Posted on 01/22/2008 12:28:56 PM PST by BGHater
Welcome to Amerika. With its recent issuance of rules for implementing the “Real ID” law - the requirement that states issue driver’s licenses according to federal dictates and link the information to a nationwide database - the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken another page from the Soviets’ playbook. Stalin required Russian citizens to carry an internal passport ostensibly because “counterrevolutionaries” posed a threat. Amerikans will be required to show their papers to prove they aren’t terrorists or illegal immigrants.
Because an internal passport is the hallmark of totalitarianism, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff is trying to play Americans for fools. He insists that Real ID, which must meet federal standards and be used for federal purposes, is not a federal identity card because the states will be the issuing agents. That‘s like your employer trying to convince you he has no control over your salary because the checks come through the payroll department.
Seventeen states have passed legislation or resolutions opposing Real ID, and 19 other states have such actions pending because they recognize what Congress did not: If this law is actually implemented, it will mean the end of privacy and freedom.
That is inevitable because the amount of information required to be imbedded on the card will increase, as will the places where its presentation is required. Congress originally suggested that the card would be necessary to enter federal buildings, board commercial aircraft, open a bank account, or access nuclear power plants - but allowed expansions “for any other purposes that the [DHS[ Secretary shall determine.” Secretary Michael Chertoff already has added entry to national parks to the list.
And don’t forget that Congress foolishly gave the Secret Service authority to control national events such as Super Bowls and presidential inaugurations. Merely to watch a football game, Amerikans will have to show their papers.
Privacy will be non-existent because the DHS dictates that identity cards must have bar codes readable by common technology. So not only will tens of thousands of government employees have access to your Social Security number, date of birth, residential address, etc., but every private facility that requires you to present ID will capture that information as well. Identify theft will be child’s play.
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Real ID is that it transfers to the government ultimate control over citizens’ movements. The ID card of a citizen not in good standing could have a hold put on it, just like a credit card can. If your ID card is declined, you will be unable to travel, access your money, get a job, enter buildings, or go about the basic routines of life until you have restored favor with your government.
Think that’s hyperbole? Driver’s licenses already are used for such purposes. In Texas, a driver's license can be suspended for failure to provide requested medical information to the government. In Florida, a license can be revoked for "an immoral act in which a motor vehicle was used." Wisconsin residents can lose their driver's licenses for failure to pay library fines, shovel the snow off their sidewalk, or trim a tree overhanging a neighbor's property. Montana residents are not allowed to drive if they default on college loans. Many states punish those who fail to pay child support, taxes, court judgments, or parking fines by revoking their driver's licenses.
Effectively "grounding" adults is cheaper than sending them to jail, and a national ID card linked to a central database would allow the government to be all that more efficient. Want to board a plane in North Carolina? Not until you pay those library fines in Wisconsin.
The real travesty is that it is all for nothing because it won’t make anyone safer. Establishing someone’s identity does not reveal their intent. In a pathetically vapid defense of Real ID, Chertoff asks, “Should banks cash checks from people who cannot prove who they are? Should parents hire baby-sitters they know nothing about? Should airlines let passengers on board without validating their identity?”
Well, knowing that the babysitter is, in fact, Suzy Smith, says nothing about her skill with children. A bank needs to know whether a check is good, not the bearer’s immigration status. Knowing a traveler’s Social Security number doesn’t tell an airport screener whether the individual is carrying a bomb.
National identity cards don’t make anyone safer; they only make citizens less free. Real ID is a real bad law that Congress ought to repeal. Real soon.
Examiner Columnist Melanie Scarborough lives in Alexandria.
“REAL ID” as opposed to what, the SS cards, drivers license, Passports, employee verification etc. etc. etc. The Gov’s done a real A-1 job at keeping the night watch on those.
Folks this is the G-O-V-E-R-N-M-E-N-T we are talking about...when was the last time they had a “good” idea? All I smell is abuse down the road by the bureaucracy, who will expand it for their purposes. ID hackers and theives will inevitably find a way around the new system to rip people off, which, very arguably could lead to an inserted chip.
I don’t particularly like the idea of some yahoo looking at all my personal information as if they were a check-in clerk at the airlines.
That will be shortly after having to get your RealID scanned to purchase a firearm.
“Mark of the beast...!”
At least lining up for it.
What was that movie with Tom Cruise that knew everything about everyone?????
it’ll be connected to “name and address” information which already appears on the face of the ID.
You are much more optimistic than I am about this.
If biometric info is attached to the ID, they will take it and will either willingly share it with the feds or have it demanded of them by the feds [or others].
I could easily envision your insurance company being “curious” to know just what was in that bag you got from the grocery store and sending you a reminder that potato chips are not heart friendly.
The implications are enormous and as we have repeatedly seen, the simple foundations of a “good idea” soon change beyond what anyone has envisioned. A real good example is social security and your number. Look at how many people “demand” it, especially the medical professions, but even credit card companies.
My bet is that they are just looking for $$$, I havent met a local, city,county state or fed agency yet that gives two sh!ts about my freedom...their independence is for sale though...
Yeah thats what we need, pass more laws...to fix the other ones that are ignored by our masters...
excellent example of pre-purge planning...
How typical. Rather than address the issues sink to grade school name calling! That's why were all here after all, to insult each other when we disagree, right?
Holy smokes, anyone with his head this deep in the sand really needs to be on someone's leash.
Yours no doubt. Yes, all of us concerned with "Mexican landscapers", all 30 million of them, are mere animals, serfs, who would be best off controlled by enlightened persons such as yourself.
