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2003-09-09 Home Front

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Posted by Steve 2003-09-09 3:05:39 PM|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The real problem, in the long run, is that there is no recourse once labelled. Multiple agencies contribute to the various systems and you are not privvy to who or what puts you on the list, so there is no one entity to whom you can appeal if they've screwed up... and that, my friends, is UNAmerican: no means of redress of grievances.

Posted by .com (a.k.a. Abu This!) 2003-9-9 3:17:45 PM|| 2003-9-9 3:17:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 And whats to keep this from being misused for political reasons. I would not put it past a politician (from either side) to have someone placed on 'the list' for political reason or to derail their opponents campain team.

Ask a tough question of a president and find that you cannot fly because you have been labeled 'red'. There have been reports (is this true?) of the IRS being used to perform 'annual random audits' on people who have asked tough or embarassing questions....

Posted by CrazyFool 2003-9-9 3:31:14 PM|| 2003-9-9 3:31:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Holy Big Brother Batman! This is the biggest GIGO pile of sh-t I have ever heard. While we are doing alimentary canal cruises on innocent passengers, our terrorist buddies are looking at ways of creating mischief using other modes of transport or industries.

This is a typical case of knee-jerk reaction of government on a problem. If you are going to beat the terrorist, you have to think like a terrorist and stay at least 2 steps ahead.

And finally, while we are cleaning up our deep probe instruments, we have the biggest security problem right smack dab here on our US-Mexico border. What is being done about el-Turbano crossing there? Welcome to the US. Have a driver's licence. Have a nice day.

Well, this little rant has made me see red. Now I will be flagged red, and I won't even be allowed to board my own plane.

We do not need a dept of homeland security. What we need are a few thousand real smart folks in key places making things happen.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-9-9 4:05:42 PM|| 2003-9-9 4:05:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 1 or 2 percent will be denied boarding? This sounds like the ultimate nonsense to me.
And you are not even able to find out why you might be labeled red? Even bigger nonsense.
You are suspicious when taking a one way flight or when paying cash? It gets more absurd.
When the first congressman or important CEO gets flagged red because of an error that thing will be dead. You might as well not start it and save your taxpayers a lot of money.

Posted by True German Ally 2003-9-9 5:43:07 PM|| 2003-9-9 5:43:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 True German Ally---This scenario is almost out of Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial, nicht war?

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-9-9 6:14:16 PM|| 2003-9-9 6:14:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 And whats to keep this from being misused for political reasons...

I don't think it will be used in the way an IRS audit is used - i.e. to 'punish' a particular individual enemy. That said, it is probable that it could go beyond use as a 'law enforcement tool' to target other groups, e.g. "deadbeat dads", members of certain advocacy groups, etc.

Posted by Pappy 2003-9-9 6:45:15 PM|| 2003-9-9 6:45:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Indeed Alaska Paul, that did come to my mind.
I know this is a provocation for many Americans but: Why is a national ID card such a monstrosity?

Posted by True German Ally 2003-9-9 7:11:17 PM|| 2003-9-9 7:11:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Think lawyers are licking their chops waiting for their first shot at this?

Posted by tu3031 2003-9-9 8:24:18 PM|| 2003-9-9 8:24:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 "There have been reports (is this true?) of the IRS being used to perform 'annual random audits' on people who have asked tough or embarassing questions...."

Indeed. Bill Clinton had thousands of opponents tax records delivered to the White House. But they said it was a 'mistake'. Among those whose tax records were taken: Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and others.

Those records are still missing to this day.

Posted by Charles 2003-9-9 8:29:13 PM|| 2003-9-9 8:29:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 True German Ally---Don't know. I have a US passport, so the US Govt knows all about me. It is sort of a national ID.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-9-9 10:11:26 PM|| 2003-9-9 10:11:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 So thousands of people daily wouldn't be able to board their flights. Tix refunded immediately, right? Plus the hotel reservation on the other side? Plus the gas they'll need now that they're driving to grandma's house? Or cruise tickets since they were headed to the Bahamas? Piss off. For once I'll be on the side of the lawyers.

Notice that I'm not assuming TSA DHS FBI CIA NSC NKLMNOP will be able to flag the proper individuals.

Christ this is stupid. Just tack on a few bucks to my fare instead, so I can see a nice, polite, pistol-packing pilot at the front of the plane.

Posted by (lowercase) matt 2003-9-9 10:12:17 PM|| 2003-9-9 10:12:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 TGA--If there is such a thing as a national ID here, it would be a driver's license. True, they are issued by the individual states, but they are kind of accepted nationwide as ID cards. That's why a lot of people are worked up about California giving licenses to illegal aliens. It's seen as kind of "legitimizing" them without making them do any of the things that resident aliens/nationals have to do, and rewarding them for getting past immigration officials.
The whole "why don't you have national ID's" thing is hard to explain. Americans feel that the national government already knows too much about them. It's something that we practically feel from birth, and it doesn't matter to us if that government file is only one sheet of paper. I know that sounds illogical to many foreigners, but that's the way we feel about it.

Posted by Baba Yaga 2003-9-9 10:26:57 PM|| 2003-9-9 10:26:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 If you go red, you should still have the option to fly handcuffed after consuming a fifth of scotch.It just makes sense.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-9-9 10:30:17 PM|| 2003-9-9 10:30:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Shouldn't we get to do a "survivor" and vote people on and off the aircraft during "pre-boarding"? Is this a friggin' democracy or what? Have bouncers, maybe - big gorilla-lookin' dudes with no necks and bad dispositions just open up the rear hatch and chuck the ones we don't like the looks of out onto the tarmac...

Posted by mojo 2003-9-9 10:42:20 PM|| 2003-9-9 10:42:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Shouldn't we get to do a "survivor" and vote people on and off the aircraft during "pre-boarding"? Is this a friggin' democracy or what?

For some people who marinate in their stinky perfume I would go for voting them off during the flight...

Kidding (or am I?)

Posted by CrazyFool 2003-9-9 11:43:19 PM|| 2003-9-9 11:43:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 I'll second that, CrazyFool!!

Posted by Baba Yaga 2003-9-10 12:23:17 AM|| 2003-9-10 12:23:17 AM|| Front Page Top

03:06 R. McLeod
00:42 Not Mike Moore
00:41 Bomb-a-rama
00:23 Baba Yaga
23:48 Valentine
23:43 CrazyFool
23:19 anonon
22:57 rg117
22:53 Baba Yaga
22:42 mojo
22:37 Baba Yaga
22:36 Rafael
22:30 mojo
22:30 Super Hose
22:29 Jabba the Nutt
22:26 Baba Yaga
22:25 Super Hose
22:22 Super Hose
22:15 Alaska Paul
22:13 Super Hose
22:13 Rafael
22:12 (lowercase) matt
22:11 Alaska Paul
22:05 Alaska Paul