we all have to have our "internal passports" by May 2008

[donsu]

http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/3835


Creeping towards a national ID card?


The Department of Homeland Security proposed guidelines yesterday for its REAL ID program (pdf) towards the standardization of state identification cards. States have to begin issuing the so-called domestic "internal passports" by May 2008, otherwise people may not be able to board airplanes or enter federal courthouses. The regulations deal with all sorts of complex matters, like how databases from different states will interact and what the required elements will be on the face of an ID card.

These regulations aren't enforceable yet. There's a clause allowing for states to apply for an extension to 2010. And Congress could pass bills in the meantime that would make the regulations moot. But if they indeed are implemented, it could cost states and individuals $23 billion over 10 years. And it means that if your driver's license expires, you won't be able to renew it by mail. You'll probably have to go to the DMV in person (and, naturally, wait in line for hours), and bring lots of supporting documentation with you to prove that you are really who you say you are.
-snip-
-------------------------------


oh to live in a free country again

[tblue]

1. How soon can I apply for an intergallactic passport?

[ret5hd]

2. you can only apply in person, and the line is 2 parsecs long.

[tblue]

6. Dang, that's long! And what's a parsec?

[ret5hd]

8. 3.3 light years

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/1995/pl_gloss.html

[Whit]

12. I'm with you tblue ! How do we...

get them to forgo the "Prime Directive" ? I'm ready to go now !!! lol

[ShortnFiery]

3. DHS needs to account for the 11 Million illegal immigrants before invading American Citizens'

privacy rights.

This is NOT making us safer! :grr:

[dkofos]

4. It would make DHS safer!!

[ShortnFiery]

5. Hell, their illustrious background checks didn't reveal a high ranking pedophile

Under the NeoConservatives, DHS is seemingly just taking up space and burning up our tax dollars. Damn our Democratic Representatives if they don't block this insanity of a National ID Card. :thumbsdown: :grr: :thumbsdown:

[dkofos]

7. Maybe the Dems can dismantle DHS and go back to the old way,

as soon as they are done with the Iraq occupation.

[kestrel91316]

9. You are so right. But why would they do that? The illegals

are the ones who work for sub-minimum wages, so THEY are wanted in this country. Not us. I think they'd prefer we LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND NATURAL-BORN CITIZENS just leave. We actually have an expectation of rights.

[dragonlady]

10. Here's what I wrote about his two years ago

http://sensenbrennerwatch.blogspot.com/2005_05_29_archive.html


At that time we were hoping to unseat Jim Sensenbrenner, who was responsible for pushing this through under the radar as part of the military appropriation bill. Sadly, we were not successful on that score.

There are many things wrong with this scheme. The DHS questions and anwers linked from the original post
at http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1172767635686.shtm
seem to allay fears about identity theft and other concerns, but in reality (pun intended) I doubt it will be effective.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

11. I already have mine.

Found it in my Cracker Jacks!

[ORDagnabbit]

13. not me....see ya in the gulag or in the resistance n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. I am there in spirit already. This country's government and policy

do not represent my democratic ideals. They continue to isolate the citizenry.

[Golden Raisin]

15. Maybe we should just pass "Go" and

zoom straight to yellow stars on your clothing like the Nazi's did? Blacks, Muslims, Jews, Gays, Hispanics, Illegals, etc. could all have their own color-coded ID. Hell, Halliburton already has the contracts for domestic internment camps. This'll just speed up the process. I never thought I'd see my beloved country spiral down into Fascism so rapidly.

[AdHocSolver]

16. Real ID will make identity theft easier and make bringing the US to its knees easier.

The more you automate, the easier it is to invade and foul up a system. For Real ID to work, it requires tight security of all integrated computer systems and communication using such techniques as encryption. Any weak link in a network makes it possible to attack the entire network. The power outage that caused a massive blackout in Eastern US and Canada a while ago was brought about by a problem in one power grid propagating throughout all the computer systems in the network.

Computer system security is an oxymoron. Many computer systems run a well-known operating system subject to attack from thousands of viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Instead of having to search several different databases for an individual's personal information, an identity thief will have it all handily placed in one giant database by homeland security. It is called putting all your eggs in one basket. A majority of corporate and government computers have been cracked at least once, corporate computers have been stolen with thousands of records of personal data, and its been covered up and down-played to give people a false sense of security.

The way to maintain good security of private information and thwart data theft and invasion of privacy is to keep the MINIMUM amount of data in any one database, severely LIMIT ACCESS to the database, and use encryption techniques where appropriate. Unfortunately, most businesses and government agencies do just the opposite and lull people into having a false sense of security because the attacks are covered up or downplayed.

Another problem with Real ID is that if your data gets lost or corrupted, think about the trouble you might go through to correct it if this system is instituted as planned. Another downside to Real ID is that the people that are promoting this thing will have steadfast faith in it that nothing could possibly go wrong with it. The sad fact is that instead of promoting security, it will actually decrease our security as it makes us more vulnerable.