Faking Security

Via Avedon comes a reminder that the misnamed "REAL ID Act" is set to pass the Senate today. Much of the debate about a national ID card assumes from the start that such a thing would improve security. The only serious arguments seem to be about whether such an obvious increase in safety would be worth the resulting restrictions on personal privacy or the financial burdens placed on the states.

Security expert Bruce Schneier, however, convincing shows that the current debate is premature because the premise is false: national ID cards won't make us more secure. In fact, we will all be less safe in a system that relies upon the correct identification of individuals.

I'm all for having a real debate about what would be required to improve our nation's security, but I'm a little tired of having that debate short-circuited by Republican politicians like John Ashcroft and James Sensenbrenner. Better security isn't something you get by acting tough, it's something you get by being smart. And right now, we don't seem to have any smart people in charge.