A brief word on the recent 'security alert' caused by a British student joking that she had a bomb in her bag. Now, obviously this was not a particularly bright thing to do.
However, Ms. Marson won't be the first person to be tempted into such an outburst by the unbelievable tedium of paranoid and inept airport security procedures (indeed I believe that none other than Robert Jackson, Conservative MP for Wantage made just such a gaffe some years ago, the bafoon...).
However, I digress.
Now, I'm not defending Marson's actions, but it's the authorities' reaction to such a 'brain in neutral' moment that stuns me.
We passed through the U.S. twice late last year, en route to Guatemala and returning from Mexico. WE were on U.S. soil for a grand total of about five hours, only stepping outside of the airport once. Most of the time was spent going through security, customs and immigration (immigration!!, we were catching connecting flights!!) The security procedures are utterly ridiculous. This is not being careful, this is being paranoid.
"Damn right!" you may say (if you're American, for instance, and enjoy mangling the English language...).
But no, I say, not right.
Paranoid doesn't mean 'extra careful', it means 'dillusional', which is the last thing you want to be when trying to spot terrorists.
Just because your paranoid, don't mean they're not after you...
No, but then it don't help much either, do it? I'm not saying they should have found her 'joke' funny, but the ability to recognise when someone was clearly kidding could be useful in the situation. Do these people have no sense of reality.
This attitude to security is indicative of a wider prevailing attitude in the U.S. of 'us and them' so well nurtured and exploited by the sections of the media and government, and is a dangerous distortion of reality.
Now I'm sounding paranoid...
I'll not rant any more, I have more to say on the subject of the U.S.A.'s self-image etc. but I'll ruminate on that for a while....
While we're on the subject, I recommend Moby's running commentary on the U.S. political scene in his online journal at moby.com, very interesting and insightful.
Comments
Yes, Joe & Heather, the lights are DEFINITELY on here in Waco, Texas, and WE are home. Come see us, and we'll be happy to show you the part of American society that ISN'T "sick!"
I've enjoyed reading your blog, Joe. Hope to meet you some day.
Hey, stay home.:O)
er, no...
El Presidente George W. Bush, our Mexican El Presidente, and Honorable Members of Congress
I agree this this and other like-minded bloggers on this topic..McCain, Kennedy, Kyle, and the rest of them have it dead wrong on amnesty immigration and what US citizens think about it!
As a concerned citizen, I believe illegal immigration is a national security crisis of the highest order and poses a long-term threat to the American way of life. The American public overwhelmingly opposes amnesty and support closing the border, enforcing our immigration laws, and work place enforcement!
First PROVE you can SECURE the borders, crack down on illegals and the employers that hire them, and implement a biometric identification card. You say it costs too much to build a fence ... well the illegals are costing a heck of a lot more in medical, social services, and jobs in this country and US citizens are TIRED OF IT! Please make us proud once again to be Americans.
Pass a bill for ENGLISH as the 'OFFICIAL LANGUAGE'. The HYPOCRISY in the renewal of the 'Voters' Right Act' and this amnesty debate is mind-boggling! One calls for interpreters and voting ballots printed in FOREIGN languages, while Senators are supporting people to become citizens with voting rights who CAN NOT EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH. To vote you MUST be an American citizen, and to become a US citizen you must demonstrate proficiency in both reading and writing ENGLISH! Why then does the 'Voters Rights Act' that was just passed require interpreters and foreign language voting ballots??
It is Deja vu (or deja vecu 1986) all over again. Amnesty WITHOUT border enforcement, interior enforcement and WORK PLACE enforcement. In fact, the latest Immigration Bill gives AMNESTY not only to illegals who stole SSN (A felony), forged documents, etc., the CURRENT BILL ALSO PROVIDES AMNESTY FOR EMPLOYERS who hired illegals! We are back in the same position as after the 1986 amnesty ... no border enforcement and no work place enforcement which is the magnet for attracting even more illegal immigration in the future.
