You Are a Suspect

NY TIMES via Drudge ^ | william safire

[DAnconia55]

You Are a Suspect
By WILLIAM SAFIRE

ASHINGTON — If the Homeland Security Act is not amended before passage, here is what will happen to you:
Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade your receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend — all these transactions and communications will go into what the Defense Department describes as "a virtual, centralized grand database."

[Anchoragite]

Why? Are you so anti-American that you'd not turn in your guns if the folks in charge told you it would help the war effort? It's just one little constitutional right? What's one more, in the face of terrorism?

[ECM]

Ya know, when I read things like this (if is indeed accurate), it makes me glad to have dual-citizenship.

It unnerves me, though, as I never thought I'd ever have to actually use it.

[PRND21]

Better polish your Bush signs.

That explains the dramatics. Happy fear mongering.

[Libloather]

Why? Are you so anti-American that you'd not turn in your guns if the folks in charge told you it would help the war effort? It's just one little constitutional right? What's one more, in the face of terrorism?

Right now, you're several pots past Chock Full O' Nuts. Try some Sanka - quickly...

[per loin]

But is our war against Islam, or against the US Constitution?

[per loin]

I read the article and all I can say is who cares about privacy anymore?

Please post your Social Security, Credit Card, and all PIN numbers. Might as well post your FR password too.

[per loin]

Bush's position seems to be that we can't do anything that would violate whatever rights the Muslims believe they have here, so we will just have to throw away the Constitutional rights of all Americans.

[zeugma]

Well said dirtboy!

I don't understand why feds are so incompentent with computers given the money they have to buy them.

[zeugma]

[Oh yeah, that's right. The war will never be over. It's a war on terrorism, not on specific terrorists. And terrorism will always be here -- if not from one extremist group, then from another....]

In that respect, it's the perfect war... for the statists

[sixgunjer]

Why not just keep this kind of data on non-citizens whose hairline begins at the nostrils?

[per loin]

I find it shortsighted to give powers to the government, based on who occupies an office at the moment.

[bigunreal]

How about that temporary witholding tax?

[Quix]

This has felt increasingly fitting initially every few years; then every year; now more so seemingly every week.

In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.
-Martin Niemoller

[Anchoragite]

Studies show caffiene is good for you.

Now, are you capable of forming an opinion, or do you just troll and pass out personal attacks?

[griffin]

"WE ARE AT WAR."

Yeah, precisely the motivation that the government used, according to Mr. Orwell, to justify their actions and get the 'Mugwumps' to not ask any questions.

Extract head before ur sphinkter spazums Ill.

[Anchoragite]

Yes, it will include credit card transactions.

Here's the Gov't project homepage (*.mil, notice).
Also notice the graphic, showing the inclusion of biometric data (face, fingerprint, DNA sorts of data), financial data, education, travel, medical, veterinary, country entry, place/event entry, transportation, housing, government, communications....

TOTAL Information Awareness...
http://www.darpa.mil/iao/TIASystems.htm

[riley1992]

BTTT

[MadIvan]

Why not just keep this kind of data on non-citizens whose hairline begins at the nostrils?

My sister would suggest keeping data on people with one long eyebrow too. She regards people with a "monobrow" as being suspicious characters. ;)

Example of suspicious "Monobrow" character

I quite agree.

Regards, Ivan

[Happygal]

She regards people with a "monobrow" as being suspicious characters.

It's funny you should mention those 'monobrows'. My Mam used tell me as a kid, that it is an Irish superstition NEVER to trust anyone whose eyebrows 'met in the middle'. Now, it turns out, she had a point :-)

[thepitts]

Do you really believe this is a good idea?