How do you feel about Obama now?

I don’t have any opinion of him.

Where did you see that @KNOWITALL?

@Dutchess_III CBS News last night.

I am a Democrat, and I am as supportive of the President as ever. Friends are finally getting healthcare after having been shut out of the system for years, There is huge progress negotiating with Iran, the stock market is at an all time high.

@zenvelo One thing a few of us Republicans have noticed is that more people are qualifying for Medicare than before, so that’s a good thing.

I have the same opinion of him I did when I voted for him, twice. We knew he wasn’t going to be the liberal “change” any of us wanted or needed. But we know the alternative, and it scares the hell out of me. The supreme court alone is reason enough to have voted for him and be happy about it. It’s that important.

So, sure, we don’t have a universal single-payer healthcare system. And he looks a little familiar on some of the privacy and war fronts. But the ACA, with its warts and all, is better than nothing at all happening with healthcare. If people can keep this from being sabotaged, the pre-existing conditions thing is enough to make it worth it. Hell, there is practically no way the ACA could have made U.S. healthcare any worse. Seriously. It is horseshit.

So, while I’m not a Democrat, I did vote for him as a lesser of two evils. And it has worked out as expected.

Meh. I’m patiently waiting for Hillary our first female president.

Before he was elected the first time I predicted this dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately the Internet forum I predicted it in shut down some years ago now.

It was obvious that there were a slew of new, non savvy voters that believed that having a “black” in the White House was going to fix everything for them.

I also predicted that Obama wasn’t REALLY going to start pulling stunts until after his second election.

Obama promised change, I prefer freedom to choose.

Hate to say I told you so.

No, I don’t.

My opinion of Obama, whether good of bad, would have absolutely no effect on my opinion of our current Republican party, which is that they are a disgrace.

I not only voted for him, but I campaigned twice for him. I think he has done better than Mitt Romney would have, by far.

@Yetanotheruser Supposition of course. Mitt wasn’t the first choice of many Republicans either, trust me.

@SecondHandStoke: “It was obvious that there were a slew of new, non savvy voters that believed that having a “black” in the White House was going to fix everything for them.”

Oh, for shit’s sake. This again?

@tom_g:

Your sort of reaction to my assertion was predicted by many I know or listen to.

@tom_g Well, to a degree he’s right, whether we like it or not. Having a black man in the White House shows progress from slavery and oppression. A lot of people on both sides were ready for a sign of societal growth as opposed to another rich white guy, you know what I mean?

The problem is that being any color or race, doesn’t automatically make you more hip, more smart or more politically savvy. It’s not like he’s up there rapping for Putin right?!

Finally having “affordable” healthcare sounds terrific until people see their new deductibles. On CBS they were saying many cannot afford Obamacare’s premiums or deductibles. Thousands, as you know, have lost their healthcare they previously had. “If you like your doctor / healthcare you can keep him/it” will be one of the things he said that might go down in history. On the other hand we seem to have more people employed.
So I would say I feel much worse about him than I did last year.

@KNOWITALL: ”@tom_g Well, to a degree he’s right, whether we like it or not. Having a black man in the White House shows progress from slavery and oppression. A lot of people on both sides were ready for a sign of societal growth as opposed to another rich white guy, you know what I mean?”

“They” (the people who voted for him) had many motivations. But from what I can tell, yes, it was nice to see that the person they were going to vote for was “black”. That is, you aren’t crazy enough to vote Republican, so you know you’re going to vote for the lesser of two evils. And since you are going to vote for the Democratic nominee, sure it’s nice that he was black. People didn’t vote for him because he is “black”.

To summarize, if you are going to vote Democrat in order to have a chance at saving anything worth saving in this country, then it was refreshing to have the Democratic nominee a “black” guy.

I can’t imagine black people thinking, “I don’t care if he’s black. He won’t help our cause a bit. I’d just as soon he be white. I may not even vote.”
Oh, sure. Let’s be honest here.

“Affordable Healthcare Act”:

The numbers just don’t fucking add up.

Filthy liar.

Go on Obama, keep trying to pound that square peg into that round hole.

@tom_g Oh, brother… you just said what I said and what @SecondHandStoke said in your own words, and threw in a political slur against Republicans. That isn’t helpful in adult discourse.

@KNOWITALL: ”@tom_g Oh, brother… you just said what I said and what @SecondHandStoke said in your own words”

Did I say what @SecondHandStokeSaid? Let’s take a look at what she said:

@SecondHandStoke: “It was obvious that there were a slew of new, non savvy voters that believed that having a “black” in the White House was going to fix everything for them.”

