"To my Libertarian friends - I am with you. This is a hill not worth dying for. Trust me, it is not. There are others I will stand side by side with you. Just not this hill."
I was not going to address this issue this afternoon. Lord knows, there are dozens of other issues which are happening right now. But please - can we put some sanity on this issue? Some of my social media friends think I have taken a long walk off a short pier. That I don't read nor understand the Constitution anymore. Oh, that is not correct. But I have tried to mix in a small dose or realism in with this "enhanced" ID issue.
One of the things I learned when I was "in the business" of having a high level clearance is simply this (and anyone who has had a high level clearance will tell you the same) - similar to an iceberg, only 10% is given out to the public. The other 90% is hidden. Bottom line - the government knows just about everything on each of us. Unless we can live 100% off the grid (good luck on that one), the government knows who we are, what we do, and how and when we do it.
What? You don't believe that? Read up on the metadata which is collected on each of us at the NSA facility in Bluffdale, Utah. They have the most powerful computers in the world. And storage space which would make your head spin. Please, forget the government for a second. Google is collecting tons of information on each of us right now. Why? They want to know how and why we tick. Why? Google knows the next big shebang is AI. And Google wants to lead the pack in AI. Knowing how we tick will give them a heads up.
Back to Real ID for a minute. Fact one: It was passed into law under G.W. Bush. Not an Obama conspiracy. And BTW, the feds control the airports. If MN does not have accept Real ID, the choice will be simple. Either we don't fly, use a passport, or we comply with a Real ID system. Fact two: According to the DMV, the proof required to get the Real ID is no different than what is required to get a Social Security Card or a passport. Big flipping deal.
One final thing for my absolute Libertarians. For those who have been in the service AND had a high level clearance, you know what it like to have the skin stripped off of you. After my first background investigation, the government knew everything about me, including how often I changed my underwear. And every time I went though a five year update, the intrusion started all over again. Why did I put up with it? Because even though not absolute, the government wanted to keep "Bradley Manning" types out of the security business.
One final thing about Real ID. You don't have to get one. But it you don't get one, be aware. Flying will be tough. Going into Canada or Mexico will be tough. Getting on to a military base will be tough. But if you are a homebody, no sweat. You don't need one. Some, who work for the federal government in certain jobs, or are retired from the military, there is no problem.
To my Libertarian friends - I am with you. This is a hill not worth dying for. Trust me, it is not. There are others I will stand side by side with you. Just not this hill.
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