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The American public is now witnessing the wholesale privatisation of education, as cities, municipalities and states are suffering from budget woes caused by the pillage and social failures of financial monopoly capitalism and its devastating policies that are intent on privatising everything public, from schools to the military, to health care, to public housing. The American public is now witnessing the wholesale —22. 1.2 Billion Indians to be Given Biometric ID Cards privatisation of education, as cities, municipalities and India's 1.2 billion citizens are to be issued biometric states are suffering from budget woes caused by the _ identification cards. The cards will hold the person's pillage and social failures of financial monopoly name, age and birth date, as well as fingerprints or iris capitalism and its devastating policies that are intenton scans, though no caste or religious identification. privatising everything public, from schools to the Within the next five years, a giant computer will hold the military, to health care, to public housing. personal details of at least 600 million citizens—making this new information technology system the largest in 21. Western Lifestyle Continues Environmental the world. The project will cost an estimated $3.5 Footprint billion. The 600 million Indians will receive a 16-digit Speaking in advance of the climate summit in identity number by 2014 in the project's first phase. Copenhagen, Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN's India's red tape is legendary: citizens have dozens of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warned _ types of identity verification, ranging from electoral rolls that western society must enact radical changes and __ to ration cards, yet almost none can be used universally. reform measures if it is to avoid the Forty-two per cent of India's worst effects of climate change. population is below the poverty line, Pachauri told the Observer that western and citizens frequently move in search society urgently needs to develop a of jobs. The government believes the new value system of "sustainable The North D system will help citizens because consumption". Atlantic Treaty hey will no longer have a problem Pachauri offered a wide-ranging . . identifying themselves. proposal—including egal Organization The biometric identity number will be requirements, economic disincentives (NATO) has entered every time someone accesses and government subsidies—to lead b hi ! services from government departments, western society toward a more ecome Istory s driver's licence offices and hospitals as sustainable future. His proposal also first global army. well as insurance, credit card, elecom includes measures to regulate travel and banking companies. By bringing by land and air. For instance, Never before more people into the banking system, Pachauri argues that automobile have soldiers from ndian officials also hope to raise he number of people paying income tax; currently, less than five travel could be "curbed" throug pricing schemes that discourage so many states the use of private transportation. served in the same per cent of the population pays Likewise, Pachauri suggests that income tax. governments tax air travel to war theatre, The government also plans to encourage citizens to travel by much less in the use the database to monitor bank ransactions, cellphone purchases and the movements of individuals and groups suspected of fomenting terrorism. Civil liberty campaigners fear he ID card will become a tool of rail, which is significantly lower in cost and environmental impact. Travel and tourism are but one feature of an_ increasingly unsustainable Western lifestyle. As the Internet becomes an repression. Nandita Haksar, a indispensable feature of modern life, the costs and human rights lawyer, said: "There is already no environmental impact associated with its usage are on —_ accountability in regards to violations of human and he rise. According to recent estimates, there are over civil rights. In this atmosphere, what are the oversight 5 billion people online around the world. Asa result, | mechanisms for this kind of surveillance?" he Internet's energy footprint is growing at a rate of more than 10 per cent each year. As the Internet's 23. Afghanistan War: Largest Military Coalition in appetite for electricity grows, companies like Google are _ History aving a hard time managing the costs associated wit The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has delivering web pages, video, audio and data files. This | become history's first global army. Never before have situation not only threatens the bottom line of web _ soldiers from so many states served in the same war irms, but may compromise the long-term viability of | theatre, much less in the same country. At the eighth he Internet. According to Subodh Bapat, vice president — anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan, the world of Sun Microsystems, "|i]n an energy-constrained world, is witness to a 21st-century armed conflict waged by the we cannot continue to grow the footprint of the Internet _ largest military coalition in history. ... we need to rein in the energy consumption". With recent announcements that troops from such same country. The North Organization (NATO) has become history's first global army. __ Never before so many states served in the same war theatre, much less in the 23. Afghanistan War: Largest Military Coalition in History The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has become history's first global army. Never before have soldiers from so many states served in the same war theatre, much less in the same country. At the eighth anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan, the world is witness to a 21st-century armed conflict waged by the largest military coalition in history. With recent announcements that troops from such NEXUS ¢ 21 Atlantic Treaty have soldiers from same country. DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 20II www.nexusmagazine.com