So argue it then ... how does it provide safety?

It provides revenue protection for the airline. That's not the government's problem.

The ID isn't checked against against a database (and by TSA's admission, many terrorists aren't on the no fly list anyway lest we tip them off ) ... just an ID against a boarding. The names match ... so what? What did that just accomplish?

If a person is properly screened, it doesn't matter who they are - they're not going to be a threat to the plane.

It's theater. I went onto a government installation a few times in the last couple weeks. I had to go thru visitor control as I don't have a permanent badge yet. To get to the VC, I had to go thru a gate where one of their cops looked at my DL. Looked at my DL, looked at me, and waved me thru. What did that accomplish? He still didn't know who I was ... only that my DL picture matched me. I laughed about it every time I went thru the charade. A much more stringent check was done inside the VC to verify that I had reason to be there and I was who I said I was - for very good reasons not related to safety.

Requiring ID, a la "Papers, please" is an unamerican practice that we railed against in the Cold War as hallmarks of communism and fascism. We prided ourselves that we were free to associate with whom we wished and go where we wished. For some reason, America seems to be wanting to emulate those societies it railed against back in the day. Do you think, in a free society, that we should have to ask permission of the government by proving our papers so we can ride on a plane?

ID checks have their place. An airport isn't one of them though.

Super