International IDS – Okay or Orwellian?
I don’t know if I am having a “Big Brother Moment” or if this is something that makes a lot of sense for International Security, but an ISIC is now available. What is it? It is an International Student ID Card. What I am not clear on is if it is for students who are in the United States from abroad and it is a way to keep tabs on them, or if it is meant for all students. The cards have actually been around since the mid 1960s, with a non profit organization having started in 1949, whose aim was “To help facilitate student mobility” in educational opportunities and exchanges. The ID card came out of that mission.
When you look up information, you are usually greeted by a host of discounts a card holder is entitled to, such as stores, airlines and more. Is this merely an enticement to get more students to get on the bandwagon that smells a bit Orwellian, or is this a legitimate need due to our every communicating world? Are students really impeded by having a regular passport instead? I am not sure. Since I have never known anyone with one of these ID’s, I cannot say for sure whether they have bridged a gap or not. Also, if you are a conspiracy theorist, does indoctrinating students make them just all the more likely to accept them as adults?
What are your thoughts on this? I would like to hear from students who are in the travelling mode, and the average Jack and Jane on the street, too.
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