National ID Cards: More Security...or Less?

Now that national ID cards are a thing of the future (thanks to an undebated provision tacked onto the Iraqi spending bill), will they make the nation more secure? Or less?

Some folks argue the latter. Today's No. 2 blog link, Schneier on Security, spells out one security expert's concerns, including increased vulnerability to identity theft, unsupervised security breaches and more. The Ars Technica blog spells out even more concerns. And some governors are hinting at court action to rein it in. The "Real ID" bill passed, by the way, 100 to zip. Today's No. 7 top link is the UnReal ID.

If that bit of news doesn't send some futuristic shivers up your spine, how about this? The Financial Times finds that U.S. wage earners are losing ground at the fastest rate in 14 years. The Labor Blog offers some theories about who gains from these numbers (and if you guessed Corporate America, you'd be right). If United Airlines can weasel out of its pension commitment, how many other corporations soon will be lining up behind it?

Star Wars Mania builds
Star Wars fans are getting antiser for next week's release of "Revenge of the Sith," the last of the six Star Wars movies from director George Lucas. The Organic Trade Association, recognizing a hot trend when they see one, have launched the Grocery Store Wars web site to promote the "organic rebellion." Its star line-up: Dark Tader, Cuke Skywalker, Tofu D2, Chewbroccoli and Obi Wan Cannoli, among others (no vegetables were harmed in the filming of this promotion).

BlogPulse tidbits...The Rev. Chan Chandler of North Carolina has left his 100-member church in the wake of the brouhaha that erupted when he told nine Democrats among his congregation to "repent or resign"....Journalist Molly Bingham's opinion piece about covering the war in Iraq is also getting some traction among bloggers.

BLOGPULSE TREND GRAPH OF THE DAY: The year-old Abu Ghraib prison scandal continues to play out.