"That's why it's fun arguing with you." Ugh <g> Or are you a lawyer?
Re: "How do you know this?" Experience.
Re: "but you realize that this is an open invitation to fraud." How so? The credit card issuer, e.g. VISA or AMEX that changes the number to protect themselves. They cancel the old number. They mail the new card to the existing address of record. It needs to be activated from the home phone, using a code word that's on your original application.
Re: "What's different is that now, they can assume your identity without bothering to take your identity papers. With a national identity card they'll have to look like you. Right now, all they have to do is get a driver's license issued in your name with their face in Iowa." I don't think it's that easy now, or would be any harder with a national i.d. card. Besides, nobody does business with Iowans, with or without i.d. <vbg>
Re: ". In short, it would be easier to get your card back if there was a nation-wide place to get it. Just show up, they check your fingerprints (or retinal scan or whatever) and they issue you a new card. And they automatically make it so that if someone else uses your old card they end up in jail." They already "automatically make it so that if someone else uses your": credit card, cash, car, home, bicycle, lawnmower, or spouse without your permission, they "end up in jail." How often does that work? Meanwhile, there are two "you's" running around out there, with the fake one using your i.d. until finally a $6.00/hour clerk at Penny's decides to look at the picture or check the fingerprint, which likely will be tens of transactions down the line.
(BTW - if you think cashing a check with an out-of-state d.l. is hard, how long do you think it will be before every store you'll shop at has retinal or fingerprint scanners? Not likely to be soon).
Re: "These are all empty arguments. What you're describing is the situation we have now." How so?
Re: "My attitude towards identity documents is strictly one of efficiency. I feel the same way about the uniform commercial code. I think it's a travesty that there are places in the country that don't come close to following it." Yes, state legislatures and even judges like to put their mark of distinction on everything, don't they? Even things that start with the word, "Uniform" and whose purpose is "uniformity." That's the mark of the American system and liberty. In fact, in a number of instances, the UCC drafting committee even offered different alternatives for states to enact as they saw fit. Of course, Louisiana is a different ball game <g>.
Re: "A good bit of the strength of the United States is in our monotonous similarity." I feel very different from you on that particular issue, and I think that's a good bit of our strength. We're probably one of, if not the least racially and ethnically pure countries in the world (though I don't have the stats.) We can disagree, and eventually, after all points are heard and rationally discussed, a consensus is formed, taking into account all the important stuff like future votes, contributions to upcoming campaigns, support for pork barrel projects, consolidation of power, and attainment of wealth, while trying to keep the inefficiencies to at least tolerable levels. <vbg>
Have to run. |
