The Ideology of Passports

I was at a family gathering where there happened to be 4 passports: from the Russian Federation, the US, Australia and an old Soviet one. I wanted to see how the 2 types of government represented in this list show themselves on the passport. Of course there were superficial differences (colour, formatting etc). But more importantly, I couldn’t miss the two quotes inside the western passports:

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, being the representative in Australia of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, requests all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer, an Australian Citizen, to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need.

The Secretary of State of the United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection.

There are [at least] 2 purposes for a passport: keeping tabs on your citizens and offering them protection overseas. At least from people who have regard for diplomacy/international law. The Australian and US passports had the 2nd reason clearly stated. There wasn’t a hint of it in the Soviet passport. In fact, the only printed notices were prohibitions: what happens to you if you forge the passport etc. It was very clearly portrayed as a tool to keep tabs on citizens but NOT to offer them any protection. Interestingly, the modern Russian passport was exactly the same (with a longer prohibition list).

These passport notices might be dismissed as empty words to ubercynics. I’m sure a Soviet ambassador will still have helped a fellow citizen in trouble overseas (more often than not). As will a Russian ambassador today. The passport contains words, not actions. But I don’t want to downplay the role of words/symbolism. Often what’s said (or here, what’s not said) betrays the attitude of the elite towards their citizens.