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Insecure

Posted on Sunday, July 31st, 2005

Dave!So now it looks like anybody visiting the US who is not a US or Canadian citizen will eventually be required to carry a wireless device when entering the country (if a test program at the Kingston border crossing is "successful"). Holy crap. As if the "Real ID" card wasn't stupid enough, this is something monumentally asinine.

Who are the deluded morons making these decisions?

What is going to keep terrorists from ditching or trading these devices? What is going to keep terrorists from stealing these devices from law-abiding visitors? What is going to keep terrorists from modifying or forging the devices? How does it help track people who have snuck across the border without using a crossing station?

Dumbass ideas like this are always going to rely on terrorists being tech-ignorant morons who will do exactly what you ask them to. We've learned the hard way that this is simply not the case. The only people you can safely rely on to not abuse the system are the people who don't pose a danger in the first place.

Which begs the question... does anybody think this shit through before spending billions in taxpayer dollars?

Get a clue already. Orwellian shit like this DOES NOT MAKE US MORE SECURE!! All it does is give us the ILLUSION of being more secure, which is far, far worse than nothing at all. Anybody who thinks otherwise is either a tech-ignorant old fool of a politician, or is trying to sell you a billion-dollar "security system."

WTF?!? Does nobody watch movies anymore? Does nobody read books or the newspaper? There is only ONE thing you can rely on in today's world: THERE IS NO SYSTEM SO SECURE THAT IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED OR EXPLOITED!! This is not to say we should do nothing... the valiant effort to keep our borders secure and US citizens safe is a worthwhile endeavor. But spending billions on something that has no hope of actually working and makes us less safe is beyond stupid. I'm sure that well-financed, tech-savy terrorists would disagree but, what can I say, they're terrorists.

If I were a law-obiding foreigner intent on visiting the USA, I'd be scared shitless that somebody would hunt me down and kill me so they could steal my "US Visit Tracker" and use it to more easily cross the border for their terrorist activities. And who can blame them?

I swear, pretty soon the only foreigners visiting this Nation will BE terrorists, because everybody else will want to avoid the risk and hassle. That's sure to do wonders for our security. And our economy. I can't help but wonder what's coming next.

Movie Quotable of the Day: "I've tried everything... the embassy, the German government, the consulate. I even talked to the U.N. ambassador. It's no use, I just can't bring my wife to orgasm!"
Yesterday's Answer: Sneakers (1992) with Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier.

Categories: News - Politics 2005Click To It: Permalink
   

Comments

  1. karla says:

    That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Truly. And folks wonder why America is so hated?
    I just flew in from Norway yesterday, and Continental left my luggage behind in Amsterdam due to a fast connection time. while i had no problems getting into the country, it seems that my luggage, left behind through NO FAULT OF MY OWN, is being held in customs as some sort of security threat, as it is not with me and now considered “unaccompanied”. (Like I WANTED IT to be unaccomapnied?) And it will be held until tomorrow, though it comes in tonight. This puts me behind in my travel plans by TWO DAYS. The lady who works for continental told me she can’t put in an “expedite request” as it actually makes customs SLOWER. Yeah, they slow down on purpose when they know you are in a hurry. Then she said “customs sucks”. Which made me laugh.
    Thank you, US government, for being such *ss f*ckers that you are holding my innocent luggage and making me behind on my travels….

  2. Ben says:

    Can I make the obligatory Orwell reference?

  3. Dave2 says:

    I have been through the exact same mess with my luggage but, fortunately, it was on my way home, so I managed to get by without my bag for a few days.

    Hmmm… didn’t I already cover the Orwell reference when I said “Orwellian”?? 🙂

  4. Carl says:

    LOL. I’d just like to add up all the terrorists and threats from Canada this country has gotten… hmm… how about zero!

    I’m currently undergoing immigration into this place and it has been so awkward. I’ve been here for nearly a year and I’m still jobless, my parents still share a car, and I’m from England for god sakes. The worst I could possibly do is send a ripped tea-bag through the mail and get arrested for possible chemical poisoning. The system is a joke and it’s already cost us $20,000.

    It’s freedom, with restrictions. There’s an oxymoron for you.

  5. PeggyArcher says:

    The only thing that makes me madder than this story is the knowledge that lots and lots of my hard earned tax dollars are going to be used to pay for this jack*ssery.

  6. Bob says:

    This diary entry was quoted in the Metro (little news daily given away free on the DC Metro) – this morning (Monday). Thought you might like to know. Cheers- Bob

  7. Dave2 says:

    Oh joy. Thanks for the warning.

    I just wonder… was it quoted in its entirety, or did they pick and choose snippets? So often when this happens, my quotes are taken out of context, which kind of sucks ass when the moron-patrol starts writing me email. 🙂

  8. Jake says:

    Being a new immigrant to the US (a Canadian citizen), this affects me. If they try and slap one of those on me when I am crossing the border, I am just going to tell the officials to go #%&@ themselves and I’ll walk back across to the Canadian side.

  9. I agree with you… This is stupid, I think we should require all US visitors to have a visa to enter Canada in reponse to this nonsense.

    As a Canadian who lives just about couple of hours from US/Canada border in Toronto, I am totally turn off from visiting your country. In the 90’s I used to come down to visit many of my friends, for a day shopping trips or even head down to the bars on the weekend. In those days every few weekends I would be in USA. But with all nasty looks and dump questions at the border by US officials, I already feel unwelcomed. I much rather take all my vacations and other trips else like to Mexico or Caribbean.It’s cheaper there and at least I am always welcome with a big smile at the airport! I have been may be twice in US in the last five 4 years. It’s hassle nowadays and I feel like Canadians are no longer welcome in that country. Oh well, at least there many other places in the world to visit. Just my 2 cents from this side of the border.

  10. Dave2 says:

    If you Canadians think YOU have it bad, you actually get preferential treatment in comparison to other Nations!

    Well, for now. 🙂

  11. Dan says:

    I’ve had friends treated so badly by US border control that they swore they’d never again even think about visiting the US. Of course UK customs has always been rude and arbitrary, but then they’re like their own little mini police state dictatorship.

    And it is hard to pretend to be a bastion of freedom when the government is busy trying create the new improved, more efficient police state.

  12. Dave2 says:

    That’s bizarre. British immigration and customs has always… ALWAYS… been nothing but helpful and respectful for my every trip to the country. This is both before and after the EU… before and after the Bush presidency… and before and after 9-11. On top of that, I have never heard a single bad thing from anybody about problems entering the UK.

    Since you don’t cite anything specific, I can only guess you have experienced something that would make you say this… but short of detention in a jail cell without food and water or a phone call to a solicitor, I have no clue what could have happened to you. I mean, honestly… “mini police state dictatorship??”

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