Innocence is dead. Well, that is at least it is if you are a child living in the UK. Forget about scampering up tree houses, imaginary tea parties with cuddly toy animals or playing a simple game of catch. No, in the UK, every child will soon be considered to be a potential criminal. According to an article on The Register, the police have stored over half a million children's DNA onto a national database.

Even shadow home secretary, David Davies, has said this is an "extremely sinister development." The Register article claims that there are now over 4.1 million people's DNA on the police database. According to the Sunday Herald this is around 5% of the total population in the UK. The Sunday Herald article also highlighted a rather worrying fact, that officers now have the right to keep the DNA of innocent people, including children. From the article:

"In addition, the Home Office is currently consulting on plans to further expand police powers south of the border, which would allow genetic information from those suspected of minor offences, such as littering and speeding, to be kept on file."

The DNA database has long been a concern of civil liberty groups and now an independent government advisory body, the Human Genetics Commission (HGC) will launch an investigation of DNA sampling. From the article:

"A source at the HGC said: "I don't think there is any disagreement that DNA databases are useful things, but the discussion is who should be on it, how long you should be on it, and what safeguards should be in place."

The argument made by HGC is essentially irrelevant. The databases are useful only if they do not contradict the freedom of the individual and the assumption of innocent until proven guilty. Without those the UK is merely a slave state. Having any innocent people's DNA on a national database is an outrageous violation of privacy.

And we mustn’t forget – that those who are considered as innocent today may well find themselves branded as criminals in the future and forced to give DNA samples if the UK government has there way. If dropping litter is considered a crime worthy of taking a DNA sample from an individual – then how long before the entire population of the UK is on the database? Whatever happened to William Blackstones formulation that it is"better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer"?

John Scott, a leading criminal lawyer and the former chairman of the Scottish Human Rights Centre hit the nail on the head when he said:

"It's an area where there have been increased police powers without adequate public debate about it,"
"The privacy of the individual is now insignificant as far as the government and police are concerned."

How the times have changed – when it now takes a lawyer to speak the truth. For details of the number of people on the UK’s DNA database visit this House of Commons page or visit Counciloftruth.com if you want updated news analysis on the impending police state.

A BBC article reports on how The European Commission is creating a group comprised of citizens, scientists and businesses to discuss how RFID tags should be used. Is this merely an attempt by The European Commission to placate the growing privacy concerns surrounding RFID chips by being seen to be listening to citizens?

Despite the fact that some retailers are already using RFID tags on their products, the Commission have been reluctant to draft any regulations for the tags. Walmart have already insisted that it’s suppliers all use RFID tags however, Viviane Reding, the information society and media commissioner said that the RFID market must be allowed to continue unabated without any regulations from European governments. Reding said, “We must not over-regulate RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)"

Industry experts such as Tim Cole, a senior partner with the analyst group Kuppinger Cole and Partner remain sceptical that the Commission will help to protect individual privacy. Cole, in a Computer World article, said that businesses were already implementing RFID “through the back door”.
Cole also claimed that while big business was seemingly reacting to the public’s concern with RFID tags, it was not out of any sense of social responsibility, but rather, because “…it's bad for business if customers are worried. According to the Computer World article, the RFID market “is worth about $2.9 billion today, with 600 million tags sold in 2005, Reding said. That number will increase sixfold in seven years, she predicted, to 3.6 billion tags sold in 2013.

With companies across the globe embracing RFID technology, it is scandalous that the European Commission felt it unnecessary to draft any legislation whatsoever on how RFID tags could be used. These tags are getting smaller all the time, and with no regulations placed on business it would be all too easy to place these tags into products without consumers being aware that they were in them. Hitachi have even announced on their own site that they are now producing chips that are as small as a single grain of sand.

Unless there is tight regulation of RFID tags it means that once again, individual privacy has been sacrificed in the name of big business.

For more information visit Council of Truth.com and the European Commission Information Society

A declassified Pentagon document, signed by Donald Rumsfeld in 2003, reveals US Military plans to “fight the internet".
Tactics would include psychological operations and computer network attack specialists who seek to destroy enemy networks, the BBC reports. The extracts below are from the , “Information Operations Roadmap” (PDF) and clearly show how the US government is planning on advancing their own agenda of propaganda attacks on various truth-seeking communities on the Internet. From the documents:
(C) We Must Fight the Net. DoD is building an information-centric force. Networks are increasingly the operational center of gravity, and the Department must be prepared to "fight the net." [1 line redacted.] but be fully prepare to ensure critical warfighting network functionality and to [1 line redacted].

