A national ID system (standard in effectively all European countries) is table stakes for state capacity. I find the RealID opposition baffling.

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eesmith 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The major European exception being the UK, which doesn't issue identity cards and somehow manages. (Apparently Andorra doesn't either.)

You might consider it part of the Anglosphere mentality as Canada, the US, Australia, the Bahamas, and New Zealand don't have national ID.

I've never understood the problem that RealID is supposed to solve.

How is it TSA can accept a Veteran Health Identification Card or photo identification card issued by a federally recognized tribe, and the passports from every country in the world, but not a state-issued ID which is not REAL ID-compliant?

	▲	aboardRat4 17 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		>How is it TSA can accept a Veteran Health Identification Card or photo identification card issued by a federally recognized tribe, and the passports from every country in the world, but not a state-issued ID which is not REAL ID-compliant? They can only accept them before IDs are implemented of course, as a poor substitute. After national id documents are standardised, it's just them, nothing else counts.

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axus 16 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In the US, we like to reduce state capacity. Helps limit the damage bad actors can do when they are in power.

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coldtea 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

And how's that been working out for you?

Not asking whether "reducing state capacity" helps with that. Asking how's that "reducing" going.

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anticensor 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Except such a federal ID already exists: the Passport Card. Make it free to obtain and mandatory to use.

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mothballed 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Passport card can be revoked over fairly small amounts of late child support which applies to a surprisingly large portion of America, particularly historically oppressed minorities. It would be quite foolish to rely on that for identification if you have children as a simple divorce could put you in instant arrears and cause you to lose your ID.

	▲	aboardRat4 12 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		>Passport card can be revoked over fairly small amounts of late child support This is clearly ridiculous and not in any way connected to the reason passports exist. It's just purely bureaucratic tyranny. Even the stated goal of "preventing people from running away to other countries" doesn't work, because the USA doesn't have border service check the passport _on leaving_ the country.

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dpark 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This seems deeply delusional at this point.

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markdown 12 hours ago | parent [-]

As delusional as thinking the 2nd amendment will help "limit the damage bad actors can do when they are in power".

	▲	whimsicalism 40 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		no, it’s actually the same delusion as that one

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redsocksfan45 21 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

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