Five country biometric database in the works

The U.S. is spending $1 billion to develop the worlds largest biometrics database, and is in talks with four other countries to cross-share information. Involved in these talks are the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The database will contain information such as fingerprints, palm prints, facial features and irises on millions of known and suspected criminals and terrorists.

Here are links to two articles supporting this subject, from Guardian UK (via CorpWatch), and ZDNet.

Thank God the FBI is smart enough to include New Zealand, which is a known haven to flocks of terrorists who roam the mountains disguised as sheep.

Seriously, my beef with this is that it represents yet another intrusion into our privacy rights, which are disappearing so quickly it's unbelievable. Our government has so many surveillance programs either up or in development that I've lost count. I doubt that the government knows either. They only know they can never have too many.

The problem with this particular database is the same as all of the other databases--they always expand the data gathering way beyond the stated intent, either accidentally or on purpose, and it's a sure bet that millions of people will be included who have no legitimate reason to be in it.

In all the years that the United States has been in existence, we have never had to destroy any of our Constitutional rights and freedoms to meet an external threat. And it's certainly not necessary now. Face it, the greatest threat to the U.S. in not external, but internal.

Fighting terrorism and crime is just an excuse to gather information on your life and your movements, even the bowel variety. It's not about terrorism--it's all about controlling whole populations of innocent citizens. Make no mistake, our government fully intends to have every shred of information on every man, woman, child and fetus in this country. They will know the due date of a baby before the mother knows she's pregnant.

Enjoy your police state while you can folks, because "They're coming to take you away, ha ha!".