Quote:
Originally posted by wwarner11
If my post was seen as harsh, that was not my intent. The point I was trying to put across was the fact that many people are so willing to relay on the government for almost everything. And I believe this is a case in point. Just because she had a problem years ago with a bank or pizza parlor does not preclude the fact that the author of that particular post is willing to give up the liberties of everyone because they could not resolve their problems.
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wwarner11's post should not be considered harsh. It should be considered fundamental to why he fears a National ID system. It displays a rather naive view of where the world is going. Once, one only worried about a credit rating. There were a few national credit databases (ie. TRW). Now, even your pizza shop will maintain a your credit rating and distribute it to their other stores across the country without your knowledge. Eventually everyone will have access to databases based upon your ID. How do you protect your good name? Today, you don't.
IOW wwarner11 feels that a National ID would diminish liberties - without any logical reason why or any example. But wwarner11 ignores this fact - no National ID means less liberties as demonstrated by the pizza shop example. He dismisses what will happen almost everywhere.
wwarner11 demonstrates a "don't worry, be happy" attitude. We already have an example of threats to one's liberty. One already has been blackballed from a pizza chain. It's the 'Canary in the Coalmine' - because we have no National ID system (that one can use or avoid). What happened in the pizza shop will eventually be everywhere.
Anyone can get your birth certificate, to use your good name, to steal. Do you know that Kroger's database has blackballed you because someone has stolen your name? You don't. Kroger does business where you don't shop. Again, like the pizza shop example, you have NO protection as your good name is trashed throughout the country.
1) Anyone can steal your ID. 2) You have no way to know your good name has been stolen. #2 is most appaulling. You have NO way of keeping another from making you a criminal in another state or country. That too has already happened. Even the president's daughter may have done it to a MD woman. There is no National ID system to protect you. That means we all have less liberties every day - if the fearful deny us a National ID system.
Tomorrow, it will be even easier to steal your ID. Next year, it will be easier than that. Every week, it becomes easier to destroy your life because no one is currently permitted to have protection - no National ID system. That is threat, directly, to my liberty.
Furthermore, every week, a reputation becomes more important as new databases appear everywhere. Yes, even the dry cleaners will access a database based upon your ID. That is inevitable. How do you protect your ID in all those databases?
There can be no disagreement here. A need for a National ID system is obvious. Not one post proves otherwise. I only read "fear of government - or all organizations as if it was the KKK". Any logical reason for no National ID system must first prove that ID theft is not and will never be a problem. Who will prove that? (Gaunlet thrown to the floor).
No logical reason is presented here to fear a (properly implemented) National ID system. There is plenty of logic (and reams of examples) to fear 'no' National ID system. However emotion rules minds of some posters who would deny others a right to protect their ID. Others would threaten the liberty of all lurkers because of an emotional fear of anything new.
"It involves government, therefore it must be evil." Silly. Government is more evil than the Mafia? Government is more evil than terrorists? Government is more evil than a citizen with a grudge against you?
Logic. First prove that ID threats don't exist and will not become more common. Only then does a poster have a LOGICAL reason to deny a need for National ID.
We clearly require something we did not need even 20 years ago. Strategic Objective: 1) We require a system to provide who we are. 2) We require a tool so that we can protect our ID.
If one fears a National ID, then one must also define a system that meets the Strategic Objective. IOW I demand that naysayers instead provide a solution. These are the Objectives. Define a solution. Add something productive (positive) to this thread such as ideas and solutions.
The need for a National ID is a given: a system available to anyone who requires such protection - such as 90+% of those who read this post. Those other 10% who fear the government have no reason to sign up nor deny the implementation of such a system. There is absolutely no logical reason to make a National ID system mandatory - except in minds that fear.
Strategic objectives of such a system are defined. The next question is, "who should run it?" Is it to be operated by Visa and Master Charge, or better by a government agency?
BTW, a National ID system does not record that you masterbate every third day or that you have a genetic disease. Again, that is the emotional fearing wildly. A National ID is based on commonly available and unique information that even Kodak products have already recorded. (Is Kodak also to be feared?)
Who is to run such a system? There are good reasons to ask this question. It is not a threat to a person's privacy. But there is a threat to those whose ID has special protection requirements, such as witness protection. Can Visa be trusted with such information?