legislation requiring that SSN be supressed from
documentation when possible (The Theft Of Identify
Act or something like that......too lazy to Google it right now).

I suppose you could criticise SSN for being both
a) a mechanism to identify us so that we can then be tracked
and monitored for all things which make us "special" in the eyes
of govt/business.

b) the way in which we lose our individual identities.....we are all
distilled down to a number....which is the key in a table somewhere
to a row of flags all about "us" (a row of flags which will surely one day
contain our entire DNA sequence).

Clerk: "SSN please.........ahhhhh I see you have the gene which makes
you predisposed to getting yeast infections.....have you considered buying
additional life insurance?"

When I first came to the States I went to the local govt office
to get an SSN number so that I could pay taxes. They gave me some number
out of a big book they were keeping under the kitchen sink. I swear if I
had said "can I take a few spares...just in case?" they would have given them to me. For several days I was wearing my new SSN number with pride.
For some odd reason it felt "special" to have an American SSN number.
Can't believe how dopey that sounds now on reflection. I guess I had low
expectations from life back then. "Wow....my very *own* SSN....really?
Are you sure? This is such an honor........."