April 03, 2004

• "Protecting the American public from British novelists."
• Yeah, let's just make the world that much more paranoid. This will not end well. As for the war on Terra...erm, terror, I think we already lost that one; as we're going out of our way to show the world how little we trust them more and more everyday. Yay us. =P
• Good thing I'd already said I wasn't going back to the US until they stopped banning queues for the aeroplane toilets. I find it incredibly hard to believe the US thinks a NZ citizen would hijack a plane or bomb a building -- it's not as if we have a history of it. Mind you, I guess it's equal-opportunity oppression and timewasting this way. I wonder how much more surly those immigration people can get.
• Flagpole - will things change for you? I thought that the changes were for those who did not require Visas. I am one of the lucky few I supose (Canadian), but as someone on a student visa, I get even more fun from the hoops we jump through. I am still waiting to see what happens when I leave and re-enter the US by air rather than by land (land borders do not have the equiptment yet). More information on the US-VISIT program.
• I am saddened by the fact that many monkeys will not be over for a visit. What's next Thoughtcrime? With a population of approx. 290 mil, Americans, by in large do not even carry a passport
• All previous security policy in the United States could be put down to elective folly - simply the Republicans pleasing their electorate. This steps over the line - this policy does not seem likely to win them votes, it seems to be a movement towards severe isolationism. The rest of the world should set better standards as an example, and I am sure the US will follow. However, if Europe decides to introduce a similar policy (as they may be doing), then in my opinion, the consequences will need some very serious analysis.
• I could possibly understand fingerprinting in the EU where you have multiple countries operating, for tourism/trade purposes, as a union much like the US. Borders are relatively slack because a visa into the EU lets a tourist go anywhere. Someone with not-so-nice intent might gain entry through a more relaxed country, then move on to greener pastures, as it were. But maybe now I'm just being condemnatory of the US without thinking this through. Although it's not an invasion of privacy, getting your fingerprints and photograph taken is a) time-consuming, b) the cause of another few levels of unneeded bureaucracy (that's spelled wrong, isn't it?) and c) pretty damn close to an invasion of privacy, not to mention an automatic assumption of criminal intent. And for what gain? Known criminals have documentation already, and terrorists within the US have historically been quickly and easily identified without the need for compulsory fingerprinting. Maybe another thing the INS should look at is rewriting their visa application forms, so that they don't ask a potential terrorist to say, "No, I do not intent to hurt the US or its citizens." Gah, end rant. I just hate the fact that little weakling me should be treated like I'm going to run off and destroy cities just because I want to go visit some friends.
• I shall be very unlikely to go to, or transit through, the US unless this changes. I do not appreciate being treated as a criminal unless I have actually broken some laws.
• All previous security policy in the United States could be put down to elective folly -- simply the Republicans pleasing their electorate. Afraid not, for the HUAC [House of UnAmerican Activities Commitee] was formed in 1938, under a Democratic President. Americans are never so formidable as when they are frightened or feel threatened. But no doubt this goes for a lot of other folk, too.
• slashdotfilter
• slashdotfilter ?
• slashdotfilter ? The last two FPPs sprung from slashdot
• Oh, okay.
• Yes - but some of us don't read slashdot (they have a VERY narrow definition of what a nerd is, and there are NO HISTORY stories), and I am also allergic to the incredibly confusing and overpopulated comments section. Though I did really like Apostrophe-Colon: News for Linux Users. Everyone else bugger off. ;) (for more computery sillyness, read the comic too) Also, I believe this one sprung from the BBC (which many many more people read). Still good to discuss - this affects the lives of a lot of us here. Because of this link, I ended up looking for the government website, and talking to a fellow Canadian about it. Turns out you can still all hate me, as even Canadian students will not be subject to the procedure (we apparently have non-immigrant "status" but not officially a "visa" - ie no fancy card and picture in our passports.)
• Do you have actual borders and checkpoints between America and Canada? Or can you just cross over when you like? Because thats a mighty long border to fortify.
• Yes, there are actual borderstops. There are many small roads that aren't watched, so it's a bit of an honour system in some places, but they are a lot less populated, and you get in big trouble is you go into the States without passing through customs. If you drive across, the ID inspection is cursory. But if you take the bus, the inspection is more thorough than some international flights.
• This is ridiculous. It may catch people who came to America, committed a crime, got arrested, got fingerprinted, left again, and then came back. And then what? Maybe one in ten thousand of this already tiny minority has come over with the express purpose of committing a terrorist act. And that's a pretty generous guess. Because of this, everyone has to wait in line and be prodded and poked by Unca Sam. Somehow, with this act the US have managed to simultaneously underestimate and overestimate the terrorists.
• (uh, oops. Got rather over-zealous with the italicising at some point)