The very first line of the bill makes it clear that illegals get "probationary status" before any border security triggers are implemented. Once given this legal status, the bill expressly states that a former illegal alien "may not be considered an unauthorized alien." This is amnesty! It legitimizes US citizens PAYING for all schooling, social services, medical, social security, and other benefits! State and local taxpayers are over burdened now, and this AMNESTY immigration bill will break the budgets of local governments! We are outraged that the Senate is going to give amnesty to illegal aliens.
I am calling on Congress and El Presidente Bush to:
Secure our borders. As first priority, America must stop the flow of illegal immigration by investing all necessary resources in securing our borders. Also, existing immigration laws must be enforced as an essential component of our Homeland Security.
No Amnesty. I oppose any form of amnesty for illegal aliens, including the “temporary worker” proposal or any proposals that grant legal residency status or citizenship to illegals. The Federal government is shifting their burden to State and local taxpayers! Amnesty is wrong and will cost U.S. taxpayers over $2.4 trillion
No benefits. NO Social Security, Earn Income Credit, Social Services, Free Schooling and medical care benefits! AMNESTY, aka 'Z-Visa program', will add over $2.4 TRILLION to our children's debt!
No work. Stricter punishment of U.S. businesses that knowingly employ illegal aliens. Establish a national database of legal immigrants to assist both public and private sectors in this effort. Implement a secure biometric identification system to protect US citizens from identity theft and protect our Social Security system from abuse!
Aggressive Work Place Enforcement. Immediate investment in aggressive effort to eliminate the magnet that drew the 12 + million illegal immigrants to the US – if you’re caught, you are sent back to your native country! No work and many of the illegal aliens will return home.
English first. Legislation that establishes English as the required and preeminent language throughout the United States. Public and private sectors cannot be required to provide services in alternative languages.
No Birthright Citizenship. Illegals flood to the U.S. simply to have babies—which are then granted citizenship. Changing the current law is certain to curtail the illegal traffic. The citizenship of the mother should be used on birth certificates of all babies born to illegal aliens!
Stop family chain migration. Limit immigration to immediate family members under the age of 18 and NO OTHERS...that means parents and brothers and sisters! If they want to be around family members, then STAY in your own country!
Granting amnesty to millions of people with only minimal background checks significantly jeopardizes homeland security and expends limited homeland security resources. Our resources and tax dollars must be spent on securing the borders and implementing a biometric identification system first, rather than wasting money on processing illegals for amnesty!
The 'so called agreement' rewards millions of illegal immigrants for braking our laws and would legalizes the paying of federal, state and local taxes by US taxpayers to take care of and educate the illegal aliens. You cannot have amnesty and wholesale legalization of lawbreakers with extensive family chain migration and still preserve a solid US middle class. The illegals would not pay any income taxes; in fact, they would be collecting EARNED INCOME CREDIT payments ... paid for by hard working American citizens.
You are betraying American citizens by supporting the Senate immigration reform and what WE CALL AMNESTY!! No Green Cards, No Z-Visas, No employment, No benefits, No Free ride and a lot of illegals will leave. STOP this madness and address security and enforcement FIRST, immigration reform is a joke in the Senate, with little attention being given to the true numbers, cost, and appropriations for the reform. All that extra cost only puts more burdens on the INS to process the applicants and increases the cost of background checks. That hidden cost only detracts from available moneys to secure the border, increase border patrol, increase training capacity, provide detention beds (use tents), work place enforcement officers, and immigration judges/deportation hearings. Do the RIGHT thing Security first then look at the rest of the immigration issues. We DO NOT WANT A REPEAT of the 1998 Amnesty Program ... that is exactly what the Senate is proposing but saying in their 'Z Visa' part of the bill.... THAT IS WRONG!
The Senate should be ashamed of itself. NO Amnesty Programs - Enforce The Law!
I am opposed to it because despite fancy terminologies, and phrases, support of this bill is support for amnesty for illegal aliens who are crossing our borders. Because we are a nation of law and order, I cannot support a bill or a lawmaker who can't seem to make that connection.
Thanks for the rant Pat, did you actually read my post?
I'm guessing not, but you prove my case better than I ever could, cheers...
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