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A national biometric database: obviously just more Libertarian paranoia ...

Except, of course, that the source is Wired:

The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system. 
Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation (.pdf)  is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named “photo tool,” a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID. 
Employers would be obliged to look up every new hire in the database to verify that they match their photo.
Of course, both President Obama and all of his supporters will tell me that (a) it is paranoid to think the government has intentions other than those stated; (b) that "slippery slope" arguments are always fallacious; (c) that the government would never target its own citizens for involuntary detention; (d) and that Gitmo will be closed, with the innocent there being released.

The reality, once again very uncomfortable for my liberal friends, is that Richard Nixon had far more respect for civil liberties and the rule of law than Barack Obama.

Comments

The Last Ephor said…
and Nixon had enough respect for the office to resign.

Given the targeting of the Tea party groups by the IRS this creates a horror that would make the Stasi quiver with jealousy
May 13, 2013 at 10:58 AM
Delaware Watch said…
If the federal government wanted to subject us to "involuntary detention" (when is detention voluntary?), they could easily do so now with their existing records and records they could obtain from state agencies. So I don't see how this represents an unique threat.
May 13, 2013 at 12:14 PM
NCSDad said…
DS:
They would need to refine the data so the first broad group detained would be easily stigmatized. (First they came for the gypsies ).
I'm not saying I'm worried about mass detention, just aware of where this road leads.
May 13, 2013 at 4:15 PM
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