A recent social media post by "Liberty Belle, the 355 🇺🇸🔔" has ignited discussion regarding the broader implications of the REAL ID Act, portraying it as a foundational step towards an expansive digital ecosystem. The author expressed alarm over what is perceived as a gradual centralization of power and the merging of corporate and governmental interests. According to the tweet, "What seems like just a small little thing is in fact part of a much larger effort to move everything into the digital realm."
The REAL ID Act, enacted in 2005 following the 9/11 attacks, established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards to be accepted for federal purposes, such as boarding domestic flights or entering federal facilities. Critics, including civil liberties advocates and some state governments, have long raised concerns about privacy, data security, and the act's potential to create a de facto national identity card, arguing it erodes state sovereignty by mandating federal standards.
Beyond REAL ID, the United States government has been pursuing various digital identity initiatives aimed at modernizing access to federal services and enhancing cybersecurity. Programs like Login.gov, managed by the General Services Administration, seek to provide secure and streamlined online authentication for citizens interacting with multiple agencies. These efforts often involve public-private partnerships, with discussions focusing on interoperability, user convenience, and the balance between security and privacy.
The tweet further warns against "the merging of corporations & government—corporatism (corporate fascism) & the architecture that will facilitate technocracy—rule by experts (not elected officials)." In political science, corporatism refers to a system where major interest groups, such as business and labor, are integrated into the state's policymaking process, often seen in historical contexts of authoritarian regimes. Technocracy, meanwhile, describes a system of governance where decision-makers are selected based on their technical expertise and specialized knowledge rather than political affiliation or popular election.
The author concludes with a stark warning, stating, "We’re going to end up with American Dengism if we don’t stop this." "Dengism" refers to the political and economic ideology developed by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, characterized by economic liberalization and market reforms implemented under the firm authoritarian control of the Communist Party. The analogy suggests a fear of a future American society where economic and social life is increasingly managed by a powerful, centralized authority, potentially with significant corporate influence, at the expense of traditional democratic and federalist principles.