From: Timothy C. May I basically agree with Duncan's noble sentiments. I just don't think it likely that the "What about the tourists?" argument will stop the national ID juggernaut once it begins to move. .............................................................. And I can imagine be that tourists, especially, would be the special focus for ID cards and databases, since they evoke all sorts of fears of foreigners - not only the problems which Tim mentioned, but also of international crime, espionage, terrorism, etc. It could easily become very important to establish databases to maintain records on people who have ever entered the U.S., so that that there would be a reference for any questionable activities requiring this kind of info. I know some of these things are already in existence, but not yet like the kind which would be set up if the nationalization of IDs became accepted. And if governments become very concerned about commercial protectionism, they might accept the idea of ID cards for control of traffic, from their competing national interests. This is a great interest of mine, regarding the package deals which are a part of being an automatic member of a country/political system - the national "identity" which makes one subject to whatever system of operations the ruling class decides to implement. If one could make oneself "irrelevant" to the location where one was at the time - either from having an established residence elsewhere, or from having no declared membership/citizenship anywhere, I would think this would eliminate some of the regional, political administrations of policy which would otherwise apply. But with IDs and databases and closed door protectionist policies, this appears impossible. I haven't read "The Shockwave Rider", but I shall; hopefully it will have imaginative (& realistic) scenarios on these possibilities (many sci-fi books are too remotely far off in fantasy-time than realizable in a near-future time scale.) Blanc