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The deadline of yet another, and perhaps the most insidious, element of the post-9/11 initiatives (a partial list of which includes the establishment of the Transportation Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and a never-ending international war against a nebulously-defined, noncorporeal enemy, "terror") is less than one year from coming to fruition. Beginning no later than October 1, 2020, citizens of all US states and territories will be required to have a Real ID compliant card or US passport to board a commercial plane or enter a Federal government facility. Pundits citing the inevitability of what amounts to a national ID card have, regrettably, been vindicated.
https://www.aier.org/article/while-you-slept-government-created-internal-passports/
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Wednesday November 06 2019, @06:54PM (3 children)
Your identity is none of the government's business unless required for a legitimate government purpose, and one should not be required to obtain government identification because one is free not to. One may lead a severely limited life without it, but it used to be possible to do so. One might even live life without a State ID card (no driving privileges, ID only). One could even vote without a government ID (still can in places that are still free).
Entering Federal facilities (within common sense limits - you don't just 'walk into' a prison or the White House) is a right of the governed and one should not be required to identify oneself. Airplane travel... well.... that's certainly saying you're not innocent until proven guilty to require an ID to board and for a long long time in the history of air travel identification was not required for domestic air travel.
It started with Birth Certificates, then taxes, then moved to Social Security. Then citizenship verifications for work.
It may in fact be a function of population pressure; I believe Heinlein speculated such speaking in Lazarus Long's voice.
At any rate, no, this isn't an internal passport. But we're on the slippery slope for that direction. Next up... you won't be able to travel at all in a different state from your own without valid identification.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Wednesday November 06 2019, @07:01PM (1 child)
Heinlein:
This sig for rent.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday November 07 2019, @06:52AM
You don't need individual IDs when the computers, cameras, and cell towers can track you continuously, though.
(Score: 1) by zion-fueled on Thursday November 07 2019, @01:17AM
You already can't travel. They tried to get the TSA onto train/bus stations. More and more places require IDs to board or purchase tickets. Horses and walking don't work on the freeway, they're illegal.