Robert Wright‘s book Non-Zero: The Logic of Human Destiny observes that conflicting desires among groups of people lead to "arms races," which — over time — can in turn lead to progress, sometimes in unexpected ways. An example of this can be seen in Sunday’s New York Times, which reports on an arms race between producers of fake ID cards on the one hand, and security personnel (including bar bouncers) on the other:
Mr. Copple, of the Pacific Institute, said that in the coming year a
variety of changes could make getting away with a fake ID tougher.Some
states will begin using new watermark technology akin to that used on
currency for drivers’ licenses next year. This spring the United States
Senate is expected to vote on a bill already passed by the House that
would require states to standardize the format of the data encoded on
the backs of drivers’ licenses, making it easier to scan them.Software
companies are rushing to develop verification programs for scanners
that can be updated in real time, not unlike antivirus software, in
response to evolving forgery techniques.While the backers of these efforts say they herald the demise of the fake ID, officers on the beat have doubts.
"They
find a loophole and exploit it," said Sergeant Planeta of the New York
document fraud squad, which has arrested 90 people for faking documents
since its formation last year. "We plug it, and they find their way
around it. And it goes back and forth."
(Extra paragraphing added.)
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