CASHLESS SOCIETIES BY 2012 ?

New Labour – a Government stamping its brand as to “change” on UK statute books but at what cost ultimately to the British Public whom are denied knowledge as to where the Nation is being lead?. It all does rather raise questions as to what LEADERSHIP is all about in the interests of their pay masters as the seeds of change are sown through failures such as the plumbing within Government Departments that leaked tax payer digital data [ personal / Bank details ] following a House of Commons rejection of  New Labours National Identity Card Scheme. Although a Nation healily in debt the Gov allowed the Financial Sector to offer easy loans and multiplicity in credit cards driving a “buy now pay later” consumeristic culture raising people debt towards that of Gov debt – as though transferring debt onto the shoulders of its working people. Of course with new goods arriving from factories quicker than prior debt for products could be settled debt grew out of all proportions while Global Investors wanting higher returns strove for higher yields in Factory output while reducing workforce numbers to elevate Profits further.

 

In the Stock Exchange and Banks both DRIVING the supply and consumerisation of goods the cycle was destined to failure once workforce numbers were sacrificed in the name of profitisation. As unemployment grows such numbers are SUBTRACTIVE from consumer numbers thus lowering the demands for goods whose output must rise in sustaining ever higher profits.  Thus the reccession / credit crunch was already written on the cards and rising prices were inevitable as part of the destructive cycle whereby those in employment had to SPEND SPEND SPEND to cover those without jobs whom could not simply SPEND SPEND SPEND to maintain factory output. The above serves to underline why people and Societies must now spend and why PM Brown must promote spending in order to stimulate the economy however what of tomorrow and cashless Societies given the Governments interest in promoting “contactless” technology whereby people will not be allowed possession of any physical money.

 

Digital Financial Transactions first appeared in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />UK courtesy of the Post Office which then went on to become the Girobank. A System of free banking that High Street Banks had to compete with and where customer charges were visible. Of course today digital transactions are nothing new but once such transactions on amounts of £10 and less become favourable to the Financial Sector the prospects of cashless Societies heighten. In 2007 Mr Brown visited a Scottish Company whom develop contactless technological devices at which time he suggested that  contactless technology would revolutionise the retail sector being worth more than £30 Billion. In 2001 Starbucks unvieled contactless cards lead by Visa and Mastercard. Is there any connection between that and New Labour’s attempts to close UK Post Offices forcing both Pensioners and Benefit recipients to OPEN Bank Accounts perhaps in future readiness as to what was going to finally occur!. Given that what occurs in the U S finally crosses the Altlantic as being a “bright ideas” by the Government like the failed CSA are we all to follow in what America has to offer then face the consequences of doing so later through legislation addressing failure.

 

Should cashless Societies become a reality “automation” as to income tax deductions could provide great dividends to Tax Offices but where would that leave ordinary people if  Banking Systems are “downed” by Energy Failures [ ATM’s / Digital Comms etc ] without any physical means by which to barter/pay for their survival such as to food, warm clothing and somewhere to reside the night. Energy dependency would have a new meaning since without it all would become one in not having any access to their wealth. Indeed, would British currency finally become referred to as being “credits” thus removing the need for any Country Identity!. Once all small Traders are in possession of digital transaction devices are ordinary people themselves to purchase similar equipment in maintaining Bonds in Societies where small loans and borrowings are common place in Social environments?.

 

Can a GOV simply deploy digital technology in treating an entire Nation as simply a set of NUMBERS to which ONE EQUATION then fits all?. That’s what happened in terms of the failed Child Support Agency [ CSA ] imported from the U S

 

The Internet already allows people “communication associations” to be mapped through ISP’s but given cashless Societies the Government could easily map “financial associations” too.

 

THROUGH BRITIAIN’S NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT the “BRITISH PEOPLE” have already lost their IDENTITY through uncontrolled digital network transactions [ cloning and loses ]  BUT what will the future hold for them in not having any PHYSICAL MONEY – it being akin to a DATUM in life representational of a STANDARD. The National Identity Card System was about People being given clones of themselves in the form of a “plastic card” while making them wholly responsible as to their Security.

 

 

In December 2007 a Government “think Tank” suggested that BANKS could have an “insurance type “no claims bonus” for people whom successfully protect their own identity from fraudsters – this being near coincident to what was to become MAJOR losses of Tax Payers confedential digital Data from UK Governmental Departments!.

