■"Traveler's card might just pave the way for a national ID card," op-ed by Randall Larsen, USA Today, 8 June 2005, p. 13A.

Of course, we already have a national ID card of sorts: our passports. I love using mine as ID. I feel like I'm in a WWII movie and producing "your papers please."

Security leads new rule set creation. We may get the national ID de facto through the ID for travelers (give up a little privacy, go through security fasterólike most deals in life).

The push to share information across the Intelligence Community's 15 agencies may revolutionize data sharing in the entire US government. But of course, getting better at tracking terrorists can translate into getting better at tracking you and me too. Again, trade some privacy for more convenience and security. Wouldn't it be cool to send a change of address to the PO and have them change it for you throughout all your federal records? Again, security leads the way.

Just like in US government personnel, where Rumsfeld's National Security Personal System will revolutionize federal employment first in the Defense Department, probably spreading to the entire government over time. It's a performance-based system, not a longevity-based one. Expect better service all around from your government if it happens, but also expect a U.S. military better able to muster the SysAdmin response. Again, security leads the way on change, because when security is involved, people in the USG are willing to be more daring and innovative in reforms.

It's not just Tang my friends.