The passport scam

If you watched TV or read the news recently in the United States, you may have caught that our government is about to restrict domestic airline travel by insisting that some carry their passports with them. Some now, all later.

The argument is that although you are required to show state issued ID such as a drivers license, as there are fifty states plus commonwealth countries such as Puerto Rico, the airport TSA workers cannot reliably know what is legitimate ID and what is faked.

I know that you’re saying that it really doesn’t make any difference. Any terrorist can easily get a legitimate accepted ID card of some type so checking ID is mostly theater to create the illusion of “keeping us safe” and increase government agency budgets.

Our government will start requiring passports in the few states that don’t issue federally approved drivers licenses. I think it will then spread to all fifty states plus, plus, plus. Why? The reason that will be given is that, as almost all of the US passports are identical, the TSA agents will easily spot fakes and not have to remember what all fifty plus licenses look like.

Our government will answer critics saying that we’re turning into a police state by stating that the TSA agent will only look at the passports and will not instantly electronically validate them, like Customs and Immigration does.

The critics will also complain that disadvantaged black or African American citizens, who can’t afford the few dollars to get a drivers license or ID card to vote, will not be able to afford the approximately $150 it will cost to get a passport, that includes the cost of a photograph.

Our government will answer that by issuing free passports (at taxpayer expense) to people who can’t afford them, or pretend they can’t. No mention will be made that if they can afford to fly, why do they need a free passport. Although flying anywhere plus additional expenses is far more than the cost of a passport, that doesn’t matter.

It will benefit the Democratic Party as disadvantaged citizens can show a passport for identification at the polling booth as well.

Republicans will object, of course. It could ruin some of their perpetual reelections if more people can vote for their opponents.

This is called the drip, drip, drip process. You think backwards from the end game back to the beginning; plan your steps and then move forward one increment at a time.

Start small and keep making small changes. It’s otherwise known as the “camel getting its nose under the tent” method.

At a later time, when the critics have gone back to sleep, the rules will change and the TSA agents will start electronically swiping the passports. It will be claimed that they must be sure, for our security, that the passports are not good forgeries so it’s the only way to “keep us safe.”

That pitch always works and… voila, we will be tracked using yet another method for our government to log our activities. The final step will be for a mandatory national identity card in lieu of a passport. That will be swiped as well. And then we’re done for.

It will all be “for our own protection, and to keep us safe.” The ring fence is almost complete with the only exit, the economic abattoir in 2018-19. Keep rowing and keep your mouth shut.