I didn’t say anything resembling this at all. Re-read what I said.

@KNOWITALL: “and threw in a political slur against Republicans. That isn’t helpful in adult discourse.”

What’s a “political slur against Republicans”? What does that even mean? “Crazy enough to vote Republican”? Is that what you’re referring to? I think we’ve gone over this in other threads where we discuss people voting against their interests. Would it help if called Democrats a bunch of spineless f*ck-tards?
C’mon, @KNOWITALL. You know what I am saying here.

I still think he looks like Gollum, only with a nice tan & better clothes.

@tom_g Yeah, that would help except I was hoping to keep it interesting yet positive before the holiday. Oh well.

There’s a tiny store wedged between a restaurant and a grocery down Columbus ave. from me.

It specialized in inferior sunglasses, plastic belts and counterfeit iPhone accessories.

It’s STILL displaying blinged out t shirts with the image of Obama, dollar signs and the word “Victory!”

My impression of the Obama voter is confirmed.

Obama is black?

^Vicious mongrel.

@KNOWITALL: ”@tom_g Yeah, that would help except I was hoping to keep it interesting yet positive before the holiday. Oh well.”

^ And I’m that one that turned it negative? Hmm…

Fight fight!!!

I am a pro gun pro death penalty moderate Democrat and I still have a high opinion of our President. if a election were held next Monday and I had to make a choice between Mitt Romney and our President I would still gladly vote for our President.

I still see him as a politician. Broken promises, double-ttalk, deception… the usual. But at least he isn’t a radical extremist. I am with @Dutchess_III though; my opinion of Obama matters far less than the Republican party being such a disgrace that pedophiles and used car salesmen seen electable by comparison. Kind of unfair to the “traditional” republicans, but it’s the price they pay for allowing the rabid dogs to take over the party.

@SecondHandStoke But when Romney did it, it was a great idea. Do you vote on policy, party, or are you just racist? “a slew of new, non savvy voters that believed that having a “black” in the White House was going to fix everything for them.”. Wear that robe, and burn that cross!

@tom_g:

“What is a political slur against Republicans?”

The hip thing to do.

Like pink bike chains, Hollister clothing and planking.

And just as pointless.

@jerv:

It was also predicted that anyone that was against Obama would be pegged as a racist.

I would despise this traitor just as much if he looked like he just stepped off a boat from Norway.

@jerv Oh my gosh, pedophiles and used car salesmen, rabid dogs? Really?

You guys make me feel so mature for mentioning a positive about Obama now. ;)

Not everyone who opposes Obama is a racist. However, when his color is brought up by person who opposes him, that’s a good indication that that person has a problem with it.

^Pure bullshit @Dutchess_III

Just because YOU can’t think of any non race related reasons to despise him doesn’t mean others can’t.

The last five years would have seen very different legislation if the opposition had at least pretended to be sane. I think it’s beyond ridiculous that Obama is blamed for the state of the ACA, when it isn’t even the plan he wanted, but only the best thing he could get passed due to the craziness of the Republicans in office.

That doesn’t mean that people who vote Republican are crazy. But let’s face it: your elected representatives are acting crazy.

@KNOWITALL Like I said, there is a price one pays for rocking the boat. The Republicans are paying that price for not throwing the Tea Party overboard, and Obama is paying that price for shaking up healthcare.

@SecondHandStoke then choose your words more carefully so that you come across as a straight party voter. But the fact that you brought up race so early (your first reply here) and didn’t even bring up his policies yet tells me that it’s race. Then again, I suppose one must consider the source; I guess it’s to be expected from you. Prior history and all….

I can’t even think of any race-related reasons to despise him, either @SecondHandStoke.

Disappointed but still loyal.

@jerv:

You simply are not able to speak to my state of mind.

Deal.

My observation that race is clearly a factor in the matter does not make me a racist.

Next!

@SecondHandStoke The prediction of anti- Obama people being called racist was expressed by racists, not by anyone objective. If the shoe fits, wear it. Your use of the term “mongrel” is inherently racist: that term has been co-opted both by those who argue for the purity of the “white race” and by Nazi’s. Own your racism.

^I’m a mongrel too.

Just not one that’s trying to wreck the country.

How in the world is race ”clearly” a factor?

I had high hopes for Obama so I am a bit disappointed. I still like him, he still seems a decent guy. He has the right ideas in my view but lacks the power of oratory that can move the masses and get things done.

