“You” are not the government. To compare Pajamas Media with the U.S. Government is a category mistake.
The reality of it is that the burden of proof lies with promoters of unprecedented measures like national id (something the writers of the Constitution would have abhorred).
Freedoms are lost in our theory/philosophy long before they are lost in practice. I encourage you to look down the road a little further.
Instead of asking citizens “What do you have to hide?”–we should be monitoring the government and asking it’s members “Why do you want so much power?”
Surely we can think through ways to fight illegal immigration and terror without:
1. A massive increase in government power: If it were not such an increase, there would be no push for this change…
2. A continued undermining of federalism: Federalism is a great idea who time to return has come. It is a Constitutional ideal we should pursue.
3. An undermining of the 4th amendment: My person should be secure from searches and seizures.
If, indeed, biometrics is used someday, the government will have seized incredible personal information of innocent people. Where does this information go? Who will have access to it? Why shouldn’t I consider this information “mine?”
This measure is not really voluntary because REAL ID would control one’s access to banking and travel. The individual will have to have ongoing “permission” to access his own hard-earned money.
4. An increased ability to track Americans in real-time: The ease of real-time surveillance will be immeasurable advanced–apart from “GPS.”
5. An erosion of the presumption of innocence: Is the individual “innocent-until-proven guilty” or “suspect-until-properly-identified?”
6. A radically increased ability to enforce arbitrary (future) rules: Do we really believe politicians will resist using such an infrastructure that makes regulation enforcement and addition so easy?
The so-called “minimum standards” will increase–along with a certain increase in uses for the card.
and
7. Instant federal approval on whether you and I can earn money. This is an incredible power over an American. The “employee verification” system in the defunct immigration bill was tied to REAL ID. This aspect of immigration enforcement is sure to raise its head again.
These things, I believe, are some of the long-term results. The “What Next?” effect.
I’m all for stemming the tide of illegal immigration. But I don’t want to throw our freedoms into the dump to do it.
It’s ironic that the so-called conservatives are pushing for REAL ID. These “conservatives” should quit talking about their belief in “limited government.”
