an nonentity.
Why do you think the Department of Justice or the US authorities would care less who you are?

I have to admit that I am in love with Scarlett Johanson. I really am. But she doesn't love me and never will because she does not know I even exist and if she did she would instantly forget me because she is a world famous actress with the world at her feet and I am a mere pleb, an insect, an nonentity.
I have learned not to care because I have discovered that herds of beautiful women congretate in establishments called pubs, bars and nightclubs and many of them look very similar to Scarlett.

I suggest that you too should stop worrying about being persecuted by the government because they happen to know that you are involved in certain causes and movements - rather go out and pick up a goodlooking chick and get laid.

The rest of the world fill out their census forms and forget about them. They have social lives.

Thomas

by JF

Wed May 03, 2006 17:09

"You have nothing to fear.
You are an nonentity.
Why do you think the Department of Justice or the US authorities would care less who you are?"

Duh, because they sent a guy round to my house with a big green form, see, and he TOLD me that if I didn't give all the information they wanted, duh, they would prosecute me. He's already been back once and will be coming a third time. That's a lot of trouble to go to for non-entities.

The government don't just 'happen to know' who is involved in what movements, they are coercing that information out of people with threats of substantial fines if they dont divulge it. It's clear you dont give a toss whether that data stays confidential to the statistics office like the form claims it will.

Like most people, I want to be a non-entity. I want these guys to stop hassling me and anybody else who doesnt want them asking intruisve, irrelevant questions. As to your suggestions for my social life, allow me to reciprocate: why don't you go jerk yourself off somewhere else. I imagine that's the only sex life little PD trolls like you are likely to have.

Loonsville, Paranoia (The 51st State).

by pat c

Wed May 03, 2006 18:04

"Helping or voluntary work with a political or cultural organisation"

You are not asked to give the name of the organisation. It could be FF, FG, LP, GP, SF whatever. As a Cultural organisation it could be activity for Conradh na Gaelge, Friends of the National Gallery, Comhltas, Irish Film Institute.

Please get a grip. In any case you are leaving it a little late to be calling for a boycott.

Roight

by Respectable

Wed May 03, 2006 19:39

"Don't question the government or its propaganda organs, you inadequate northsider. Of course, it's not that you are wrong. We want to know everything about you so that we may lie to you and steal your resources the more effectively. Shut up and accept that the PDs have a right to direct the government. What's democracy after all? Still questioning? What did I tell you? Shut up or McDowell will get you."

Pat C

Wed May 03, 2006 19:49

You've seen as much of McDowell and the PDs as anyone else. Use your loaf. These are the people who have agreed to allow the US to relocate Irish citizens, without explanation, to another jurisdiction for interrogation. We are now on the brink of a nuclear attack on Iran. An anti war backlash will have been anticipated in many countries and similar incursions onto the right to privacy are being resisted everywhere. Ireland is a part of that coalition whatever Aherne tries to say to the contrary.

The census information (whihc is the most intrusive one ever) is not protected by domestic legislation and is accessible. Do you think McDowell will hesitate to use it to identify who his likely enemies within the state are? BTW voting is not secret either - a record is kept of all those who vote and their ballots are individually numbered and marked too. That's what the voting officer does when you check in with him/her. It's a very simple matter to match that data with the census information. All Sinn Fein voters are known, for instance.

So grow up and face the reality - this is a neo fascist country we live in. With the oil and pharmaceutical barons closing in on us, you can bet your bottom dollar that the security of their operations will be the top priority for the government.

Manay long term contributors and editors of this site are highly protective of their identity and whereabouts. Are they all paranoid lunatics?

really

Wed May 03, 2006 19:54

how exactly do you think they would figure out who was doing what activity. you are being extremely silly. we do not live in a neo-fascist country. if we did then the (not so )secret police would be kicking in our doors right now.

activists who do live in societies where they have to face death squads would rightly laugh at you.

Behind You

Wed May 03, 2006 19:59

"BTW voting is not secret either - a record is kept of all those who vote and their ballots are individually numbered and marked too. That's what the voting officer does when you check in with him/her. It's a very simple matter to match that data with the census information. All Sinn Fein voters are known, for instance."

Do you really believe this? Thousands of polling clerks and civil servants would have to be in on the plot. Why do they remain silent?Why havent SF raised this? Are they also part of the plot? I guess Joe Higgins, Seamus Healy and the Greens are also part of the conspiracy.

There is no 'plot'

Wed May 03, 2006 22:22

It's all quite openly done, in fact.

Each voter is recorded against a specific voting card - individually numbered. As with census, we are told this is all completely confidential and nobody knows. The little booth with the curtains etc is only to prevent anyone physically adjacent from knowing who you voted for. As with the census, it's all taken on trust the identifying information is not/will not be used outside the process.

Big Plot

Thu May 04, 2006 11:20

but to collate this information afterwards, a large number of people would have to be involved. who separates all of the votes, one by one, and puts them back into the relevant order for each polling substation? wheres the budget for this? again it would involve a large number of people from several different departments and organisations to get this to work.

why are they all remaining silent? or have you found the irish deep throat?

It's already been done

by Fairfax

Thu May 04, 2006 12:40

The votes are already segregated and counted for the election. There is very little to it, in fact. This is not a conspiracy theory or anything like it - if this stuff is not common knowledge then that is amazing - I thought everyone knew about it. I once had a letter in the UK, from one of the main political parties, addressed to me personally, thanking me for voting tactically (which I had) in an attempt to keep the Conservative candidate out. All my neighbours who had done the same had the letter too.

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Comments (10 of 10)