Here in Canada, the laws are much the same as in the US. One is not
officially required to carry identification, but it is necessary to have
it for many aspects of day to day living. I must present a health card
at any doctor/hospital visit. I am unable to be paid for a job if I do
not present a social insurance (Canadian equivalent of US social
security) number. I need my student id card to sign out library books.
I would add, however, that another very important form id is a credit
card. It seems to be needed for everything these days, whether or not
one is making a purchase, probably because it signifies immediate access
to money.
Linda
Kenneth Johnson wrote:
>
> Roxana Kreimer wrote:
>
> > An article that appeared in a dossier of the french journal Liberation
> >distinguishes the english tradition (that considers that the identity
> >document given by de police attempts agaist democratic freedom) from the
> >one that rules in France or in spanish-spoken Countries, where although
> >in theory police cannot take you to the police station if they dondt see
> >you steeling, you must always carry your identity document along the
> >street. I am writing an article for an argentine magazine, and I would be
> >very gratefull if somebody can tell me if in english or german spoken
> >languages you must carry your document along the street, just in case you
> >have problems with the police. Thanks Roxana Kreimer
>
> ---
>
> Roxana,
>
> Directly to your specific query, it is not a law that you must carry any
> document in the US.
>
> But despite theory, in the US it's pretty essential to have ID all the
> time. The main adult ID is a driver's license, not issued directly by the
> police but used by them. The police do issue ID cards on request and most
> people who do not have a drivers license get them because without ID you
> can't cash checks, get a job, etc.
>
> The ultimate ID in the US however is a Social Security card, *now required
> at birth*. There's been a lot of controversy over it because when this
> program started the Govt promised it would never use this number as an ID.
> It has nevertheless evolved into the most important tracking device on the
> citizenry and now most if not all US States include this personal SS number
> on the Drivers License. Here in Nevada, when people discovered their actual
> DL number was an encryption of their SS number, which anyone who knew the
> formula could decrypt, the libertarian controversy raged again but nothing
> happened.
>
> This is the realpolitick of theory opposed to practice - In a different
> context but still applicable here Deleuze said theory is not opposed to
> practice, it is practice.
>
> I imagine every country needs some apparatus to know if their citizens are
> 'legitimate' and, despite theories on the "rights of Man", how else to find
> the glitcher's disturbing the social order? But there are still a few
> Nomadic spirits in the US who want nothing to do with "Law, Institutions
> and Contracts" (Deleuze). But it's a tough go here.
>
> Anyway, the whole question of social control is an ancient bag of worms.
> Foucault's statement about "leaving it to the police to see that our papers
> are in order" leaves me with a ponder. How much control is needed and how
> is it to be implemented? The history of Man is written around these
> questions. Questions of Power/Knowledge, its "Use and Abuse".
>
> regards,
> -k
officially required to carry identification, but it is necessary to have
it for many aspects of day to day living. I must present a health card
at any doctor/hospital visit. I am unable to be paid for a job if I do
not present a social insurance (Canadian equivalent of US social
security) number. I need my student id card to sign out library books.
I would add, however, that another very important form id is a credit
card. It seems to be needed for everything these days, whether or not
one is making a purchase, probably because it signifies immediate access
to money.
Linda
Kenneth Johnson wrote:
>
> Roxana Kreimer wrote:
>
> > An article that appeared in a dossier of the french journal Liberation
> >distinguishes the english tradition (that considers that the identity
> >document given by de police attempts agaist democratic freedom) from the
> >one that rules in France or in spanish-spoken Countries, where although
> >in theory police cannot take you to the police station if they dondt see
> >you steeling, you must always carry your identity document along the
> >street. I am writing an article for an argentine magazine, and I would be
> >very gratefull if somebody can tell me if in english or german spoken
> >languages you must carry your document along the street, just in case you
> >have problems with the police. Thanks Roxana Kreimer
>
> ---
>
> Roxana,
>
> Directly to your specific query, it is not a law that you must carry any
> document in the US.
>
> But despite theory, in the US it's pretty essential to have ID all the
> time. The main adult ID is a driver's license, not issued directly by the
> police but used by them. The police do issue ID cards on request and most
> people who do not have a drivers license get them because without ID you
> can't cash checks, get a job, etc.
>
> The ultimate ID in the US however is a Social Security card, *now required
> at birth*. There's been a lot of controversy over it because when this
> program started the Govt promised it would never use this number as an ID.
> It has nevertheless evolved into the most important tracking device on the
> citizenry and now most if not all US States include this personal SS number
> on the Drivers License. Here in Nevada, when people discovered their actual
> DL number was an encryption of their SS number, which anyone who knew the
> formula could decrypt, the libertarian controversy raged again but nothing
> happened.
>
> This is the realpolitick of theory opposed to practice - In a different
> context but still applicable here Deleuze said theory is not opposed to
> practice, it is practice.
>
> I imagine every country needs some apparatus to know if their citizens are
> 'legitimate' and, despite theories on the "rights of Man", how else to find
> the glitcher's disturbing the social order? But there are still a few
> Nomadic spirits in the US who want nothing to do with "Law, Institutions
> and Contracts" (Deleuze). But it's a tough go here.
>
> Anyway, the whole question of social control is an ancient bag of worms.
> Foucault's statement about "leaving it to the police to see that our papers
> are in order" leaves me with a ponder. How much control is needed and how
> is it to be implemented? The history of Man is written around these
> questions. Questions of Power/Knowledge, its "Use and Abuse".
>
> regards,
> -k