US to screen all who enter/leave country

[dahamsta]

...and store the data for 40 years. I swear to god, if the dems can't route those scumbag republicans out of the house and the senate, they don't deserve the presidency in two years.

http://verbo.se/notablog/us-plans-to-screen-all-who-enterleave-country/

adam

[jebus]

Thank Christ I had my quota of the US under Bill Clinton's government and can't be bothered going back again :)

[dahamsta]

I'd love to go, and pretty soon I'll be able to afford the trip I've always wanted, but I won't until all this surveillance idiocy is reformed. Their data protection laws were a joke before the moron got in, never mind now. I don't see why private corporations should have access to my private, personal information.

Looks like I'll be in my fifties at least before I get there at this stage, if then.

adam

[BohsPartisan]

As it is you get finger printed anyway. I was in Canada last year and was on a flight to Dawson City in the Yukon. Dawson was foggy so the plane couldn't land and had to make an unscheduled stop in Fairbanks Alaska. Even though we weren't leaving the airport (in fact there was no reason for us to even get off the plane) they took us off and did the whole fingerprint thing, what is the purpose of your visit etc. Really interrogating us despite the fact we had no intention of being in the country.

[jebus]

I always used to love the whole 'have you ever been a part of a terrorist organisation' questionaire they give, as Bill Bailey said 'well I am a part of one, but I'm only the receptionist'.

[John83]

I always used to love the whole 'have you ever been a part of a terrorist organisation' questionaire they give, as Bill Bailey said 'well I am a part of one, but I'm only the receptionist'.
Love that sketch, "I suppose you could be a member of a terrorist organisation in a non-violent way, in the laundry or the catering department."

[pete]

Love that sketch, "I suppose you could be a member of a terrorist organisation in a non-violent way, in the laundry or the catering department."

Hehe :D

I remember reading that when the US started the fingerprinting in relatiation Brazil introduced similar system just for US citizens using the paper & ink method so big queue for yanks trying to get into Rio.

I've always found it bizarre how the Repubs preach small deferal government but then they increase budget deficits the most & add extra layers to federal bureaucracy & surveilence... :rolleyes:

[NY Hoop]

Not only do you get fingerprinted your eye is photographed too.

Even if the Democrats get back into the White House and the Senate they wont go back on what is going on now. National security and all that.

I dont have a problem with it really because I'm not a terrorist. Even though the herag may think so cos I'm a Rovers fan.

Agree about entering the US during the Clinton era. Lot easier!

KOH

[pete]

Ah come on, surely you of all people will go along with the "at the end of the day it's our country, and if you don't like it go elsewhere" argument that they have :rolleyes:

I think hes already said hes made his own decision baded on the current US laws.

[strangeirish]

Don't be suprised if this (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061106/od_nm/emirates_warrant_dc) happens at a US airport in the near future.

[Conor H]

My question would bewhy does it bother people?
I mean as NY Hoop said you're not a terrorist so all these measures do is
1-Inconvience the majority
2-Weed out suspected terrorits which in my view can only be good.

I'm thwarted why it would annoy people.Allow time for the security checks when travelling to America.....simple.It's a great country and well worth visiting.

[BohsPartisan]

Suspected is the key word. Anyone can be a suspected terrorist. If you oppose US foreign policy they view you as a terrorist.

[osarusan]

2-Weed out suspected terrorits which in my view can only be good.


I think that Guantanamo and other instances have shown that the US is incapable of actually deciding who is a terrorist or not.

And they seem content to throw a lot of people into prison for a long time based on the idea that a few of them are probably terrorists.

I would imagins that the "weeding out" policy would be over-zealous to say the least. And I am not sure you can deny people rights for what you think they are going to do.

[dahamsta]

Personally, at the very simplest level, I don't want my personal information in US databases, not least because them sell it to everyone. Why should I be profiled by every TD&H against my wishes?

Secondarily, there have been a raft of mistakes and even intentional labelling of people ("no fly") despite these "measures". Common names are on the lists, often of people that are already in jail, or dead! Opposition politicans and activists have been targetted. How many of these are in Guantanamo? Where, it should be added, their right to trial has been removed.

How about the fact that habeus corpus no longer applies in America?

adam

[strangeirish]

Personally, at the very simplest level, I don't want my personal information in US databases, not least because them sell it to everyone.
adam

A good example of that here in Florida was a few years ago, the division of motor vehicles(Driver licenses) were selling personal information to insurance companies and the like. Needless to say, a privacy act was put in place after people were being solicited via the phone, but who had unlisted phone numbers.

[swain]

Love that sketch, "I suppose you could be a member of a terrorist organisation in a non-violent way, in the laundry or the catering department."

Or you were a terrorist but got let go;)

[sadloserkid]

Or you were a terrorist but got let go;)

Ah damn cutbacks. I gave 20 years of my life to that organisation and all I got was a watch as they shoved me out the door...

More seriously I'm not sure I'd be in any rush to go back to the US now. The situation over there is staggering at this stage, it's so openly invasive of people's private lives that it beggars belief.

[Gerrit]

My question would bewhy does it bother people?
I mean as NY Hoop said you're not a terrorist so all these measures do is
1-Inconvience the majority
2-Weed out suspected terrorits which in my view can only be good.

