I think the question concerning why the old social security cards warn that the card should not to be used as a general ID was a good question.
It is your social security account number and I have always been perplexed as to why anyone would think it would be a good idea to give that out for anything other than Social Security business?
Lets use our credit card numbers? Or, how about using our checking account number?
I guess I got with the government program and all I have to show for it is a trashed credit rating due to the theft of this number. I also have the cost of trying to fix this violation of my privacy that this wonderful number has caused knowing that in the end I will never see a dime from this account when I reach retirement.