Pardon my profanity, but this is infuriating. I have heard a lot of scary shit since the Bush administration took office, but given my choice of lifestyle, this is one of the scariest fucking things I have heard yet:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed a system which will in essence make it mandatory for you to have permission before leaving or entering the country, effectively putting everyone on a no-fly list unless the government says otherwise. Interestingly, the proposal does not seem to cover personal travel, only that on some sort of carrier like an airline or cruise vessel. [read more here, here, here and here]
Permission to leave the country? Are you kidding me? Leaving the country is what I do. It's what I've been doing as frequently as possible since I was sixteen (well, twelve if you count the family trip to Ireland) - and now I'm going to need some bureaucrat's permission?
This comment from Crooks and Liars just about sums up where this new bit of "security" is leading:
When I was fourteen and we were getting the hell out of the Soviet Union, I remember the two-year so-called "permission" process to get the Soviet government to allow us an exit visa. [link]
4 comments:
Jane, I saw this story a few days ago myself, but I haven't seen it repeated by any sites I hold as being almost unerringly reputable. Most notably, I haven't seen mention of this on Bruce Schneier's blog, where I am certain it would appear if he gave the story credence.
I am worried, but I'm trying to temper that worry until I see the story confirmed by someone I trust. I suggest we all stay tuned in the meantime.
(By the way, I hope you've sent in your absentee ballot.)
I refuse to believe this. And if it is true, I give up and am moving to someplace far, far away.
If I can get permission, that is.
Further proof for the conspiracy theorists that the U.S. is turning into a police state. The Patriot Act was hardly the first step- personal rights have been eroding year by year for a very very long time now. Kind of makes you remember those "Bill of Rights" arguments you had in college during Government class, no?
~Matt~
BTW, that last comment was not meant as a dig against conspiracy theorists, nor was it meant to say that everyone who feels that the U.S. is becoming a police state is a conspiracy theorist.....
~Matt~
Post a Comment