Papers, Please!

The Identity Project

Feb 15 2006

Survey of identity documents that enable genocide

Prevent Genocide has a nice collection of identity documents from around the world. They’ve focused on how these documents have enabled genocide or racial/religious hatred toward minorities.

Check out the USSR travel permit and compare it to what we have today in the USSA: “A valid propiska was required in order to work, get married or gain access to education or social services. Individuals were required to present their passports and propiska for internal travel or on demand by authorities or employers.”

And read the chilling “Sources” — news stories about how mobs, cops, or soldiers stopped ordinary people, demanded to see their IDs, and then used the ID information to kill or imprison those people — in country after country.

Feb 13 2006

Alaska Air’s Valentine’s Day Gift to the Surveillance State

Alaska Airlines today sent out the following Valentine’s Day greeting to all their loyal customers:

A little heads-up for all international travelers: To ensure aviation safety and security, Alaska Airlines is required to adhere to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), which mandates the collection of specific information from every passenger traveling to the U.S. from other countries. Travelers must supply APIS information at time of check-in or they will be prevented from traveling. Beginning February 21, 2006, alaskaair.com will feature updated information pages for international travelers, as well as a page where you can provide your information ahead of time.

So when you fly to Mexico on Alaska, you win a free trip into a Homeland Security database (pretzels not included).