FC: Anyone want to question Larry Ellison about national IDs?

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Fri Oct 26 2001 - 06:44:21 PDT

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: Congressional source replies to RIAA's we-don't-want-to-hack denial"

    [Ethan's message forwarded with permission. Please email him. --Declan]
    
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    From: "Ethan Lindsey" <elindseyat_private>
    To: "'Declan McCullagh'" <declanat_private>
    Subject: Question for Ellison
    Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 09:34:57 -0400
    
    >Declan,
    >I am doing an interview with Ellison next week about his National ID and I
    >have asked around to see if there are any questions you'd like to ask him
    >that you think the mainstream media has missed the boat on thus far. I'd
    >appreciate any ideas you have.
    >
    >Ethan
    >
    >Ethan Daniel Lindsey    Associate Political Editor
    
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    Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 22:48:18 -0700
    To: declanat_private, politechat_private
    From: Lizard <lizardat_private>
    Subject: Re: FC: James Glassman wants national IDs: "We have to give
       up" privacy
    In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.0.20011025213618.029b2d50at_private>
    
    At 07:17 PM 10/25/2001, Declan McCullagh wrote:
    >[You can see James Glassman's bio here:
    >Dershowitz contends that the cards might actually increase freedoms. "Four
    >Arab-looking guys reading the Koran are much less suspicious if they have
    >the cards and can just slash them through card readers," he said.
    
    The hijackers could have done just the same, had a national ID card been in 
    place prior to 9/11.
    
    Declan, tell me this -- why the $%#$%!@$#! isn't the media pointing out, 
    over and over, every time this moronic idea comes up, THAT THE TERRORISTS 
    WERE IN THIS COUNTRY LEGALLY, WITH FULL LEGAL DOCUMENTATION, ETC, ETC, ETC? 
    THAT HAVING AN 'ID CARD' WON'T STOP SOMEONE WHO IS ***GOING TO KILL 
    HIMSELF***, BECAUSE HE'S NOT CONCERNED ABOUT BEING CAUGHT AFTERWARDS?
    
    Why isn't anyone asking Ellison this? Why isn't every reference to a 
    national ID card followed by some form of the phrase "Thus, Senator 
    thus-and-such demonstrates his extreme stupidity, as the prescence of such 
    a system would not have prevented the attacks on 9/11. Senator 
    thus-and-such is a moron, and you should not vote for him."
    
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    Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:20:04 +1100
    From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochraneat_private>
    Reply-To: ncochraneat_private
    Organization: The Age newspaper
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: Re: FC: James Glassman wants national IDs: "We have to give up" 
    privacy
    
    Hi Declan
    
    Although we don't have an ID card as such -- ie no piece of plastic in your 
    wallet that says "AUSTRALIA CARD" -- we have a tax file number for 
    individuals and the equivalent Australian Business Number for any business 
    including the contractor, sole proprietor and self-employed.
    
    To do anything with government or open a bank account etc, you need 100 
    points of identification, such as a passport, photo driver's license and a 
    credit card. All this information is cross-referenced using the security 
    services' extensive database matching and datamining techniques.
    
    Already, US datamatching developer Acxiom has access to our electoral roles 
    so it can track us exhaustively for marketing purposes.
    
    By next year all state drivers' licenses should be cross-referenced, and 
    thereafter linked to facial recognition systems that are already in limited 
    deployment.
    
    Electronic tollways run by overseas multinationals also have the capacity 
    to be integrated into this national private-public sector tracking grid. It 
    can be cross-referenced to cell-phone activity, and police and retail store 
    videocamera systems so there will be overlapping arcs of real-time, 
    clandestine surveillance.
    
    The reality is you don't have to have a piece of plastic to have an 
    identity verification and surveillance network.
    
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    From: AHKTrustat_private
    Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 22:24:59 EDT
    Subject: Re: FC: James Glassman wants national IDs: "We have to give up" 
    privacy
    To: declanat_private
    
    I'm sure Larry Ellison and Senator Feinstein will appreciate this national ID
    system that is less expensive and completely foolproof and requires no
    special software or technology:
    
    Tattoo a number on every person's arm.
    
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    Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 08:23:15 -0400
    To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private>
    From: David Banisar <david_banisarat_private>
    Subject: id cards not so popular
    
    http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-102401idcards.story
    
    National ID Card System Failing to Attract Supporters
    By JOSEPH MENN
    Times Staff Writer
    
    October 24 2001
    
    Calls for a national system of identification cards sparked by the Sept. 11 
    attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have gained little 
    traction, failing to win endorsements from the Bush administration or 
    congressional leaders.
    
    Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison attracted national attention by 
    calling for such a system in the wake of last month's terrorist attacks and 
    offering to donate the database software that would be needed.
    
    After a series of interviews touting the plan, Ellison continued to push 
    his idea in meetings with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), U.S. Atty. 
    Gen. John Ashcroft and others, including the database giant's first 
    customer, the CIA. Ellison said last week that future White House meetings 
    were planned.
    
    But Bush spokesman Jimmy Orr said the administration wasn't considering a 
    mandatory ID program, and Feinstein is backing away from reports of her 
    support.
    
    The Justice Department said Tuesday it has no position on even a voluntary 
    card and isn't planning anything of the sort.
    
    "That high-level administration officials are somehow directing this, I 
    think is a far cry," a department official said on condition of anonymity.
    [...]
    
    *********
    
    From: "Thomas Leavitt" <thomasleavittat_private>
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: Re: FC: James Glassman wants national IDs: "We have to give up" 
    privacy
    Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 02:57:36 -0700
    
    ... at some level, I don't get the whole national ID card thing... I mean, 
    how much different is having to have a driver's license or non-driver's id, 
    than a national ID card? what am I missing?
    
    Thomas
    
    [The difference, I think, is this:
    http://forums.siliconvalley.com/discussion/msgshow.cfm/msgboard=5968009897410465&msg=8036926450156813&page=1&idDispSub=5145094516046185
    --Declan]
    
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