I think it was martin (?) in the other thread that said something about drivers licenses in regard to id cards. We've already got social security numbers/cards from the federal government and drivers licenses from the state. Seems like we already have two forms of id cards. Why not enforce regulations on these and modify them if needed. No need to create another inefficient bureaucracy for national id cards. Fix what we already have and we won't need them.
I'm not for them, but I'm not completely against them. I don't see the real problem with them to be honest. Really, the only issue I would have with them is that it would probably make buying alcohol underage more difficult, and even though I'm 21 some of my friends aren't and I don't respect that law so I don't want to see more ways to enforce it. I suspect it would have a lot of political hurdles to jump before this could happen any way.
Both of which are regularly counterfeited to get jobs and benefits for illegals. Also people have learned to guard their SSN for fear of identity theft. The Social Security card has ZERO security features and the drivers licenses have minimal security. These cards were never intended to be identification cards, but have been used as such in the absence of a proper secure ID. Both are easily faked and difficult to check, especially in another state. The difference with a smart ID card with a computer chip is that it can encode much more data which can be compared with the valid data online, Then it becomes imposible to fake the ID because they cannot fake the master online security database. All an employer (or law enforcement officals) would have to do is have a small card reader and thumbprint scanner device to plug into their computer. Then the Internet records are called up to verify identity and foreign national status, if any. Quick, easy, and secure.
My drivers license has a magnetic strip on the back like a credit card. I have no clue what data it contains.
I'm totally against a national ID. We have less and less privacy in our lives and government is getting to the point these days that our founding fathers feared IMHO. There are cameras everywhere nowdays that watch every move we make. I do realize that this could be a benefit in identifying criminals however it could also be used as an excuse. Don't believe me, talk to the law abiding citizens in NO that had their guns taking away then it took a court order to get them back which meant they weren't returned to their homes, they had to go get them. George Orwell 1984, Revelations, today some of this stuff spooks me! The mark of the beast could be here in one of these cards in the near future.
Of course I tend to think SDMan is a complete whacko. I tend to agree with him here though. I don't see a benefit of having an ID card. Isn't a passport kind of a National ID?
Why are people talking about the mark of the beast? Do our state licenses contain the mark of the beast? No. What would make people think that is what a national ID would lead to...
[60% tongue in cheek] It's real easy! Link your National ID to your Visa account! One-card convenience for all your payments! It also deters counterfeiters. Accepted at all retailers! In other news, Visa has acquired Mastercard, American Express and Discover. In still other news, the United Nations has acquired Visa for your convenience. [/60% tongue in cheek]
