Derrick and others -
> Proposal to issue National Insurance (NI) numbers at birth
> to combat 'welfare fraud'.
>
> I mischievously suggest that babies have them tattooed on
> the back of the neck (see also Alien 3).
See also Bentham's Principles of the Penal Code:
"It is a common usage among English sailors to trace their family and
bapitismal names upon the wrist, in distinct and indelible characters.
It is done that they may be recognised in case of shipwreck. If it
were possible for such a practice to become universal, it would
furnish a new aid to morals, a new power to the laws, an almost
infallible precaution against a multitude of offences, especially all
kinds of fraud, for the success of which a certain degree of
confidence is necessary. Who are you? Who am I dealing with? There
would be no room for prevarication in the answer to this important
question".
I have a paper on the history of British identity cards which notes
in passing that politicians and civil servants in the 1940s knew of Bentham's
suggestion. Indeed Lord Stamp wrote to the Registrar General of the time
that many problems would be solved: "if you would only face up to branding
each one of us on the left arm at the time of vaccination". A joke, I
think...
If anyone is interested in a copy of the paper, I'm hapy to send them
one.
cheers,
Jon
Dr Jon Agar
CHSTM
Manchester University
>
> Derrick
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