Quote Originally Posted by mbeach
By standardizing the security features from state to state, the possiblity of a false ID being passed is decreased.
That assertation is 100% false.

Ok only 99% false.

That 1% of correctness applies to the first 6 months or so during which all the ID forgers in the entire country are still spinning up on the now nationwide standard.

Once you have 50x the people focused on forging the single, standardized set of IDs, the quality level will go through the roof. The end result will be forgeries of the highest quality for prices lower then ever before. Economics applies to criminal enterprise just as much as it does to any other kind.

Meanwhile, most people aren't even asking the really important questions -

Why do we need identity cards?
How did we go from a license to drive to a license to travel?
What compelling interest is there for the government to force a national identity system on law-abiding citizens?
What happened to the fourth amendment - right of the people to be secure in their ... papers ... against unreasonable searches ?

When real criminals are just going to use cheap, ultra-high quality forgeries,
what possible benefit is there to law-abiding citizens in such a system?