WebMink
Simon Phipps's personal commentary

US National ID Law This Week?

According to UnRealID.com, the US will be getting nationally-harmonised identity cards introduced this week as part of a bill enacting changes to support the war in Iraq. It doesn't look like the matter will get any scrutiny because a vote against the national ID act is thus also a vote against troops in Iraq. My American friends may wish to urgently contact their Senators. And I thought Britain would be the first with the national ID card too...

Update: Security expert Bruce Schneier says much more about this than I ever could. [Thanks to Coyote Gulch] Key quote:

If you haven't heard much about REAL ID in the newspapers, that's not an accident. The politics of REAL ID is almost surreal. It was voted down last fall, but has been reintroduced and attached to legislation that funds military actions in Iraq. This is a "must-pass" piece of legislation, which means that there has been no debate on REAL ID. No hearings, no debates in committees, no debates on the floor. Nothing.

Near as I can tell, this whole thing is being pushed by Wisconsin Rep. Sensenbrenner primarily as an anti-immigration measure. The huge insecurities this will cause to everyone else in the United States seem to be collateral damage.

Come on, America. Why are you sleeping?

posted at 7:22 AM (UK) | |