There's a proverb in some european languages which translates roughly as: "you don't worry about a thief in the backyard when your house in on fire".

Very true. But a neighbour may worry about both the thief in his neighbours yard, and the fact that his neighbours house is on fire.

This massive biometric database sets a bad precedent which will no doubt be followed by other countries, who will point to Israel and say "See? No one in Israel is complaining about it."

Sometimes, I think all of our countries are in a race to the bottom.

One possible answer to your question, is that there is no shortage of people who genuinely want to live in the "end times". There are several reasons why this is so, but I tend to think it's because their faith is particularly weak, and a big visible Revelations style conflict would go a long way to strengthening their faith.

Now, I'm not saying that you're one of these nuts. But if you move in "Wacko Christian Right" circles (your phrase, not mine) then it's possible you've met some people who think like this.

A representative sampling can be found in the collected posts of fundamentalists, which can be found at www.fstdt.com
  (e.g. Quote# 67376)

"I've seen this Vshael guy, he really is 7' tall green and adorned with tusks."

My evil twin.

I'm blue and cuddly, like Skull Theodore Troll.

I have no idea. But I suspected a personal vendetta at one point.

I'm more interested in why meta-moderation doesn't appear to be addressing the problem. Oh well.

"Biometric passports are established throughout Europe since years back."

As an Irish citizen currently living in Belgium, I have to say I don't think this is true. I don't know a single person in either country with a biometric passport.

Bizarrely, I think he'd rather die than pass himself off as a Jew. Or shave his beard.

How is it out of context?
He said on multiple occasions that he hoped the US acted against Iran.

e.g. (06/15/09 on Fox News, obviously) "I hope that we will act" http://www.youtube.com/v/aDeJKl4h3Sg

"I don't even think that McCain would have gone into Iran."

Did you not see him singing "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran" on Sunday morning TV?
He seemed positively eager at the thought.

If McCain / Palin had won the election, I might agree with you. But I don't think the Democrats are going to go to war on a third front. Two is bad enough.

"Only an idiot would fight a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts." -- London Mollari.

"We don't do this, under any circumstances"

And we would believe them

Because they said the same thing about spying on Americans.
Or torture.
Shall we go on?

Yes, it worked so well with the Witchfinder Generals being paid a penny a witch.

I was running a similar experiment. And my pet cat Heisenberg befriended the Rubber Duck, a Nigerian prince, a Ukrainian boyband, and various sundry inanimate objects from other similar experiments.

FWIW, the proper way to measure this is just after you've woken up, while you're sitting down or lying down...

Not the way *I* wake up, which is usually screaming loudly in a pool of sweat of tears.

I have other problems than a dodgy heart rate.

No, it IS that stupid.

If you're calling on behalf of YOURSELF, then YOU are not unconscious.

(What, you've got the hotline on voice recognition speed-dial and are talking in your sleep?)