California Republican introduced national I.D. card legislation

He will tell you that it is not a national I.D. card, but the legislation introduced by Rep. David Drier (R-Ca.) would require the Social Security Administration to issue plastic, photo I.D. cards that includes social security number and an encrypted computer chip that would allow potential employers to access a national employment eligibility computer data base which would be maintained by SSA and contain personal information about every citizen and resident alien. Drier, however, has a plan to prevent this from being perceived as a National I.D. card; the words "This is not a national I.D. card" will be printed on each card. Well, that should eliminate any possibility of abuse. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that if the Federal Government issues a photo card that I am required to show in order to get a job, then that is a national I.D. card. Read a news story about this legislation here. Read the complete text and overview of this legislation here. Please let Rep. Drier know what you think of this idea by contacting him here.

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For the first time ever, the Heritage Foundation & Wall Street Journal's joint survey of economic freedom does not put the United States in the top 10. Read the complete story here.

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Sirius satellite Radio has made two big announcements. They will add an instant replay feature to it's popular plug & play Sportster model and they will begin offering live television video service in 2006 in a joint venture with Microsoft.

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Sixty years after it's release, F.A. Hayak's herald call to reject central planning and social democracy movements, The Road to Serfdom, is as vibrant and relevant today as ever. Reason Magazine's Nick Gilliespie interviews Hayak biographer Bruce Caldwell about what Hayak believed, what he accomplished and how his insight can be applied to the 21st Century world. Read the interview here.

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"Iraq election a step toward a social contract" is a fascinating analysis by Tom Friedman in which he argues that, unlike Eastern Europe, there is no democratic majority ready made and waiting to be unleashed in Iraq. Therefore, it is far from a decided question whether or not the Iraqi people are ready to "liberate" themselves.