@flutherother He might lack your power of oratory but his punishments in the form of healthcare fines make up for it. shudder

…I was hoping to keep it interesting yet positive before the holiday. Oh well.

A worthy desire, @KNOWITALL, and I second it. But alas, an impossible one given today’s ugly political disharmony.

@ Aster: Do you happen to know what the fine is?

@dougiedawg Get ready to deny any or all of the following: and BTW; you’re welcome.

“Beginning in 2014, absent a qualified exemption, you will be required to obtain health insurance. If you fail to comply, you will be subject to a penalty of 1.0% of your annual income or $95.00, whichever is greater. In 2015, the penalty increases to the greater of 2.0% of annual income or $325 per person. The following year it becomes the greater of 2.5% of income or $695 per person. After 2016, it will be indexed to the cost of living. It should also be noted that the maximum penalty is capped at three times the per person penalty. For example, if you earn $28,500 in 2014, 1.0% of your income would equal $285. Therefore, if you earn more than this, your maximum penalty would remain the same. All penalties will be due and payable with your annual federal income tax return. Hence, the penalty for 2014 would be due by April 15, 2015 and the IRS will be the collection agency used.”

@Pachyderm In The Room That’s the thing, if the American people are ugly to each other, how to we expect our reps in Washington to be any better. Ironic.

(Deleted on second thought!)

I still have high hopes. I had the misfortune of living there with no health insurance, it was terrible. (nothiing happened to me). I just couldn’t understand how people could live that way. I know they have to correct their healthcare for all issues and I think it’s a start. It’ll get better, people.

Before Obama was about to be elected, I told my online American liberal acquaintances that they will be disappointed, that he should not be trusted, and that he and the Democratic party will largely continue the worst of the economic and foreign policies carried out by Bush and his neocon crooks. The responses ranged from incredulity to modest verbal hostility. Let’s just say that they were very defensive and thought I was talking nonsense.

About a year or two later, many started feeling disappointed and betrayed already. After the first term, all illusions were shattered, and they largely voted for him again only because Romney and his party appeared to be completely deranged.

Of course, some people are going to be happy with Obama. There are the true believers. Many may be genuinely satisfied with what he’s done and don’t think he could have done any more. But, how did I know he was going to be such a disappointment for many others?

It’s pretty simple.

The Republicans and Democrats are largely unified by the same ideology. Party policy is dictated primarily by the source of their funding and lobbying, and this is more or less the same regardless of which party is in power. They are both parties which pander to corporate interests.

“Elections are moments when groups of investors coalesce and invest to control the state.” Noam Chomsky — summarising Thomas Ferguson’s Investment theory of party competition

Presidents, and political candidates in general, are ideologically filtered. They are effectively screened and selected from the political class, with leading candidates having to appeal to the private and corporate sector in order to attain the necessary funding and media attention to be viable (there are the odd exceptions—although they have no chance at becoming President.) There was a good TED talk on this very topic, but I do not remember its title so cannot find it.

This is how I could predict that Obama would not be bringing any real change, and that he’s turned out almost exactly as I expected.

The two parties do have very different marketing strategies, and try to appeal to two very different constituencies. The USA has a very large fundamentalist Christian population, and it has been the Republican strategy to co-opt this group and use the sort of rhetoric and emotional triggers which appeal to them—which I think goes some way in understanding why Obama is often viewed as a non-American muslim, anti-christ, and a Marxist.

I think I don’t need to remind everyone that the ACA is similar to the proposals made by The Heritage Foundation many years ago, a right-wing, pro-corporate neoliberal think-tank.

I think Obama has tried his butt off to do what is right. He has made missteps along the way and only God knows who is to blame for his inability to deal with Congress.
Unfortunately, the opposition has behaved in a negative manner throughout his two terms but there is no point in blaming them, if they really can’t seem to accept him as the moderate, that he is.
This does show how far to the right the GOP has shifted in that they TRY to label him a “socialist”. I don’t see it myself.
He inherited a disaster and kept us from going over the brink although this may be false hope unless the corporate world takes note that the policy of rewarding wealth over work is eventually going to backfire.
I believe Obama would favor change in that direction but is hemmed in by both parties due to the influence ($$) of special interest groups.
We need to get corporate money out of the political process and overturn the trend toward the top ten percent hogging the wealth in our country.
The president cannot do it without being labeled a socialist so the change needs to come from our business leaders, imo.
I really hate the ongoing partisanship in politics and look forward to it passing someday.
Things need to move forward and we need to quit blaming poor people for all our problems.
That’s all deflection from the real issues. Don’t buy into the con.
Well, let’s give thanks that we’ve survived another year and hope that we survive another!

