Perhaps reflecting the increasing infatuation with all things hi-tech amongst its supposed constituency, the UK government has become a gadget freak. Like tetchy teen troglodytes, UK government ministers continue to obsess over information technology.
Unfortunately, politicians are not constrained by mundane considerations like lack of cash.
The latest in megabuck health databases, biometric ID or geolocation systems are just a surrogate for real government, just as a new Nokia is a substitute for a real girlfriend. And because they carry so little investment in thought or principle these grand schemes go the way of the Sinclair C5, Beenz and Tony Blair's free holidays.
Arguments about privacy and security have been dismissed in the grab for headlining 'project initiatives', while government departments continue to haemorrage confidential data. (Look
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The creation of the iState by effete politicos is propelled by an electorate ever hungrier for gadget bling. The iWorld that consists entirely of gossip, spin and blue sky pronouncements is always going to appeal to those already mired in these shibboleths.
Maybe the UK government has begun to see the light - it is to drop a system of road charging based on satellite geolocation (although the ludicrous ID card project is set to rumble on). Perhaps having to shell out £50bn ($100bn) to rescue a failing bank (Northern Rock) brought a little of the real world back to Westminster wonderland.
But technophilia is infectious.
People who neglect the real world in favour of dependence on technology soon come to regret it. There is nothing new in confusing the description of a thing with the thing itself as in the old story about the new bridge (sorry if you've already heard it).
The town mayor is opening a prestigious new bridge built at huge public expense and the ceremony is to culminate in driving a golden spike through the last unfilled rivet hole. The dignitaries, the brass bands, the crowd, the mayor, the mallet and the gold rivet are all assembled. Trouble is, there's no hole in the girder.
The bridge builder is summoned; he calls the girder company boss. Eventually, after fruitless consultations with middle managers, the girder quality control man arrives armed with an impressive pile of quality control documents. After intensively poring over these for several hours he proudly announces that 'there was a hole in it when it left the factory'.