I'm thwarted why it would annoy people.Allow time for the security checks when travelling to America.....simple.It's a great country and well worth visiting.

Although I don't doubt that cities like New York and Washington are worth the trip, I find the political course the US is taking extremely worrying. The US is turning into a xenophobic ultraconservative country, and what is worse: it tries to constantly force its values upon other societies (see what happens in Iraq and Afghanistan when trying to force western values to a society not wanting them). The US is actually taking steps back in time, and the scariest thing is that the rest of the world seems to follow them, rather than the other way around :eek: In theory these security checks don't harm anyone with good intentions, but even then: maybe the US needs a signal from the outside world that it's time to change their ways? If everyone just keeps travelling over, investing money in their economy (tourism)... well, I mean, I am not very comfortable in spending my money on a country that I consider a danger to the values I support.
On a personal sidenote, I promised myself not to set food in countries practising capital punishment.

[Dodge]

You should really make the distinction between US politicians and US people. I've only been to cities (as a tourist) but most New Yorkers (etc) are definitely not xenophobic. Most of them couldn't care lesswhere somebody is from. It may be completely different in the bible belt etc but remember that less than 30% of all Americans voted in Bush. Most americans just go on about their days the same as the rest of us

[strangeirish]

You should really make the distinction between US politicians and US people. I've only been to cities (as a tourist) but most New Yorkers (etc) are definitely not xenophobic. Most of them couldn't care lesswhere somebody is from. It may be completely different in the bible belt etc but remember that less than 30% of all Americans voted in Bush. Most americans just go on about their days the same as the rest of us

I concur. I live 'near' the bible belt and it has been loosening it's grip the last number of years. And the average Joe down here in the south is pretty friendly. Most folks over here are quite normal to be honest. Can't say the same for the preachers and politicians though.:D

[dahamsta]

They're two more pieces of information that can be abused by a country with extremely weak data protection laws, and consequently abused by corporations and even nefarious types within that country (because data is so easy to purchase there). The more information they have, the easier it is to profile you, and impersonate you.

[John83]

It happened, remember the planes flying into the World Trade Centre and The Pentagon?, pretty sure thats why things are the way they are in America at the moment and rightly so. When you go to any country your giving up your personal information in one way or another anyways, if you want to rent a car, your passport gets checked and traced if needs be, thats common to all. What does taking your fingerprint and an image of your eyes matter.
If we use retinal scans and fingerprints as ID, someone will eventually mimic them. I can cancel my credit card. I can change a password. My fingerprint is forever.

One more thought. Every single one of the 19 (or thereabouts) guys who took over those planes had a valid passport.

[mypost]

Personally, I'm more offended, when you have to perform a mini-striptease at the airport at the security checkpoints. :mad: Belts/Shoes/Plastic Bottles are not essentials anymore, they're potentially WMD, because a few disgruntled nutters tried to use them as explosives on a plane, once. The elderly are refused air travel, if they don't have all the required ID paraphernalia. Then there's the data protection laws in America. Osama and co, must be in stitches at this lunacy. That's their whole aim, to disrupt/upset/scare people. Why bother launching terror attacks, when the relevant authorities in the "free" world are doing their work for them? :mad:

[Macy]

I don't like the French but if I was to ever go to France I wouldn't oppose to them asking for my fingerprint or a retinal scan, its their country and when in Rome...etc. etc.
Well hopefully it'll come in EU wide for all those travelling on US Passports, and like Brazil, just the plain old ink and paper (for the retinal scan too ;) ).

[BohsPartisan]

I don't like the French but if I was to ever go to France I wouldn't oppose to them asking for my fingerprint or a retinal scan, its their country and when in Rome...etc. etc.
Rome is in Italy! :D

Seriously though you miss the point. Sure this or that measure on its own may seem harmless but its a slippery slope. Pretty soon they'll have curfews, maybe even segregated Arab/white communities, what then? Concentration camps.
This "War on Terror" - terror of the Wests own making is being used as a catch all excuse for anything governents want to do, be it waging a murderous war on innocent people or chipping away at our civil liberties. Remember what the motto of the great French revolution was? "Liberty, Fraternity, Equality." I think whoever wrote that would be horrified to see what is going on in the world today.

[pete]

Matters little whether we like it or not as rely on the US for everything. We can moan about them but we may as well be the 51st State.

- Foreign Investment by US MultiNationals. Our economy would collapse if they pulled out.
- Illegal Irish emigrants in the US. They could deport them in massive numbers if had the politicial will.
- Oil supplies. We are completely dependent on oil especially from the Middle.

Its not likely but if the US took a dislike to Ireland could put kill our economy if all US companies pulled out & they sent back all the illegal irish.

:eek:

[BohsPartisan]

The US economy itself is up sht creek right now so it may not matter anyway.

[anto1208]

I dont see the big deal
So you have to register to enter -same as this site
Your info is kept on file -same as this site
you dont have freedom of speech -same as this site
the US says if you dont like it go some where else -just like this site .

[Macy]

Covered by strict data protection laws, just like this site?

[lopez]

The US: Generally nice people but quite a few a*seholes there - Just like this site. :cool: