Bush: National IDs Soon

Ronald Bailey | May 15, 2006

Illegal immigration is being used as an excuse to force all Americans to have a national ID card. Bush made this clear when he called this evening for tamper-proof IDs for temporary workers which means that everybody in the U.S. would have to have such IDs in order to tell who is a permanent worker (U.S. citizen) versus a temporary worker (foreigner). This should make the Real ID proponents happy.

Comments

Jeffrey|5.15.06 @ 8:28PM|#

I personally have never seen anything wrong with National ID's. I actually think a National ID would help with fraud, identity theft, and illegal immigration.

|5.15.06 @ 8:38PM|#

Not to mention rounding up political opponents. You know, "enemy combatants" in the drug war, etc.

|5.15.06 @ 8:46PM|#

Jeffrey, in that case I suggest read this and this.

The gist?

It doesn't really matter how well an ID card works when used by the hundreds of millions of honest people that would carry it. What matters is how the system might fail when used by someone intent on subverting that system: how it fails naturally, how it can be made to fail, and how failures might be exploited.

Given the failure modes, how well do IDs solve the problem? Not very well. They're prone to errors and misuse, and are likely to be blindly trusted even when wrong.

|5.15.06 @ 8:50PM|#

But look at how successful an ID requirement was in stopping teens from drinking!

|5.15.06 @ 8:57PM|#

Do'h! Forgot tag attribute. Here's the second link from previous post

|5.15.06 @ 9:06PM|#

What exactly is wrong with today's system that would be fixed by national IDs? Is the benefit worth the cost? What about letting the states manage things?

|5.15.06 @ 9:12PM|#

I personally have never seen anything wrong with National ID's. I actually think a National ID would help with fraud, identity theft, and illegal immigration.

Nope. It centralizes all this data (meaning many, many people need and can abuse access) and raises the value of the single card, thus making a lucrative market in them. I'd be on the market for a few spares. for when the first one is compromised...

|5.15.06 @ 9:17PM|#

It took me enough time and trouble and phone calls to hammer out all the problems when an ID thief took out a credit card in my name. I shudder to think about getting over somebody faking an all-purpose ID.

The Wine Commonsewer|5.15.06 @ 9:23PM|#

Come on, my official tamper proof birth certificate has the wrong frikkin' birthday on it and it doesn't match my official tamper proof driver license.

BTW, The National ID card should give the senior Senator from Californicate a virtual thrill (I was going to say something more rude but declined).

Feinstein has been shilling for retina scans for a decade.

KipEsquire|5.15.06 @ 9:35PM|#

We already have a national ID card. It's called a passport.

|5.15.06 @ 9:35PM|#

Why bother with the National ID? In a few years time we can have everybody chipped so the satellites can monitor us from space like benevolent gods.

|5.15.06 @ 9:37PM|#

The age of privacy, which didn't last very long in the first place, is over. National ID cards will, themselves, be outdated by instant DNA identification and verification. The state (and who knows else) will know everything about you from birth to death. All that will remain is the GPS transponder implanted at birth so the state will always know where you are, too.

Sweet dreams.

|5.15.06 @ 9:40PM|#

I'm mystified...

For decades, all I heard from Con/Reps was how government just screws things up and the bigger government gets the more beaurocracy just gets in the way. And it always cost to damn much at that.

So now that we're Con/Rep run we get bigger and more expensive government "solutions" to things despite overwhelming evidence in the last 6 years alone that government is more likely than not to be the problem rather than the solution.

IDs, bigger border patrol, National Guard troops actually guarding the nation...

I've officially had it Bush and whatever "base" he's trying to appeal to. Bush's base can kiss my lily-white ass.

|5.15.06 @ 9:43PM|#

So, when do I get the number on my hand so that I can buy and sell? I just hope I don't have to have one on my forehead. That'd suck.

|5.15.06 @ 9:45PM|#

All that will remain is the GPS transponder implanted at birth so the state will always know where you are, too.

