National Identification Systems

I draw people's attention to the newly-added book link at the top left-hand side of McBlog. The link is to National Identification Systems: Essays in Opposition edited by Carl Watner with Wendy McElroy. A synopsis of the book: Governments have always sought more efficient ways to count, tax, allocate, monitor and order the activities of their citizens. Here are 27 essays that present historical, religious, moral and practical arguments against government enumeration and naming practices, and discuss how the collection of seemingly innocent data could be used to commit abuses. Part I recounts the history of what we now call national ID. Part II covers such technologies as microchips, email tracking and camera-based surveillance systems, applying to each the test,"How would this catch terrorists or other criminals without destroying the rights of peaceable people?" Part III imagines a future of resistance against a government tracking of its citizens in the name of security, but offers some hope that American culture does not lend itself to the fanatical control that a high-tech national ID system could make possible. Click here for the Table of Contents.