I can imagine SSNs not existing. What's so bad about that? How would I identify myself? Like this: "Hello, here I am."
If SSNs didn't exist then it would stop a lot of identity theft. I have creditors calling me for things like unpaid phone and electric bills in states I never lived in. This could not happen if there were no SSNs. I can't think of one good reason for Gov't mandated unique identifiers except for the purposes of totalitarian oppression.
Take for example: wage taxes. An idea once fought against: "The power of direct taxation applies to every individual ... it cannot be evaded like the objects of imposts or excise, and will be paid, because all that a man hath will he give for his head. This tax is so congenial to the nature of despotism, that it has ever been a favorite under such governments." And guess what, our so called "income taxes" supposedly temporarily enacted for national security during war time, has enabled our imperialist gov't to wage war ever since. IMHO, a wage tax, as opposed to a tax on true income which you earn passively from the sweat of others, such as a business's profit, is abhorrent. It makes murderers of us all as we have no way to avoid funding wars designed to secure the affects of the rich by grinding the blood and bones of the common man.
I suppose you'd counter with, "How would people buy small things on credit?" Well, they wouldn't. You secure credit with equity. Society still managed to progress ~70 years ago before credit cards. The SSN and small lines of credit are a bane on society used by people who lack critical thinking skills about the tools of totalitarianism and algebra. Giving a broke person a $100 line of credit which ends up costing them $800 in fees because they're broke is definitely not in their best interests. All the ridiculous profits made by credit card companies is money extracted from the local economy to the direct detriment of the poor.
Give me one good example of where an SSN is not used by a totalitarian regime to subjugate the poor.
The poor don't need credit cards. And they don't need SSNs. Wages are not income. Gasoline should not be cheaper than water. There is no news at 11. Question authority. Eat the rich!