Hi Antaletriangle,
I too am in favour if ID cards in the UK to store important information. In one card you can store your drivers license, tax code, polling card, birth certificate details, the list is endless.
Also eventually there will be global ID cards. One could argue that the numbering of such cards would be too difficult, but it is quite simple.
We could use telephone codes to simplify. So, in my case, as I was born in the UK, my number would be 44 (UK) 1904 (where I was born) WP****75-A (my NI number). There you have it. A 17 digit number which could be registered in the form of a bar code.
The same could be done in any part of the world for any person in the world and the same card could be used as a passport for travelling.
The things that you do later in life are added to your number, medical records, crimes, dirivng licenses etc. all centralized in data bases all over the world.
Wouldn't that bring the world a little closer together?
Best regards,
Steve