“(U) We Must Improve PSYOP. Military forces must be better prepared to use PSYOP in support of military operations and the themes and messages employed in a PSYOP campaign must be consistent with the broader national security objectives and national-level themes and messages. Currently, however, our PSYOP campaigns are often reactive and not well organized for maximum impact.
-- (U) PSYOP enhancements outlined in this report, and clarification of the respective responsibilities and tasks associated with PSYOP, DoD support to public diplomacy and public affairs, will enhance DoD's ability to aggressively conduct IO and to do so fully consistent with broader national security objectives.

-- (U) In particular, PSYOP must be refocused on adversary decision-making, planning well in advance for aggressive behavior modification during times of conflict. PSYOP products must be based on in-depth knowledge of the audience's decision~making processes and the factors influencing his decisions, produced rapidly at the highest quality standards, and powerfully disseminated directly to targeted audiences throughout the area of operations.
(U) We Must Improve Network and Electro-Magnetic Attack Capability. To prevail in an information-centric fight, it is increasingly important that our forces dominate the electromagnetic spectrum with attack capabilities.”

This document is the DoD “roadmap” for “electronic warfare” in the future and is concrete evidence that the US military are planning on attacking “enemy” computer networks. From the same document:

“…the IO Roadmap recommended definition is:
(U) "The integrated employment of the core capabilities of Electronic Warfare, Computer Network Operations, Psychological Operations, Military Deception and Operations Security, in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp adversarial human and automated decision making while protecting our own."
In fact, the US military have already held a drill called, “Cyberstorm”. A BBC article reported that not only were the US military defending their computer systems against hackers, but they were also “defending” against bloggers who spread “misinformation.” From the article:

“Cyber Storm reportedly not only tested against attacks by hackers, but also by bloggers - who deliberately spread misinformation in the exercise.”

Now the enemy is anybody who doesn’t share the same opinion as the government. So what you might ask? The US are just trying to combat propaganda. But what if the US government was itself guilty of distributing propaganda – could they really be trusted? George W. Bush spent $1.6 billion from 2003 to 2005 on “pre-packaged” news. The Government Accountability Office concluded that out of eight video news releases (VNR’s), seven contained “pre-packaged” news and those clips “constitute covert propaganda”.

“For the purposes of this opinion, we examined eight VNRs seven that you provided as part of your request, and one more that ONDCP provided to us. Seven of the eight VNRs include pre-packaged news stories. As explained below, we conclude that the pre-packaged news stories in these VNRs constitute covert propaganda and violated the publicity or propaganda prohibition because ONDCP did not identify itself to the viewing audience as the producer and distributor of these pre-packaged news stories.”

So it’s ok for the US Government to spread propaganda and misinformation, but any blogger not towing the political line could be singled out for an attack? The Whitehouse claim that “subcultures of conspiracy and misinformation” constitute “terrorism.” Under their own definition, this site could be considered to be “terrorism”. They claim that conspiracy theorists, “… keep alive grievances and filter out facts that would challenge popular prejudices and self-serving propaganda”. Surely under that definition, the $1.6 billion spent on “pre-packaged” news must be considered as “self-serving propaganda”

And it’s not just the US who are gearing up for a war on bloggers and personal websites. Six of the EU’s biggest countries, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and the UK have agreed to make the internet a “more hostile” place for “terrorists”. A BBC article reported

“Home Secretary John Reid said they would seek to crack down on people using the web to share information on explosives or spread propaganda.”

The Times reports on how “The European Commission proposal would require websites and mobile phone services that feature video images to conform to standards laid down in Brussels” and that “Personal websites would have to be licensed as a “television-like service”.

It’s not only political blogs and websites that are under attack. The New Scientist reported on how “The US government is funding research into social networking sites on how to gather and store personal data published on them.”

The war on the Internet is only just beginning. Governments across the world are now trying to heavily regulate the Internet. Each of us needs to make sure that web remains a place where we can be guaranteed the right of free speech. We want the Internet to remain a dynamic environment free from too restrictions placed on us by governments. We don’t want government’s determining what information we should be allowed to see. Information should remain free and open and as governments have proved, time and time again, they simply cannot be trusted.
Visit Council of Truth.com for more information

