I was drawn to writing this by today’s piece extolling the virtues of “Registered Travellers Cards” guaranteed by biometric systems.  The Australian General Manager of Unisys, Andrew Barkla was quoted in the article as saying “I think it's certainly something that has shown great benefit overseas that could equally be applied to Australia.”  Barkla was also quoted as expressing that he believed Australians would be in favour of such a card.

Afraid of terrorism?  Count me out.

Barkla then loses the plot completely.  He suggests that such cards would have prevented the recent evacuation of Brisbane Airport when 9 people inadvertently bypassed the x-ray security screening facility in the Qantas Domestic Terminal. 

Huh?  How would a card stop people inadvertently bypassing security?

I worked in the Biometrics industry some time ago.  I know how keen they are to beat up every possible security into a product.  And the only people with money are the government.  And with the government, the only game in town worth playing is terrorism.

Afraid of terrorism?  Count me out.

You know, what really scares me is how the government, the various police authorities, sundry security forces and private industry groups ALL want me to be mortally afraid of terrorism.  How they trade on the induced fear of the general population – the fear that THEY specifically induced – becomes their total world of operation.  In another industry, a long way from terrorism, they used to have a saying: “follow the money.”  Seems a long way has become a very short way.

Afraid of terrorism?  Count me out.