House Republicans are Not Happy Real ID Act Postponed

Really? And here I thought Republicans did not like the idea of Big Brother Government. But, apparently they do, as they stated in a letter this week to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that "any further extension of Real ID threatens the security of the United States."

What is Real ID? A national ID card. This standardized digital identity card comes fully equipped with a GPS chip, that would've been required to board airplanes or enter federal buildings thanks to President Bush signing The Real ID Act of 2005, under the guise of an antiterrorist measure . However, due to public outcry, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security postponed the effective date of the Real ID Act until January 15, 2013.

Reliance on new information technology to prevent so-called terror is creating the surveillance society George Orwell predicted. On the surface it may not sound threatening; however, when you consider that computers can cut across electronic data - police/sales/medical/financial records, etc. - discerning patterns and applying profiles that result in brand new information and links in a matter of seconds...and then track you down in another couple of seconds, it's quite scary.

State Legislative Activity in Opposition to Real ID