"We have no clear concept of identity"

Globalization, technology and interoperability are having profound effects on ID.

Experts: Law on biometric passports does not meet European standards (Kyiv Post)

ID is About People

Bridging India’s identity divide with a number (BBC)

In one of the world's fastest growing economies, some 40% of people living in villages don't have bank accounts, the number rising to three-fifths of people living in the east and north-east of India. (It is another matter that more than 40% of India's earners have no savings.) One of the main reasons why they don't have a bank account is that they have no definitive proof of who they are.

Also, identity - when available - is fickle and dubious.

You can't be a fully-functioning member of the modern globalized world without a legitimate ID.

Drones + Biometrics: Weapons That Conquer Globalization's Frontiers

Conquering Globalization's Frontiers (Time.com)

Trust me, along with drones, these frontier-settling technologies will most definitely infiltrate our society in coming years, just like the military's Internet and GPS did before.

Thomas P. M. Barnett offers a kindred point of view on the role biometrics are playing in the continuing march of globalization and global development.

He also touches upon the privacy vs. anonymity topic we discussed here.

The linked Time.com piece is short, densely packed with useful insights, and well worth the time of a thorough read.