From: Blanc Weber <blancw@microsoft.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 94 12:37:40 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: ID card from hell
Message-ID: <9407141937.AA28303@netmail2.microsoft.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


From: Timothy C. May

I basically agree with Duncan's noble sentiments. I just don't think
it likely  that the "What about the tourists?" argument will stop the
national ID juggernaut once it begins to move.
..............................................................

And I can imagine be that tourists, especially, would be the special 
focus for ID cards and databases, since they evoke all sorts of fears 
of foreigners - not only the problems which Tim mentioned, but also of 
international crime, espionage, terrorism, etc.

It could easily become very important to establish databases to 
maintain records on people who have ever entered the U.S., so that that 
there would be a reference for any questionable activities requiring 
this kind of info.  I know some of these things are already in 
existence, but not yet like the kind which would be set up if the 
nationalization of IDs became accepted.

And if governments become very concerned about commercial 
protectionism, they might accept the idea of ID cards for control of 
traffic, from their competing national interests.

This is a great interest of mine, regarding the package deals which are 
a part of being an automatic member of a country/political system -  
the national "identity" which makes one subject to whatever system of 
operations the ruling class decides to implement.   If one could make 
oneself "irrelevant" to the location where one was at the time - either 
from having an established residence elsewhere, or from having no 
declared membership/citizenship anywhere, I would think this would 
eliminate some of the regional, political administrations of policy 
which would otherwise apply.  But with IDs and databases and closed 
door protectionist policies, this appears impossible.

I haven't read "The Shockwave Rider", but I shall; hopefully it will 
have imaginative (& realistic) scenarios on these possibilities (many 
sci-fi books are too remotely far off in fantasy-time than realizable 
in a near-future time scale.)

Blanc