February 17, 2005

homeland security seizes "harmful art" Last time it was Austrians calling US artists immoral.
posted by orococo 19 years ago
  • Art considered harmful to the country. ah, a fine tradition. Have a book burning too, whilst you're at it. Not actually living over there, it's not so much this sort of thing that bothers me, it's the knowledge that when all of this crap has passed, I'm going to spend the rest of my life being subjected to endless American introspection about how they let it happen. It will make Vietnam Syndrome look like a mild headache.
  • I don't understand how the author came to the conclusion that the art was seized because it was immoral. They confiscated fake passports & such, because they veiwed them as a threat. Honestly, I agree for once with the authorities. This is not a good age to be travelling around the U.S. with faked documents, art or no. However, the damage mentioned in the article shouldn't have happened, and it should have been explained to the people whose property the authorities were taking exactly what they were taking and why. It seems really sneaky this way, which is pretty counter-productive.
  • Well... at least he was allowed to continue his journey... and wasn't thrown into some airport interrogation room for 37 hours.
  • Of course, if he were of Middle Eastern descent... He probably would have gotten a free one-way trip to sunny Cuba!
  • You know, Debaser, you're probably right. sigh. Danger, how is this like book burning? Unless the art that was taken was easily identifiable as not official, I believe they did the right thing (except for the manner in which it was done). Also, could someone help a naive girl out with this Vietnam Syndrome? The Wikipedia entry "needs attention" so I didn't read it, and I didn't get such great results on google.
  • It is, I admit, a long way from book burning if the documents weren't obviously marked as art. (and, perhaps, crap art too). But it's a weird slippery slope when documents can be considered harmful to a nation and confiscated without consultation to the guy carrying them. If he'd been pulled aside and made to explain what they were, fine. But what's the difference between this and, say, removing an inflammatory novel? Or a DVD of an anti-US-themed film? Vietnam Syndrome was/is the long held psychological state that the US leadership found itself in during the late 70s and 80s. A huge loss of pride, a lot of self-flagellation, and then a big need to reframe Vietnam as a victory. That's why, pop-psych-speaking, you get an 80s with Rambo, Reagan, and the invasion of Grenada. At the end of the first Gulf War, Bush Snr said, "By God, we've kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all!"
  • Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining that, Danger. I do see the difference, but I agree with you regarding their methodology. It sounds to me like the officers (or agents, or whomever) were on a power trip, and their ability to take action like this without consulting anyone is alarming. It is going too far, and I do wonder, in a tinfoil hat kind of way, if this wasn't a message to all us commoners: "If you have something we don't want you to have, we'll take it and we don't even have to tell you". This also sort of reminds me of that one case (there's a link in Mofi somewhere, I'm sure of it) of the artist in NY whose wife died, and when the paramedics arrived and got a look at his food-testing apparatus, not knowing what it was called the authorities, who then put the artist through hell (and in jail, etc.), using the Patriot Act as justification. Anyone remember that one? Anyway, I also agree that the U.S. is going to have a hard time coming to terms with all that's happened under the Bush administration. And I keep getting the feeling that all this international drama isn't the big issue, it's what's clouding the big issue so that the Big Guys don't have to admit that they're wrecking our country. If the people stay focused on Iraq, Iran, Israel, Syria, North Korea, and on and on and on, we won't have much time to reflect on how things are here at home, which is pretty damn crappy.
  • The Americans are actually pretty good about this kind of stuff. (Paint it black just came on!) It's not like a police state down there though. Cause aside, the trepidation is warranted. I met a person that had fought in Vietnam. To walk in his shoes would be to understand that they were never "deprogrammed". Every day of their lives looking over their shoulders, waiting to stirke at unseen "enemys". But in reality Vietnam syndrome is not new and niethers Cancer. It's just recognized now.
  • "our luggage and personal items were almost all damaged" I would like to know, out of curiosity, what exactly the above entailed.
  • Now, I've never been a fan of the guy who gets pulled over for speeding whining "don't the police have anything better to do?" but I have to wonder: doesn't the dept of homeland security have something better to do?