How silly of me to see the uncontrolled invasion of America by a 3rd world people who don't speak our language, don't agree with our social norms, and a creating a crime tsumani as a problem. It is much more important that we all indulge the paranoid fantasies of the Ayn Rand crowd that big bad Uncle Sam is going to control our lives with bar codes and black helicoptors.
Some people just cannot handle liberty.
Yes, and you are one of them. Liberty isn't license. Liberty requires a civilization to thrive. Civilization requires laws and rules. Most people figure this out, and also figure out how to have a respectful converstaion with those they disagree with sometime before age 25 or so. Too bad you haven't.
Maybe FR can help you grow some manners along with some mature, conservative political philosophy.
>> Excuse me, but you need to learn some real history. Certainly the Nazis had exactly such plans, and sent in at least one team to carry them out.
Excuse me — but you need to learn not to talk down to those with whom you have disagreements. Its obnoxious.
I know my history just fine — thanks. “One team” does not create the same risk as exists in a fight against an enemy for whom the random killing of civilians by suicide bomber (not a uniformed combatant, as was generally used in WWII) is their primary tactic — and who have REPEATEDLY shown their prediliction toward such tactics throughout the globe. Whether the Nazis explored such tactics or not is virtually irrelevant — they did not use suicide terrorism as a regular or primary method of attack, and did not have a history of such attacks throughout the globe.
These conflicts are simply not the same — and, either way, it remains a generally poor idea to fight a new conflict using the tactics from three or four wars ago. Even IF the Nazis were fighting in EXACTLY the same way as current Islamic terrorists — enemies will adapt to security, and we must adapt as well to stay ahead. As terrorists become more sophisticated — so must we.
>> In what way?? I submit that it is NOT different in any signficant aspect. The only difference is that the Nazis were pagans, and the Muslims are monotheists (though they “might” be considered pagans, too.
I realize that you’ve “submitted” that — but thanks for the reiteration. The Nazis were an established military unit, and did not regularly engage in terrorist activity (from the traditional definition of the term) throughout the globe — they engaged in military conquest and organized genocide ... but their tactics did not regularly include the detonation of civilian populations by suicide bombers and using hijacked aircraft as missiles.
>> But “REAL ID” isn’t it. Close the borders, build the fence, and link up employers with Social Security is all that is necessary.
Agreed on all three — though I don’t agree that those measures would be entirely sufficient. Social security cards are quite easy to fake. ID upgrades might not be a bad idea for the “employer link”. Additionally, requiring ID for other activities (like renting apartments, for instance) would prevent illegal immigrants from living off of “off-the-books” cash-only employment (and thus circumventing SS# checks).
H
Denial is not a river in Egypt! Believe it!
Wrong, the difference is that Nazis were only capable of collecting intel, doing some assassinations or sabotage. Muslims have access to WMD's and are bent on whipping us off the face of the earth.
I repeat--you need to study the history a bit more. Though their origin was military, their plans and goals were exactly terrorist, and they would be considered terrorists by todays definition. Their proposed tactics didn't involve suicide bombing, but, they might well have used highjacked airliners.
And none of your response in any way clarifies how "REAL ID" is supposed to help. It is an unacceptable and highly dangerous curtailment of our civil liberties for an totally unjustifiable reason.
Nope. Not gonna happen without proof. The various state computer systems are all different, run on different software, and have other incompatibilities. The idea that any LEO from any state can log on and search any and all of those different databases and systems is ridiculous. The Fedgov can't even accomplish that, with different databases among different agencies.
Now try pulling the other leg.
>> I repeat—you need to study the history a bit more.
I repeat — condescension is obnoxious.
>> Their proposed tactics didn’t involve suicide bombing, but, they might well have used highjacked airliners.
But they didn’t. Thus — with the absence of suicide bombers and no hijackers using airplanes as weapons against civilian targets ... they’re clearly not the same.
Additionally — you failed to respond to my observation that it remains a poor idea to fight a current conflict with outdated security tactics. Regardless of whether the Islamic terrorists are tactically identical to the Nazis ... you cannot fight a new war with old tactics and expect to win. Enemies adapt to security — so we must continually adapt security to the enemies.
>> It is an unacceptable and highly dangerous curtailment of our civil liberties for an totally unjustifiable reason.
Which civil liberties are curtailed by an ID? This sounds like the phantom curtailment of civil liberties that liberals SWEAR is occurring due to the PATRIOT Act.
H
From your “about” page...
“As of 9/30/2007 I have chosen to end my posting on Free Republic...”
so...um...what happened with that?
So what’s your answer? Why should they obey a law prohibiting use of DNA at all over one prohibiting certain aspects of its use?
There’s a real narrow edge here. It’s very easy to slip over into the fever dreams of the conspiracy theorists. Once you’re in that dream, there is no escape, since any evidence whatsoever that might be presented tending to disprove the conspiracy just shows that those presenting the evidence are in on the conspiracy.
How does it affect my liberty for me to be able to identify myself, and make it difficult for someone else to identify themselves as me?
Do you consider it an invasion of your privacy when the bank wants ID before you can transact on your account? I suppose so.
Or which affects your freedom to travel more: a.) showing ID to the airline, and flying to your destination, or b.) a collapsed airline industry because the public won’t board planes?
my post was rhetorical/sarcastic, but heres a good why.
How about the government get the hell outta joe citizens life instead of being in your face at every turn ?
we can have bs dna taken only from criminals, thatll be hunkydorey, cept the masters are inclined to make it illegal to object to 'voluntary' submission,lest youre hiding something...
raise an army, build some roads and build and man a damn fence and leave me the hell alone, thats gobmints real job...
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