Despite over 1.8 million people in the UK signing an anti-toll petition, Tony Blair, claims that the scheme is not a stealth tax, but it is instead aimed at tackling congestion. Blair wrote an emailed reply to everyone who had signed the petition and insisted "Congestion is a major problem to which there is a no easy answer".
Blair also wrote in the email,
"I know many people's biggest worry about road pricing is that it will be a 'stealth tax' on motorists. It won't. Road pricing is about tackling congestion."
The idea that toll roads are being introduced to curb traffic and pollution is clearly an attempt ot divert people's attention away from the fact that they already pay for the roads with road tax, fuel tax and council tax. These toll roads are nothing more than a stealth tax, whatever the government claims.
In fact, a report picked up by the BBC by Transport for London said that congestion will increase by 8% by 2010 and that carbon dioxide emissions will also continue to increase.
From the BBC article
But he said that allowing congestion to grow unchecked "would be bad for businesses, individuals and the environment", costing an extra £22bn in wasted time in England by 2025.
Well, it would appear that far from being good for business, the congestion charge has actually contributed to falling employment rates and falling profits for business's. From the executive summary on page 5 of the report:
1. 84% of respondents reported a fall in taking since the charge was introduced.
2. 63% of respondents reported a fall in customer numbers since the charge was introduced.
7. 37% of retailers have reduced their staffing levels since the introduction of congestion charging.
8. 33% are considering relocating to a site outside of the congestion charging zone, and
28% are considering closing their business as a direct result of congestion charging.
The effect of the charge on the restaurant trade was also surveyed by the London Chamber. The following report (September 2004) was not quite as gloomy as the retail survey, but still grim.
2. Nearly 80% of respondents reported a fall in customer numbers since the charge was introduced.
6. 43% of respondents have reduced their staffing levels since the introduction of congestion charging.
7. 35% are considering relocating to a site outside of the congestion charging zone, and
8. 20% are considering closing their business as a direct result of congestion charging.
This system if implemented would, based on previous data from the congestion charge in London, have a hugely detrimental effect on business and individual freedom in the UK. Not only will business owners suffer, but, every journey will also be tracked, traced, monitored and recorded.
Clearly, the road tax is a recipe for disaster and it also highlights the fact that the governments across the globe are no longer listening to people they are supposed to serve. Despite over 1.8 million people signing a petition in opposition to the scheme, they still plan to go ahead with their plans for a stealth tax. It is time for each of us to lobby our local councillors and politicians and get them to answer some real questions on the record. If they are for this tax, then quite simply, they are for slavery. Nobody should be tracked and traced by governments who have already shown they cannot be trusted.
For more information visit Council of Truth.com

In what would be yet another erosion of individual freedom, the UK parliament is considering granting bailiffs the power to break into homes. Under the “Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill” bailiffs in the UK would be allowed to break into homes in order to repossess possessions to pay for any outstanding debt. Under the Bill, bailiffs would even be allowed to restrain people
The Citizens Advice Bureau claim in a BBC article that when they analysed 500 cases “…almost two-thirds of bailiffs were guilty of harassment or intimidation, while 40% misled people about their powers of entry.”
This alarming figure is without the powers bailiffs would be granted with the bill. David Harker, chief executive of the charity said,
“Our evidence over many years shows that bailiffs have an appalling track record of abusing their existing powers against vulnerable people.
"They are often abusive and aggressive and use threats of violence and prison to pressurise people into paying lump sums they cannot afford.
"This bill should have been the perfect opportunity to modernise the law and end abuse once and for all.
"Instead it gives bailiffs greater powers without any proper regulation - a recipe for abuse on an unprecedented scale."

With individual debt in the UK continuing to spiral – how long will it be before we are living in a two-tier system with bailiffs and the state taking personal belongings of millions who cannot afford to keep up repayments on their debts? According to Credit Action statistics:

“Average household debt in the UK is £8,791 (excluding mortgages) and £53,326 including mortgages.
Average owed by every UK adult is £27,445 (including mortgages). This grew by £265 last month.
Average interest paid by each household on their total debt is approximately £3,400 each year.
Average consumer borrowing via credit cards, motor and retail finance deals, overdrafts and unsecured personal loans has risen to £4,524 per average UK adult at the end of December 2006.
Britain's personal debt is increasing by £1 million every 3.85 minutes.”

Joint Committee on Human Rights insist that the bill may even contravene human rights as laid down by the European Convention on Human Rights. This comes after Chairman of the Law Enforcement Reform Group, Philip Evans made claims that the British bailiff is "probably the worst in the world"

This Bill would put vulnerable people at risk from unscrupulous private bailiffs. The fact is that there isn’t even a criminal records check for people who want to become bailiffs so someone with a criminal background could force their way into your home and take your possessions while having a been previously convicted. MP’s insist they will include legislation to regulate and monitor bailiffs, however, so far this legislation has yet to appear. Legislation for bailiffs is not good enough, under no circumstances should any bailiff be allowed to force entry into an individuals home.

For more information visit Council of Truth.com or the Citizens Advice Bureau website