1.) America: Freedom to Fascism — In 2005, the movie America: Freedom to Fascism came out. It was written, directed, and produced by a Hollywood producer who did not like what he was seeing in Hollywood or in America. It depicts the stranglehold that the concept of “Real ID” represents in American life. It is worth watching this very day if you have not recently watched it.
2.) Real ID is effectively a federal ID card. You will be uniquely identified in an easily searchable, widely available, federal database for the first time ever. Some will say, “If you are doing nothing wrong, what do you have to worry about?” The justice system has been weaponized. You only need to have the right bureaucrat pay too much attention to you for you to go from innocent to guilty.
3.) Some White Houses are worse — The process of mandatory Real ID has been advanced most by pro-efficiency advocates (and others) in the George W. Bush White House and in the Donald Trump White House. The Democrats have been much more lax about it.
4.) Yes, there are massive databases already, but… — Facebook has databases that include you. They are quite extensive. Lexis Nexus has databases that include you. They are quite extensive. The Social Security Administration has databases that include you. They are quite extensive. They are not as effective as you think they might be, so don’t let down your guard about data collection.
5.) Unique identifiers — Your social security number is a good way to track you and to use as a unique identifier. Your phone number is a better way to track you and use as a unique identifier. Both are imperfect. When non-essential database populators ask for your phone number, I recommend (212) 555-1212. They do not have a good single number for you.
6.) Thanks tech bros — There is not a very effective conglomeration of that information. There is not one central database. The prevalence of newly patriotic tech bros in Washington DC easily will likely come up with an effective way to combine databases. The Real ID is a possible solution to this problem, a problem I don’t want solved. For full disclosure, the people who most often use the term “tech bro,” would probably include me in that designation. I have helped found, build, and scale tech companies.
7.) Lots of inaccuracies — Beware of predictive programming that says to you “They already know everything about you, so what’s the use of protecting yourself.” That’s simply not true. Go find a private detective, or an OSINT professional, or a debt collector, or the assistant of a salesman who needs to make cold calls, all will tell you how hard it is to get accurate information about most people.
8.) Lots of crap — If you or I look at our own Lexis Nexus entries for example, we might find 10 or 20 allegedly unique identities who could be us. There are lots of big databases out there filled with crap.
9.) Your decisions matter. Don’t let them fool you — They really don’t know that much about you. They really, really don’t. There are very simple ways that they can known even less about you. I don’t care how much people claim that apps like Signal or Telegram are compromised. They get rid of 99% of the problems one can have with privacy. I don’t care how much people claim VPNs and TOR are compromised. If used right, they can make life much harder for most of those who want to know what you are up to. I don’t care how much some people claim Monero is compromised or how much Bitcoin oriented privacy tools are compromised or how much someone says cash is traceable. The use of these tools avoid many problems from people who wish to watch you.
10.) Duck Duck Go sucks (sort of) — Duck Duck Go helps make it less likely you will be tracked, but when it comes to censorship, Duck Duck Go is the absolute worst on the list, worse than Google, worse than Yahoo, even worse than the Bill Gates owned Bing. I illustrate that further in a research report I’ve written on the 11 worst internet search engines and the 2 best. That doesn’t mean to stop using Duck Duck Go. It means to always be studying and understanding the tools that you use.
11.) Freedom isn’t free — Constant study is part of the cost of living a more free life. Not everyone accepts that responsibility, so not everyone will get to live free. We live in an era in which the person who wants freedom can have freedom as long as he are willing to dedicate the resources or time and energy to that. Seldom does it even cost that much money. The rest of the population are living in a primitive state of techno-feudalism. You get to decide whether or not you will be a serf.
12.) A more important focus of efficiency — Because there is much information out there about you, in isolated databases, and because often much of it unable to be connected to you, it is important to be diligent about the information you provide to others. Do not long for a more efficient government. Long for your efficient attitude about living a more free life.
13.) Amusement — It’s fun watching the Department of Government Efficiency do their thing. Their press releases are funny. It’s amusing that someone is finally cleaning up some of that rubbish. Be careful confusing cheap laughs with core principles.
14.) More amusement — It’s fun to cheer things like, “Yeah, why are 40,000 people over 115 years old getting Social Security benefits!” But you know what, those millions of dollars are distractions from the fact that we have trillions of dollars of spending that the US Government shouldn’t engage in. Where does the constitution even say that it is okay for Social Security to exist? What happened to that question? Be careful when you are passionately agreeing with anything Sean Hannity is saying. There is a good chance that when you do agree with programming like that, that you are being misdirected from core principles.