Then Bush's base will start screaming "Mark of the Beast!" and "Anti-Christ"...afterall, it's what their waiting for...

|5.15.06 @ 9:54PM|#

Then Bush's base will start screaming "Mark of the Beast!" and "Anti-Christ"...afterall, it's what their waiting for...

Yes well, human beings have a habit of making the prophecies that are near and dear to their heart come true.

|5.15.06 @ 10:11PM|#

You may all think I am a true tin-foiler, but the time is rapidly approaching for Americans, true Americans, to break the bonds of this oppressive government and refresh the tree of liberty. If this be treason, make the most of it.

Warren|5.15.06 @ 11:18PM|#

Mr. President, I would like to suggest another way that I think is a lot better, It's a lot cheaper. It can't be counterfeited. It's very lightweight, and impossible to lose. It's even waterproof. All we have to do is tattoo an identification number on the inside of everybody's arm

The Wine Commonsewer|5.16.06 @ 12:12AM|#

Even though I've known for years that this was coming I find it all so very depressing.

|5.16.06 @ 12:27AM|#

No Warren, on the forehead. And the numbers should all begin with 666.

|5.16.06 @ 12:35AM|#

I'm not getting any mark on my forehead, goddammit. Hand or nothing.

|5.16.06 @ 2:08AM|#

As others have mentioned, the idea of national IDs is a good one, but just doesn't go far enough. How am I supposed to know someone is an illegal or not by just looking at him? Am I going to be expected to have to check IDs every time I see someone on the street?

The tatoo ideas are good, but they're kind of intrusive, and I just don't see a large majority of our conservative friends going for it. No, we need something else. A badge, maybe. Yeah, a badge that everyone will have to wear in public life. And the badges could be color-coded too!

|5.16.06 @ 5:29AM|#

Well, IF it happens, I will NOT be using one. Even if that means dropping out of society and not working ( well I work for myself anyway, good luck with that). Who is with me?

Xmas|5.16.06 @ 8:42AM|#

moonbiter,

Why don't we just make everyone wear colored jumpsuits. Maybe we could even color-code the jumpsuits based level of trustworthiness of the individual. Maybe rainbow colors. We could start with Black, just call it "Infrared" and we could work all the way up to white, or "Ultra-Violet".

(If you get this joke, be proud of your geekiness.)

|5.16.06 @ 9:17AM|#

No way Kerry would have been worse. No frickin' way. Bush's answer to everything is central control. And we can all see how well that idea is working in Iraq.

|5.16.06 @ 9:42AM|#

"Well, Mr. DeWitt; we've gone over your employment application and you seem eminently qualified for this job. Unfortunately the central database has red-flagged you for some reason; it seems your papers aren't entirely in order. Nothing to worry about, I'm sure; you can clear it up with these nice men after they take you to the station..."

|5.16.06 @ 9:45AM|#

(If you get this joke, be proud of your geekiness.)

Joke?! Are you laughing at The Computer's wonderful scheme?

|5.16.06 @ 9:55AM|#

JD Jackson:

In that case, you could call yourself Blank JD Jackson and run a pirate TV station out of your bus.

|5.16.06 @ 12:15PM|#

If you get this joke ...

I am at once both proud and ashamed.

R C Dean|5.16.06 @ 12:28PM|#

he called this evening for tamper-proof IDs

Haven't they spent years and millions trying to develop tamper-proof IDs for Homeland Security folks, with no success?

|5.16.06 @ 3:47PM|#

"I know! We'll develop a system to force compliance from people who are already complying without the system!"

|5.20.06 @ 4:13AM|#

Green cards and EADs for non-permanent residents already have digital photographs and fingerprints, taken at a USCIS office. I have no idea what Bush might be proposing that's more 'tamper-proof', unless it really is tattoos.

Basic logic means that a National ID is on the way, and one that will include even more biometric data than immigrant ID. Oh, and federalisation of the issuing of birth certificates, since county/state variation makes them far too easy to fake.

That's the devil's bargain here: whatever data you want placed in a big central computer on immigrants, you'll have to place more for citizens.