@dougiedawg So how does that make you feel? Do you believe corporations hold more clout and power than the President of the US?

@Kropotkin I agree with a lot of what you’ve said, and this is why I think Hillary would (or perhaps will) do no better than Obama, given the same constraints from the current Republican party. But I do have higher hopes for Elizabeth Warren, if she can get in.

@KNOWITALL…I don’t like it one bit. And yes I think Washington is powerless or paralyzed by too close of an association with corporate America. The will of the people has been ignored more and more with each passing year. The elected officials are beholden to “them” more than us from what I see. Change is in the air lately so we’ll have to wait and see.

@dougiedawg REVOLUTION!! :)

@Kropotkin Yes, you do need to remind people that Obamacare is an old Right-wing idea. It also proves that people care more about opposition and strife than ideology or consistency.

He’s a blithering idiot who has consistently made bad decisions to the determent of the country. He should be impeached for treason immediately.

@DWW25921 Could you go into some details?

For the record the 33% is for the presidents handling of healthcare. That is not his overall approval rating that is around 37%

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-amid-obamacare-skepticism-confidence-in-obama-wanes/

But don’t let things like reality get in your way again.

@Dutchess_III:

GA for “fight fight!”

Racist? No.

I was prepared to vote for Alan Keys until he went all Christian Fundie.

It’s been awfully quiet around here since ya’ll showed upt @SecondHandStoke. Till now. :)

I took a break from politics and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon inflation.

“How do you feel about Obama now?”

The same way I felt about Bush. They are just men, doing a difficult job that very few of us know anything about. A president isn’t a dictator who can do anything he pleases, and no politician accomplishes the objectives that they campaigned on. Both men have spent most of their time working in the big middle of the political spectrum, and I agree with some of their decisions, and disagree with others. I imagine they’re both decent people, and see no reason to hate either one.

At one time or another I’ve been disappointed with both of them. So what? I disappoint myself sometimes. As for my political leanings, at this point in time, I’d vote for Obama over Bush.

@DWW25921 The same was said of GW Bush; where was your outrage then? Of course, every president has done something that is actually legally worthy of impeachment, though often not what those calling for impeachment think should get them tossed.

@jerv You’re right. Bush is an idiot too. I didn’t vote for him either.

@Kropotkin Yes I could. What’s the point? Seriously? All we can do is hope for something better in the next round.

I got a notice in the mail yesterday telling me that i don’t qualify for obamacare because “The primary tax filer on the application is married, but did not file taxes jointly.” WTF? I’m not married, I’m not even living with someone, and I know for fact that no one else in the US has the same name as me because there are only 80 other people with my last name in the entire fucking country.

@cheebdragon Administrative errors happen. Kind of like when I got a flyer in the mail to join the Navy… while I was in Boot Camp… after being in Delayed Entry for over a year. You would hope that they knew, but if someone screws up on the data entry, you’re officially married, at least as far as they’re concerned.

If the idea Obamacare was a good idea one wouldn’t have be fined for refusing to sign up.

Young and feeling bulletproof? Wanna spend that money or beer and gasoline?

Sorry, pay up!

@ 2ndhand-actually, if they had made it opt in or opt out, there would probably be less resistance. I guess it’s similar to most states’ uninsured motorist’s coverage. This way everyone is covered just in case you need it. I wouldn’t have liked it either back when I was young and bullet proof;)

@SecondHandStoke Just because something is a good idea doesn’t mean everyone will see the wisdom of it and comply. Seat belts and helmets for motorcycle riders is a good example. We had to make laws regarding them because some people are just too damn dumb use the common sense they were born with.

@dougiedawg Actually, there wasn’t much resistance when they did it in Mass. Some, but not nearly as much. And it seems like most of the resistance is from those who “know” that Obama’s Hawaiian birth certificate is a forgery, rather than those who oppose it on purely fiscal grounds.

@Dutchess_III You assume that people were born with common sense? I assume that common sense is intentionally being bred out of the gene pool, at least in our society.

Sure does seem like it, doesn’t it @jerv. Our “rights” were built on common sense, but our “rights” have become so twisted up that that make NO sense at all. Like the pedestrian v car question I asked a while back. The pedestrian has the right-of-way. That’s common sense. Some people have twisted that into the pedestrian has the right to challenge the car. That’s just stupid.

