Sorry Coolhand, didn't mean to imply you support gulags! I meant to illustrate how the logic that something isn't bad, because it is similar to something we already have, how that logic can (and will) be pushed further and further.
How about this then - Since no-one in their right mind would admit to being a liberal, let's assume everyone here is conservative. Does that not apply to the most important aspect of conservatism, fiscal conservatism? HOW many BILLIONS will this new piece of plastic cost?! BILLIONS! HOW is it justified when there isn't enough money to pay for granny's medicine or even her rent? When there isn't enough money to up-armor all the hmmwvs, when there isn't enough money to cut back on the deficit spending? It seems that with money in such short supply, someone must REALLY want to ID everyone in America for some reason, I mean the Really want to do this. That alone is worth suspicion.
Then how about this - do you like junk-mail? NO? Then why would you want even more of it? Government information is often sold to demographic plotters, who perform services for commercial enterprises (Where is a good place to open a jewelry store? Ok thx.) Perfectly legit. But now when you start centralizing all your info into billion dollar databases, which NEED to make money, they'll be selling your COSTCO information to SAFEWAY, and so on. Maybe it'll be a good thing, the government will be able to track the eating habits of Americans to better combat obesity. Look at all the good uses, all the good that can be done. Look at how much more efficient businesses will be as they further direct their advertising to those most effected by it - that means lower costs for them, and thus you. Good good good.
Uh oh, I just thought of one little problem, you're going to need this super-card for voting. Uh-oh, I just remembered the new voting systems are also being digitized, so it'll probably be pretty easy to tell who voted for what. (8:15 Joe Blow used his card to activate booth 17. 8:18 booth 17 registers a vote for Senator Smuckberger, and a yes to this and a no vote to that. Hmm, maybe unscrupulous people looking over this information later might connect that Joe Blow, who was in booth 17 voted for Smuckberger.
And I'm not a genius, if you have a genius and another geniuses thinking of these things, and helping to draft the legislations that are passed, and working in the companies with voting machines, then they can really come up with good stuff.
Uh oh, yea someone just mentioned that this new super-ID card will be used to identify and highlight and track all firearm owners. Maybe that's a good thing, because you never know when one of these guys is going to flip out in a McDonalds. As a bonus you know to keep an eye out for them, in case they break some technical safety rule. Like when those vans with cameras on their roofs (that everyone here thought were A-OK) that the police have, when those camera vans see your license plate and it registers to you, and your name flashes brightly as a firearm owner - when the guy gets out of the van and performs a visual inspection just to see if you have an unsecured firearm visible, or paraphanalia. What's to worry about? And those vans everyone here thought were A-OK that have microphones and monitor the conversations of people walking down the street, when they park outside of the range and record people's conversations, no-one here has every said anything at all, even in bad humor, that could cause the listening officers to put a red X beside your name, already highlighted for firearms ownership.
Nope, no potential to drastically alter the shape of society, none at all. And it's definately NOT like each new invasive technology will compile upon the rest to create a mechanism greater than the sum of its parts. Not a chance. It's just mandatory ID, a van with cameras that tracks and records license plates, and hidden microphone public surveillance cars. That's all.
What you are worried? THEN PAY THE DAMN $2 LIBRARY FINE! JESUS if you just don't do anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about! God damn paranoid bastards, with tin-foil hats, all worried just because social-security numebrs are used on national-IDs and there are vans monitoring people's vehicles and hidden microphones when you walk down the street. Paranoid bastards.
