The problem with a national ID card is the same as with currency, radar guns, encryption, etc. The private marketplace, or in some cases, the black market, has and will find ways to defeat government technology. There is no fail safe system that will prevent forgery. With a requirement for a national ID card for establishing bank accounts, obtaining employment, receiving social benefits, etc., there will develop a black market such as already exists for drivers' licenses, Mexican conciliar cards, etc. Higher tech cards will only weed out the "mom and pop" forgers, much as the restrictions on cold medicines containing amphetamines are placing the trailer park "drug labs" out of business, or, in the Prohibition era, the Mafia pushed the backyard and basement bootleggers out of business. Organized crime will issue national ID cards that will fool the run of the mill employer, bank, and social services agency...............Wallace T. In 1946, the vast majority of shopping in the U.S. was done by Americans exchanging printed pieces of paper with fancy engraving and portraits of U.S. Presidents on them.
Today, $2.4 Trillion (that's Trillion with a T) worth of purchases are made in the U.S. each year with cheap plastic cards with magnetic strips on the back.
You have just argued that the way that modern Americans pay for the vast majority of purchases in 2006, from the gas station to the supermarket, it not practical and therefore just a Buck Rogers pipe dream.
Unless the merchant has lost computer access and accepts a paper imprint of credit card on faith, the credit card does not work by fooling the merchant. The credit card works by convincing the database at American Express, or Bank of America or Chase Bank that it is legitimate, has not been canceled, has not been reported stolen, has not expired, has not gone over the credit limit, matches the name and number and security code, etc, etc, etc....................and the computer can do all of that in a microsecond.
A forger can easily forge a VISA card. However, that forged VISA card and a dollar won't buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks if the Chase Bank computer database rejects the VISA card when it is swiped.
Likewise, a forger can easily forge a National ID Card but that forged card will be worth squat when the U.S. Government computer database rejects that card when it is swiped.
In Post 82, XJarhead describes the current system of verifying identity for employment. It is a snail mail and paper-pushing system straight out of the Civil War era.
It's time to join the 21st Century.
As XJarhead said in Post 82, "How can any rational person not object to having to show an I.D. and SSN, but fight tooth and nail against updating those documents to make forgery more difficult? Damn, make your SSN card or other I.D. that you already are required to show an electronic swipe card. It instantly will run through computers, and the employer gets an answer back in 5 minutes as to whether or not you are illegal."
The difference between credit and debit cards and national ID cards is that rejection of the former is based on three events: theft, expiration, or insufficient funds or credit. Anyone who has lost his credit or debit cards through theft, misplacement, or destruction has strong motivation to report the loss to the issuing bank. OTOH, there are 298 million Americans, an enormous data base from which forgery could be accomplished. If an individual went to establish a bank account or seek employment in Southern California and said his name was Juan Ortiz, born in 1977 in Long Beach, California, social security number 123-45-6789, when he was actually Diego Lopez, born in 1978 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, how would a government data bank recognize he was not Juan Ortiz? Let's say the actual Juan Ortiz manages a grocery store and has a bank account. It is not illegal for him to take a second job or have a second bank account. Thus how will you distinguish the real Juan Ortiz from the other man?
A magnetic strip, a proven technology in the credit card industry, will not work. Perhaps biometric technology would be a more effective way to identify, but implementation of such a system would be expensive for both government and business. In addition, if history proves anything, it is that the private sector, including the black market, is effective in circumventing government issue technology.
In summary, I do not believe the national ID card will be an effective means of weeding out illegals even if we had an Administration willing to enforce laws established to prevent their entry into the U.S. or their seeking employment or social services.