 

Governments have “focus” whereas distractions serve to “defocus” people as what they should not see happening in reality. Farmer Gov’s expect people to always remain as Mushrooms but as the light increases into their captivity it provides a new energy in discovering WHY they have been treated as such!.

 

Historical Facts:-

1.       Financial Savings were about ownership desires – A motivator to work and cherish what hard work has thus provided. Today is about “own now” “pay later” however quickly discarding as new technology comes to replace at ever quicker rates!.

2.       UK hirer Purchase: Locking purchasers into ORDERS for a specific item and repayment period. Easy loans meant ANY PURCHASE made now to empty shelves without prior savings/ordering.

3.       Interest only repayable Mortgage loans historically needed financial security by way of endowments etc as to FINAL repayment however under New Labour this was deregulated whereby financial Institutions provided unsecured loans to attract borrowers in the belief that should problems arise the asset could be sold to cover such debt but given more people than jobs forcing minimum wage acceptance, reorganisations for profits creating unemployment, prices rising to counteract against those whom could not afford to purchase people simply could not earn quick enough thus reducing their ability to maintain spending. Most Trade markets thus suffered however once people had insufficient money to service mortgages the colossal housing market debt was sucked into the vacuum in becoming high risk to which further borrowing slowed to a standstill. Money stagnation resulted whereby sellers had to accept lower prices forcing down house values else become static themselves in staying put!. New unsecured borrowers prior to the reccession then watched their assets fall in value while not covering the amounts originally borrowed!.

 

 

Digital Banking / POST Office History Information:-

1968 The National Giro Bank was introduced. The POST OFFICE introduced DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS to the uk.

1981: British Telecommunications Act 1981 splits Post Office into two State owned Organisations – Post Office ( Postal Services And National Girobank ) and British Telecom BT which was later Privatised.

2000: Post Office renamed itself ‘Consignia’. Unpopular - Communication Workers' Union boycotting the name.

2001 Contactless Card -  U S 115 million Starbucks cards have been activated. Being led by Visa and MasterCard

2004 Rollout of chip and pin begins in the UK.

2006 Jan 1: Royal Mail lost its 350-year monopoly and the UK postal market became fully open to competition. Royal Mail loses its monopoly when the regulator, PostComm, opens up the Postal Market 3 years ahead of the rest of Europe. Competitors can carry mail, and pass it to Royal Mail for delivery, a service known as Downstream access

2006 08 21: Royal Mail's new pricing regime - "Pricing in Proportion" (PiP). Historically, Royal Mail has based its prices on the weight of letters and packages.  But the company has shown costs are also linked with the size of items. After extensive consultation with all stakeholders and following detailed discussions with Royal Mail - Postcomm accepted the company's proposal to change the way it sets its prices.

2007 03 11 Cashless society by 2012 - Paying for goods with notes and coins could be consigned to history within five years, according to the chief executive of Visa Europe. Peter Ayliffe said that, by 2012, using credit and debit cards should be cheaper and more convenient than cash. Visa Europe briefed the British Retail Consortium last month on new "contactless" cards that can be waved in front of a scanner to make small payments. One member of the consurtium said that the estimated "interchange" fee charged to retailers amounts to some 4p for each transaction. Nick Mourant, treasurer at Tesco, said: "There is a duopoly between Mastercard and Visa in the UK. Their setting of fees is anti-competitive."

04 09 2007 Gordon Brown took time out from his progress to coronation as Prime Minister to visit the Fife headquarters of Ingenico, one of the companies involved in building the contactless system. Mr Brown said contactless technology would revolutionise payment in the retail sector and that the market would be worth £30bn when contactless begins its national rollout. A rival system, the sQuidcard, is also due to launch in the autumn.

2008 03 11: Pensioner killed for pin number. A pensioner murdered in her cottage was tortured by her attacker for her pin number in the moments before she was bludgeoned to death. The prime suspect in the case is a man captured on CCTV on the evening of Mrs Edmonds' death trying to take money from her account at a cash point machine in Eastleigh - just a few miles from her home

2008 03 19 CLOSURE of 2,500 post offices - Tories urge post offices rethink on the proposed.

2008 12 16 Pension overpayments. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable received a tip-off and challenged Mr Darling in the Commons. He said a firm called Xafinity Paymaster were believed to have overpaid public sector pensions to former servicemen and health service staff "for decades".

Ingenico – visited by Mr Brown 2007

Ingenico Northern Europe, a subsidiary of the Ingenico Group

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