I’m a risk averse person. I don’t see “in other countries they do X,” rather I think “if this happens and a government gets in whose interests are unaligned with my own, what could they do with this new power I let them have.”

In the case of the UK, the far right is on the rise. Today if a digital ID card is introduced, then probably no one will force me to use it. However in the future that can change.

Let me give you an example: the UK allowed the government to change the law so that it gets to determine who is a terrorist and who isn’t. They don’t need to go to court, or have a judge sign off. They use these powers to silence legitimate protest against a number of issues that inconvenienced the billionaire class.

Imagine attending a protest to call for the government to be held to account for a bad decision it made, and the next day your digital ID no longer allows you to travel to work by train. We are giving them the legal power to do this, if we stand by and do not resist.

Also, I’m lucky enough to be a citizen of the country I live in. Will enforcing some addition “digital proof of citizenship” make the country a better place? Will it make undocumented people decide to leave or simply more desperate/vulnerable? If they get sick, will they be afraid to seek medical care - spreading illness rather than getting treatment.

it’s a slippery slope:

• want to buy alcohol? must scan your digital ID. Now the government knows how much you drink.
• want entry to this nightclub? must scan your digital ID. Now the government knows you go to G.A.Y on Fridays.
• want to withdraw cash from the bank? yeah, you need a valid digital ID scan.

The next government could massively curtail freedom of movement, protest and expression with the tools this government are intent on forging. Remember, they already tried to make porn subject to age checks, and everyone installed a VPN. Want to use a VPN? we’re going to need a digital ID scan please.

You’re right, many people don’t make 20k per year. But my point was that you don’t need hundreds of millions to afford a sailing yacht, and I don’t need to be attacked for adding some data to your comment. Perhaps it is you who should get “a grip” on your interpersonal skills?

A 40ft Bohemian? A five year old one will set you back €200k in good condition, and cost around 10% of its value in maintenance, mooring and repairs each year.

People have cars more expensive than that on their driveways.

Greenland? Canada??

When you print money, it devalues all the existing money because there’s more of it but the extra value it generates hasn’t materialised yet.

Guess who owns over half of all the money there is. Imagine how they would feel if you devalued it, and then imagine whose campaigns they would fund next time.

When you borrow money, you create a taxpayer liability that Americans have to work hard to repay, in addition to servicing the debt with interest payments.

Guess who neither pays taxes nor has to work harder to service federal debt. That’s right, and guess who funded your campaign. Are you going to let them down, or make the choice to screw workers a bit more?