@Dutchess_III:

But if I don’t have the sense to wear my seat belt and therefore don’t want to.

I have the freedom to choose to not drive.

Not a good comparison.

I didn’t quite understand the comparison @SecondHandStoke.

^I in time will not have the choice to be uninsured and choose to not subsidize “universal” healthcare with my fine.

Health is one on one’s most precious assets. Healthcare is extremely important.

But it is my individual and personal opinion that freedom of choice is even more precious.

But making the wrong choice affects everyone around you, not just you. You are required to have car insurance for that reason, or face a big fine. It’s required so that others don’t have to suffer for your wrong decision.
Do you feel your freedom is being compromised by that law? Is your freedom compromised by ALL laws?

If I don’t like the laws relating to driving enough I can simply choose not to drive.

Not going to happen as I am hardcore about my car and car ownership and use represents it’s own kind of freedom.

I mean, have you ever taken public transportation? I cannot reasonably expect to control my environment there.

Compromises, choices…

Please bear with me as I have lived under the oppression of the Bloomberg Nannystate for some years now.

Yes, you can choose not to drive and that certainly takes care of the problem of being “forced” to buy car insurance.

However, you can’t choose to stop living (unless you commit suicide) and as long as you are living you run the risk of needing intensive medical car at some point that somebody has to pay for.

@SecondHandStoke Try catching a bus in a rural area. Or if you are a night-shift worker. You can choose to be unemployable.

^^I and my employer are paying for it.

Then what are you complaining about??!!

@jerv:

I’m simply trying to expose the fallacy that is the comparing of Federal mandatory healthcare coverage and state mandatory car insurance.

@SecondHandStoke Not seeing it… unless you believe that the Tenth Amendment trumps even God Himself.

Well, there are a lot of federal laws in place to protect the masses. Sometimes it’s not all about personal choice. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs (or wants) of the few.”

This isn’t really that complicated:

I’m usually going to support solutions that keep as much power of choice in the hands of individual citizens.

For example I am a critic of Income tax (I must work, the more productive I am the more I am penalized in the form of taxes).

I prefer the idea of a national sales tax. There are many things, not all, that I can choose not to buy, thus giving me greater control of my tax liability.

In other words, an anarchist?

Also, you just proved weak math skills, as well as little knowledge of economics beyond the household level.

No.

I do not identify as an anarchist.

Weak math skills? We require proof.

For you @SecondHandStoke.

@SecondHandStoke I fail to see the difference then. After all, what puts more power in the hands of the people than no centralized government at all? No law except for what people make for themselves. Might makes right; a Nietzschian utopia.

Or are we just cherry-picking freedoms now?

“Cherry picking freedoms.” GA @jerv.

I’m not talking about “total freedom” as anarchists describe it.

I’m merely talking about preserving as much individual freedom as is reasonably possible.

“Cherry picking freedoms?”

This happens all the time, everywhere.

Please stop trying to pigeonhole me as a user of the False Dilemma Fallacy.

What about my “right” to not have to suffer increased premiums and costs over-all because of the people who choose not to be insured, incur a massive hospital bill, and then file bankruptcy? What about the rights of everyone else?

@SecondHandStoke I’m trying to see where you stand. It seems that you have a different definition of “reasonable” than mainstream society. Also, see @Dutchess_III‘s post above.

^And you, of course, are a member of “mainstream” society?

I read @Dutchess_III‘s post.

So she is also considering others in a different way than me.

Admirable of her.

Here’s my take on the fella, cool guy, bags of charisma, nice wife…wasted on politics.

^That’s why I won’t be engaging in discussions of politics.

Much…

Because so much of it IS as waste in internet forums:

I don’t see much point in circlejerking in threads where everyone agrees with me.

And I’m realistic enough to understand that influencing the political opinion of another online happens very rarely indeed.

”So she is also considering others in a different way than me.” In what way @SecondHandStoke?

How about just a little?

@SecondHandStoke I see why taxes are required and grudgingly pay them. I see why certain rights are curtailed in favor of the greater good.

Or is it your contention that the majority of people are selfish enough to make any society larger than a few dozen individuals impossible? That most people believe “greater good” is either fallacious and/or evil, and that it should be everyone for themselves”; that compassion, empathy, compromise, and/or cooperation are signs of weakness?

