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Comment by wmf | Hacker News Reader

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wmf·

Americans just don't trust the government; that's why so few people have driver's licenses. Oh wait.

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I have a government drivers license so I can drive on government roads.

I don't need a government license to get online and check my email, thank you.

If you live in the USA you drivers license is issued by the state you live in. There is no USA national drivers license.

Don't confuse state's rights with Federal Government rights.

American federalism is under siege. There is, in fact, a plan for a national driver's license called REAL ID, and the states are resisting it.

If you live in the USA the states have governments too.

Not yet you don't!

Drivers licenses are mandatory, and you get heavily fined if caught driving without it. This on the other hand is supposed to be voluntary. I certainly won't be volunteering any time soon.

You make no sense. Driver's licenses are required, if you want to drive any car.

1. Sarcasm.

2. Do you think the Federal Internet ID won't be required somewhere?

False. Drivers licenses are only required if you want to drive on public roads. If you have a lot of property with private roads (farms, quarries, etc), you're free to drive unlicensed. Hell, you don't even have to get a license plate for your car if you never put it on a public road (although you'll probably have to register it with the state for property tax reasons).

Oh yes, a very common case, people driving on their private roads.

In other words, it will be possible to avoid this ID, but so ridiculously impractical for most people that almost everyone will be expected to have and use one.

Yeah, that sounds about right to me.

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