> Perhaps the most omni-present icon of the authoritarian state is the
> photograph on your driver's license.
On the other hand, trust is a slippery concept.
You mention checking into a hotel as an example: what other assurance could I give a hotelier that I am who I say I am and I am not going to defraud him? I hand over a piece of plastic that can be a road to recovery of payment for my stay, but plastic is easy to steal.
Who should we trust to confirm identity? It's been a long time since "I am my word" carried any weight at all.
I believe this is unrelated to the State.
/jordan