Seriously, I don’t get where you are coming from, or how anybody besides a sociopath could hold the opinions you do.

I do INDEED display compassion, empathy, compromise and cooperation.

I, like everyone else, accept compromise on a daily basis. I even used the word in one of my comments above.

Did you consider the possibility that what I feel is for the greater good might be different from what you feel is?

@Dutchess_III:

You mention the “rights” of people other than yourself.

Like I said, admirable.

…OOH, turkey!...

…How is that admirable? It’s what a civilized society is built on. We can’t do it all by ourselves, every man for themselves. Considering others also protects me.

@Jerv if you were denied by the military because of the navy flyer then it would be similar. I have to request an appeal to have their error corrected.

Politics & arguing…really boring!

@SecondHandStoke I actually have considered that, but fail to see how excluding a large group of people from a basic human right serves the greater good. I also fail to see how a few benefitting greatly at the expense of many, especially in an unsustainable manner that has been proven both theoretically and historically, does so either. Sharing burdens sucks, but it sure beats the alternatives. And the reason we even have many laws and regulations is that there are selfish people who would gladly exploit/harm others for their own benefit if allowed to do so. How does allowing (even condoning) victimization serve the greater good?

@ucme:

I’m learning this quickly.

It bothers me that they want us to upload our birth certificates and our Social security cards to complete the online application for obamacare….it seems so unsafe.

^Obamacare will be harder to resist if precious commodities such as our personal information, as well as our actual health, can be ransomed by the Fed.

@cheebdragon Look at all of the other info about you that is already out there. Your SSN is out there if you ever filed taxes, or have bank accounts or insurance. Your birth certificate is out there if you were born.

If you feel it unsafe then you’re truly ignorant of how much danger youwwere in before Obamacare existed. Or is it just that you feel safer giving that info to corporations than to a government organization?

@SecondHandStoke Same point; you trust an organization that will do anything for power or profit over one that has a system of checks and balances? The logical failure there amazes me to the point where you are now just comic relief in this thread; there’s no taking you seriously after that. At least @cheebdragon still has some credibility.

^Credibility as defined by whom?

Oh, YOU!

How very broad, how very universal.

Also: What organization precisely?

@SecondHandStoke If you have to ask then you are utterly incapable of understanding the answer; if you were then you would already know such an obvious thing.

No.

You are simply so attached to your perspective that it’s part of your self identity to find my take on the matter so wrong as to be inconceivable.

@jerv Since my birth certificate and social security card have been in my possession (about 8–9 years) the only time I have needed to show them was at the DMV. I have a state ID and a DL, with 2 forms of photo ID I can do everything I need to do without putting my personal information out into the world.

My medical history is information.

Information is power.

Government is starved for whatever power they can get.

I’m not certain but it seems like the gov’t. wants to protect the people since that is their job.

For example, I’m more concerned about spammers and hackers than anything the NSA overhears on my cell phone or reads on my facebook.

Of course, just because I’m not prone to conspiracy theories doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

@cheebdragon If you think that then you are still in the past. This is 2013, not 1963. If you haven’t adapted to a world where information is shared quickly and freely then you, like many others, are really are not equipped to handle modern life. I don’t mean that as an insult though, since technology has outpaced society to the point where a substantial number of people just can’t comprehend the world. People still think the internet is like their living room instead of network TV, and the few who kind of get that still have some very wrong ideas about how it works.

The only reason that is really possible for you to use your SS card and birth certificate as seldom as you do is something called “web of trust”. You needed X to get Y, so most people will assume that if you have Y, you must have X somewhere, and that someone they trust has already seen X, so they don’t have to see X themselves because you couldn’t have Y without X.

But I don’t think you want to hear all about crypto, security, information theory, etcetera, nor do I think typing a few pages on the subject would alter your perceptions of the issue. Suffice it to say, education works wonders, but many people prefer ignorance since fear and anger are more fun than just shrugging your shoulders and going, “Meh.”.

Also, your information is already out there. The only reason you even need paperwork is that hardcopy serves as some sort of tangible evidence that that information is correct, or (for certified documents) at least casts reasonable doubt on erroneous records.

To reiterate, YOUR INFORMATION IS ALREADY OUT THERE! Do you have bank accounts? Utilities? Employment? An address? Registered vehicle? If you answered “Yes” to any of those, it’s already too late.

^So information of mine is already out there.

I’m aware of this.

This doesn’t mean that my job, my purpose on Earth to be a supplier of data to the Fed.