15.) Twitter purchase makes sense — Elon Musk owns the largest satellite network, the closest thing to an interplanetary travel network, the most important electric car manufacturer, the most advanced brain chip manufacturer, sizable cryptocurrency portfolio, with tremendous influence over the cryptocurrency called DOGE, and the most important micro-blogging platform. His purchase of Twitter was an enigma to some. It should be no enigma. Nor was it altruistic. His purchase of Twitter was the missing link in that collection of companies. He is the best positioned person to bring an effective social credit system to the United States. Twitter is the platform that can best be used to link his companies.
16.) Are those Musk’s intentions? — Do I think he will do that? Do I think Elon Musk will usher in an American social credit score? I have no idea. As a man who seeks to live free, I am covetous of my freedom. You, too, may want to be. The details here listed in this entire piece of writing are not inconsequential and isolated. They need not be conspiratorial, either. They are worth noting. And your role in them is worth being attentive to.
17.) Many missed deadlines — May 7, 2025 all people are to have a Real ID to travel on commercial flights. The deadline has been extended many times. There are states that won’t be able to meet that deadline sufficiently for an efficient and smooth transition. Just poke around at DMV websites and keep an eye out for frenzied posts along those lines to answer that question of which states are not meeting the deadline.
18.) The only newsworthy point in this article — If the deadline stands, those citizens without their name in the federal ID database will be second class citizens unable to contract with commercial airlines. I’m not that bothered by that. Sometimes consequences are okay. The consequence is worth noting. Why the news covers this single topic and none of the other topics in this piece of writing is worth asking as well. Are you being well-served by a news source that only mentioned this one detail: “May 7, 2025 all people are to have a Real ID to travel on commercial flight”? That’s a question for you to answer.
19.) Red state v. Blue state — Red states tend to be have more efficient government and more obedient government. Obedient to whom? To perceived authority. That authority need not be legitimate, only perceived. Be careful in red states. They are better at putting the jackboot on the neck.
20.) Laxity around freedom — America has a population of slaves, not a free population. If we were handed a free country tomorrow, few of us would know what to do with it. It must be run. It must be managed. Freedom is not had without societal structure. We have an immoral people unwilling to do the hard work to live free. I do not mean to point a finger when I say that. The reality is that each person is likely lax in that area. You and I both probably have ways that we are lax in that area. Freedom is a direction and a mindset. It is not a destination.
21.) Leadership — In this period in history, America is generally-speaking poorly led. Leadership can have an impact on a people. We may change from a nation of slaves to a free people sooner than any of us realize. How are you, dear reader, rising to the occasion and embracing the opportunity by leading those around you? This is a question each on of us must ask ourselves.
22.) Slippery slopes are real.
23.) Christianity — Christianity is the central non-governmental structure at the heart of American freedom. It’s remnants are the only thing keeping us from tyranny. Christian expression tends to be more free at times or less free and is certainly not homogenous. Commerce plays a secondary role. It too tends to be more free at times or less free. Those serious about living in a free country will be serious about upholding each of these two topics. I was once an atheist. Thankfully, I no longer am. Even in those dark days of abject atheism, I understood how much the Christian nature of America mattered to my well-being. Regardless of personal theological beliefs, there is no one who is a passionate advocate of freedom who should have any hesitation promoting these two notions as good for American freedom.
24.) The foundation matters — We must be very careful of any government not solidly built on those ideals. We must be careful of all government. Living lives solidly built on those ideals and crafting a government that upholds those ideals is how we get a government solidly built on those ideals.
25.) It’s amusing — It’s fun watching the Department of Government Efficiency do their thing. Their press releases are funny. It’s amusing that someone is finally cleaning up some of that rubbish.
26.) A better option — I don’t want a more efficient government. I want a sloppy, ineffective government walking around with its head in its rear end.
27.) Then what? — Once we have an efficient government, we will not know what to do with it. That is the present nature of the American population. That is also the nature of the freedom movement and the nature of conservatism. People just want to be left alone. That makes Trump (possibly) a four year reprieve from the tyranny. That means, whether he intends to or not, the Trump Administration is building a more effective and efficient enemy of human freedom. Our founding fathers understood that government is the greatest enemy of human freedom. If you read the US Constitution, you know that they invented a slow-moving inefficient government not an efficient one.
28.) Self-entrapment — I don’t know what happens next with Real ID. I know that Americans should not take a single step closer to more efficient government control over our individual lives.
29.) Be ungovernable. — I don’t know what that looks like in your life. I hardly know what it looks like in my life. This remains a useful principle to live by. Many reading this may have already gotten their Real ID. Recognize what you have done. Recognize that your every decision matters. Recognize your ability to impact your own life and the lives of those around you. And be ungovernable.
30.) Affections mean little — I like President Trump. That doesn’t mean in need to give the US government one more tool to enslave me with. Be cautious as you give government tools to enslave you with.
31.) It’s day 83 — Less than 90 days ago, you had a government that openly despised you. Is it really time to be Pollyanna-ish and compliant?
